Schizolobium

Taxonomy

Schizolobium J.R.T Vogel Linnaea 11: 399. Apr-Jul 1837.

Subfamily: Caesalpinioideae.
Phylogenetic Number: 1.1.17.
Tribe: Caesalpinieae.
Group: Peltophorum.
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; 8–15 cm long; 1.5–5.5 cm wide; 0.4–0.7 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; symmetrical; oblanceolate; not inflated; flattened; without beak; tapered at apex; aligned with longitudinal axis of fruit; long tapered at base; aligned with longitudinal axis of fruit; with the apex and base uniform in texture; coriaceous; seed chambers externally visible; margin not constricted; margin without sulcus; margin plain; wing(s) absent; stipitate; with the stipe 6–10 mm long; with all layers dehiscing; splitting along suture(s). Dehiscence of valves along both sutures; apical and down; passive. Replum invisible. Epicarp dull to glossy; monochrome; reddish brown; with surface texture uniform; glabrous; eglandular; without spines; not smooth; with elevated features; not veined; not tuberculate; rugose; exfoliating; without cracks; without embedded tissue, much thicker than epicarp, running from base to apex. Mesocarp present; surface not veined; 1-layered (?); without balsamic vesicles; reticulate with fibers; without reniform canals; solid; coriaceous. Endocarp present; visible; dull; opaque; monochrome; brown; without adhering pieces of testa; nonseptate; not exfoliating; remaining fused to mesocarp and epicarp; entire. Seed(s) 1; length oblique to fruit length. Funiculus 2 mm long; of 1 length only; filiform; plicate. Aril absent.

Seed: 22–30 mm long; 15–19 mm wide; 4–5 mm thick; not overgrown; not angular; symmetrical; elliptic; flattened; 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; bichrome (greenish & dark); brown (greenish & dark); glabrous; smooth; osseous. Pleurogram absent. Pseudopleurogram absent. Fracture lines present; reticulate. Rim absent. Wing(s) absent. Raphe visible, or not visible. Hilum present; visible; without faboid split; punctiform; subapical to radicle tip; flush to recessed; not within corona, halo, or rim. Lens discernible, or not discernible; 0–0.5 mm long; with margins straight; linear; not in groove of raphe; flush; dissimilar color from testa; not within corona, halo, or rim. Endosperm present; thick; not pluglike and not resembling tip of radicle; adnate to embryo. Cotyledons not smooth; rugose; 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; partially concealing radicle, or not concealing radicle; notched at radicle (and with lobes or without lobes); with lobes; 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 to oblique to length of seed (slightly); without a joint evident between the radicle and the cotyledons. Radicle differentiated from cotyledon; centered between cotyledons. Plumule well developed; glabrous.

Distribution

Central America to Brazil.

New World; Central America and South America (to Brazil); Brazil.

Generic Notes

Barneby (19986) reviewed Schizolobium and concluded that it is monotypic. The single species, S. parahyba (J.M. da C. Vellozo) S.T. Blake, has two varieties: S. parahyba var. parahyba found in southeastern Brazil and S. parahyba var. amazonicum (W.A. Ducke) R.C. Barneby found in the Amazon and northwards through Central America to southern Mexico. The thick seed cuticle exfoliates during imbibition.