Schotia

Taxonomy

Schotia N.J. von Jacquin Nom. cons. Collectanea 1: 93. Jan-Sep 1787 ('1786').

Subfamily: Caesalpinioideae.
Phylogenetic Number: 1.4.08.
Tribe: Detarieae.
Group: Cynometra.
Species Studied - Species in Genus: 5 studied; 4–5 in genus.

Description

Fruit: A legumelegume:
usually dry, dehiscent fruit derived from a single carpel that opens along two longitudinal sutures
; unilocular; 3–18 cm long; 1.8–6 cm wide; 0.5–0.7 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; S-curved to 1.5-coiled; not plicate; not twisted; asymmetrical; broadly linear to oblong; not inflated; compressed; without beak; tapered at apex; aligned with longitudinal axis of fruit; short tapered at base; aligned with longitudinal axis of fruit; with the apex and base uniform in texture; coriaceous to ligneous; seed chambers externally invisible; margin not constricted; margin without sulcus; margin embellished; margin with wing(s); wing(s) present; wing(s) 1–2; wing(s) 5–10 mm wide (ventral wing, always present), or 2–3 mm wide (dorsal wing, sometimes present); wing(s) sutural; wing(s) on both sutures (ventral wing much larger than dorsal), or 1 suture (ventral wing only without a dorsal wing); stipitate to substipitate; with the stipe 1–7 mm long; with all layers dehiscing; splitting along suture(s). Dehiscence of valves along both sutures (entire suture wing may be attached to 1 valve, or both valves separate from intact wing); passive. Replum invisible. Epicarp dull; monochrome; reddish tan to brown; with surface texture uniform; glabrous; eglandular; without spines; not smooth; with elevated features, or recessed features; not veined; not tuberculate; tuberculate (tubercles sometimes absent); glandularly punctate; 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 transverse embedded in mealy tissue over solid layer; ligneous to coriaceous. Endocarp present; visible; dull; opaque; monochrome; reddish brown; without adhering pieces of testa; septate to subseptate; not exfoliating; remaining fused to mesocarp and epicarp; entire. Seed(s) 2–9; length transverse to fruit length; neither overlapping nor touching; in 1 series. Funiculus 0.1–0.5 mm long; of 1 length only; thick; straight. Aril present, or absent; fleshy; when fleshy caplike to topknotlike; entire; covering less than 1/2 of seed.

Seed: 10.5–18 mm long; 7.5–16 mm wide; 5–11 mm thick; not overgrown; not angular; symmetrical; circular; terete to 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 to dull; not modified by a bloom; colored; monochrome; reddish to pale brown; glabrous; not smooth; with recessed features; punctate; osseous. Pleurogram absent. Pseudopleurogram absent. Fracture lines present, or absent; concentric. Rim absent. Wing(s) absent. Raphe visible (from hilum to base). Hilum present; fully concealed; concealed by funicular remnant; without faboid split; larger than punctiform; not stated; not stated but obviously present; apical according to radicle tip but marginal according to seed length (?); flush; 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; completely concealing radicle, or partially concealing radicle (only tip exposed); split over radicle; with the interface division terminating at base of radicle; without margins recessed; inner face flat; glabrous on inner face. Embryonic axis parallel to length of seed to oblique 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

Southern Africa (South of Zanbezi).

Old World; Southern Africa (south of Zambezi).

Generic Notes

The hard margin or ventral wing persists, Often with seeds attached, after the valves fall.

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.