Taralea

Taxonomy

Taralea J.B.C.F. Aublet Hist. Pl. Guiane 745. Jun 1775.

Subfamily: Faboideae.
Phylogenetic Number: 3.3.02.
Tribe: Dipteryxeae.
Species Studied - Species in Genus: 3 studied; ca. 5 in genus.

Description

Fruit: A legumelegume:
usually dry, dehiscent fruit derived from a single carpel that opens along two longitudinal sutures
; unilocular; 3–7.5 cm long; 1.5–4 cm wide; 0.8–1.2 cm thick; length less than twice as long as width; 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 1 straight and 1 curved suture; widest near middle or D-shaped; not inflated; flattened; without beak; short tapered at apex; oblique with longitudinal axis of fruit (or nearly so); rounded at base; aligned with longitudinal axis of fruit; with the apex and base uniform in texture; ligneous; seed chambers externally visible, or invisible; seed chambers with the raised seed chambers not torulose; margin not constricted; margin without sulcus; margin plain; wing(s) absent; nonstipitate (based on loose fruits); with all layers dehiscing; splitting along suture(s). Dehiscence of valves along both sutures; probably apical and down; active, or passive; with valves enrolling. Replum invisible. Epicarp dull; monochrome; black, or brown; with surface texture uniform; glabrous; eglandular; without spines; not smooth; with elevated features; veined; longitudinally 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; thick; 1-layered; without balsamic vesicles; without fibers; without reniform canals; solid; ligneous. Endocarp present; visible; dull; opaque; monochrome; tan; smooth; without adhering pieces of testa; nonseptate; coriaceous; not exfoliating; remaining fused to mesocarp and epicarp; without wings; entire. Seed(s) 1, or 2; length parallel with fruit length; neither overlapping nor touching; in 1 series. Funiculus 1 mm long; of 1 length only; thick; straight. Aril absent.

Seed: 22–32 mm long; 18–27 mm wide; 5 mm thick; not overgrown; angular, or not angular; asymmetrical; circular to ovate to rhombic; compressed to flattened; 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; dark brown; glabrous; not smooth; with elevated features, or recessed features; somewhat wrinkled; faintly, longitudinally striate; coriaceous. Pleurogram absent. Pseudopleurogram absent. Fracture lines absent. Rim absent. Raphe not visible. Hilum present; visible; without faboid split; punctiform; subapical to radicle tip, or marginal according to radicle tip (depending on shape of seed); recessed; not within corona, halo, or rim. Lens not discernible. Endosperm absent. Cotyledons smooth, or not smooth; wrinkled (T. oppositifolia J.C.B.F. Aublet); 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; with lobes; with the interface division terminating at base of radicle; without margins recessed; brown; inner face flat; glabrous on inner face. Embryonic axis straight; oblique to length of seed; without a joint evident between the radicle and the cotyledons. Radicle differentiated from cotyledon; linear; oblique to cotyledons; centered between cotyledons; less than 1/2 length of cotyledons. Plumule moderately developed; glabrous.

Distribution

Tropical South America.

New World; South America (tropical); Peru, Brazil, Ecuador, and the Guianas.

Tribal Notes

Tribe Dipteryxeae

Polhill (1981c) noted that the tribe has "woody dehiscent valves, or with stony endocarp tardily opening on ground, or winged around the hard central seed-chamber with epicarp flaking.