Oddoniodendron

Taxonomy

Oddoniodendron E.A.J. De Wildeman Pl. Bequaert. 3: 22. Mar 1925.

Subfamily: Caesalpinioideae.
Phylogenetic Number: 1.4.60.
Tribe: Detarieae.
Group: Berlinia.
Species Studied - Species in Genus: 1 studied; 2 in genus.

Description

Fruit: A legume; unilocular; 10–16 cm long; 4–5 cm wide; 0.3 cm thick; 2–9 times longer than wide; with deciduous androecial sheath; with deciduous corolla; with deciduous calyx; without orifice formed by curving of fruit or fruit segments; straight; not plicate; not twisted; asymmetrical; oblong; not inflated; flattened; without beak; tapered at apex; oblique with longitudinal axis of fruit; rounded at base; oblique with longitudinal axis of fruit to right angled with longitudinal axis of fruit; with the apex and base uniform in texture; ligneous; seed chambers externally invisible; margin not constricted; margin without sulcus; margin plain; wing(s) absent; nearly stipitate to substipitate; with the stipe 6 mm long; with all layers dehiscing; splitting along suture(s). Dehiscence of valves along both sutures; apical and down; active; with valves separately enrolling. Replum invisible. Epicarp dull; monochrome; reddish brown; with surface texture uniform; minutely velvety reddish brown pubescent and indurate, or glabrate; with hairs erect; eglandular; without spines; not smooth; with elevated features; veined; transversely veined relative to fruit length; not tuberculate; not exfoliating; without cracks; without embedded tissue, much thicker than epicarp, running from base to apex. Mesocarp present; surface not veined; 2-layered; without balsamic vesicles; with fibers; without reniform canals; with fibers over solid layer; ligneous. Endocarp present; visible; dull; opaque; monochrome; reddish brown; without adhering pieces of testa; nonseptate; not exfoliating; remaining fused to mesocarp and epicarp; entire. Seed(s) at least 4; length oblique to fruit length; neither overlapping nor touching; in 1 series. Funiculus of 1 length only. Aril absent.

Seed: 38 mm long; 31 mm wide; 11 mm thick; not overgrown; not angular; symmetrical; oblong; compressed; with surface smooth; without visible radicle and cotyledon lobes; without hilar sinus; without umbo on seed faces; without medial ridge on each face. Cuticle not exfoliating; not inflated; not wrinkled. Testa present; without pieces of adhering epicarp; not adhering to endocarp; free from endocarp; glossy; not modified by a bloom; colored; bichrome; brown and tan (reddish brown on margin, tan on face); glabrous; smooth; chartaceous. Pleurogram absent. Pseudopleurogram absent. Fracture lines absent. Rim absent. Wing(s) absent. Raphe not visible. Hilum present; larger than punctiform; not within corona, halo, or rim. Cotyledons smooth; both outer faces convex; both the same thickness; both more or less of equal length; not folded; margin entire 180 degrees from base of radicle; similar at apex; completely concealing radicle; split over radicle (and with undulate lobes); with lobes (undelete); with lobes touching (auriculate); without basal groin formed by lobes; with the interface division terminating at base of radicle; without margins recessed; inner face flat; glabrous on inner face. Embryonic axis straight; parallel to length of seed; without a joint evident between the radicle and the cotyledons. Radicle differentiated from cotyledon; centered between cotyledons. Plumule rudimentary; glabrous.

Distribution

Gulf of Guinea.

Old World; Africa (Gulf of Guinea).

Generic Notes

There are neither hilar nor lens data, Because all studied seeds had the testa missing at the apex.

Tribal Notes

Tribe Detarieae

Bruneau et al. (2000) carried out extensive phylogenetic analyses of tribes Amherstieae and Detarieae. They concluded that they form a single monophyletic group. Therefore, they supported Polhill's (1995a, 1995b) decision to unite the two tribes.