Tetrapleura

Taxonomy

Tetrapleura G. Bentham J. Bot. (Hooker) 4: 345. Dec 1841.

Subfamily: Mimosoideae.
Phylogenetic Number: 2.3.10.
Tribe: Mimoseae.
Group: Adenanthera.
Species Studied - Species in Genus: 1 studied; 2 in genus.

Description

Fruit: A legumelegume:
usually dry, dehiscent fruit derived from a single carpel that opens along two longitudinal sutures
; unilocular; 12–25 cm long; 2.5–7 cm wide; 3.5–7 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 to curved; not plicate; not twisted; symmetrical; oblong (and 4-sided); not inflated; cruciform; without beak; rounded at apex to emarginate at apex; aligned with longitudinal axis of fruit; rounded at base; aligned 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 embellished; margin with wing(s); wing(s) present; wing(s) 2; wing(s) ca. 20 mm wide; wing(s) valvular; wing(s) on both valves; stipitate; with the stipe 5–10 mm long; indehiscent. Replum invisible. Epicarp glossy; monochrome; dark to purplish brown; with surface texture uniform; glabrous; eglandular; without spines; more or less smooth; not veined; not tuberculate; not exfoliating; with cracks; without embedded tissue, much thicker than epicarp, running from base to apex. Mesocarp present; surface not veined; 1-layered (thin); without balsamic vesicles; without fibers; without reniform canals; spongy. Endocarp present; visible; dull; opaque; monochrome; tan to brown; smooth; without adhering pieces of testa; septate; not exfoliating; remaining fused to mesocarp and epicarp; entire. Seed(s) 12–14; length transverse to fruit length; neither overlapping nor touching; in 1 series. Funiculus 3–4 mm long; of 1 length only; thick; plicate. Aril absent.

Seed: 9–9.5 mm long; 6–8.5 mm wide; 3–6 mm thick; not overgrown; not angular; symmetrical; ovate; 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; dark to blackish brown; glabrous; smooth; osseous. Pleurogram present (often misshaped); 100 % (or almost so). Pseudopleurogram absent. Fracture lines present, or absent. Rim absent. Wing(s) absent. Raphe not visible. Hilum present; fully concealed; concealed by funicular remnant; without faboid split; punctiform; apical at apex of radicle tip; raised; not within corona, halo, or rim. Lens discernible; 0.5–0.7 mm long; with margins straight, or curved; oblong; elliptic; not in groove of raphe; mounded (in depression); dissimilar color from testa; lighter than testa; tan; not within corona, halo, or rim. Endosperm present; thick; not pluglike and not resembling tip of radicle; covering entire embryo; adnate to embryo. Cotyledons smooth; both outer faces flat; 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; split over 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; straight with embryonic axis; centered between cotyledons. Plumule moderately developed; glabrous.

Distribution

Tropical Africa.

Old World; tropical Africa.