Pseudomacrolobium

Taxonomy

Pseudomacrolobium L.L. Hauman Bull. Inst. Roy. Colon. Belge 23: 477. 1952.

Subfamily: Caesalpinioideae.
Phylogenetic Number: 1.4.61.
Tribe: Detarieae.
Group: Berlinia.
Species Studied - Species in Genus: 1 studied; 1 in genus.

Description

Fruit: A legumelegume:
usually dry, dehiscent fruit derived from a single carpel that opens along two longitudinal sutures
; unilocular; 12–18 cm long; 3–4 cm wide; 1 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; with except for near the base, 1 straight and 1 curved suture; oblong or slightly widest near middle or D-shaped; not inflated; compressed; without beak; long tapered at apex; slightly oblique with longitudinal axis of fruit; long tapered at base; slightly oblique 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; stipe condition not indicated; 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 tan; with surface texture uniform; minutely pubescent and indurate (velvety); with hairs erect; with simple hairs; eglandular; without spines; not smooth; with elevated features; not veined; not tuberculate; obliquely faintly striate; 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 oblique embedded in mealy tissue over solid layer (or "embedded in soft tissue"); ligneous. Endocarp present; visible; dull; opaque; monochrome; tan; scurfy; without adhering pieces of testa; septate to nonseptate; not exfoliating; remaining fused to mesocarp and epicarp; entire. Seed(s) 1–4; length oblique to fruit length to transverse to fruit length; neither overlapping nor touching; in 1 series. Funiculus 0.1–1 mm long; of 1 length only; thick; straight. Aril absent.

Seed: 23–28 mm long; 17–24 mm wide; 5–9 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; dull; not modified by a bloom; colored; monochrome; brown; glabrous; not smooth; with elevated features; rugose; chartaceous. Pleurogram absent. Pseudopleurogram absent. Fracture lines absent. Rim absent. Wing(s) absent. Raphe not visible. Hilum present; fully concealed; concealed by funicular remnant; without faboid split; larger than punctiform; 0.1–2 mm long; with curved outline; elliptic; apical at apex of radicle tip; raised; not within corona, halo, or rim. Lens not discernible. Endosperm absent. 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; probably partially concealing radicle (only tip exposed); notched at radicle; 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

Congo River basin.

Old World; Africa (Congo River basin).

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.