Tetrapterocarpon

Taxonomy

Tetrapterocarpon J.-H. Humbert Compt. Rend. Hebd. Séances Acad. Sci. 208: 374. Post 30 Jan 1939.

Subfamily: Caesalpinioideae.
Phylogenetic Number: 1.1.46.
Tribe: Caesalpinieae.
Group: Dimorphandra.
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; 2.5–6.5 cm long; 2.2–4.8 cm wide; 0.4–0.5 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; ovate to circular, or elliptic (broadly); not inflated; flattened; without beak; rounded at apex; aligned with longitudinal axis of fruit; tapered at base to rounded at base; aligned with longitudinal axis of fruit; with the apex and base uniform in texture; coriaceous; seed chambers externally visible (on only one side of fruit); seed chambers with the raised seed chambers not torulose; margin not constricted; margin without sulcus; margin embellished; margin with wing(s); wing(s) present; wing(s) 4 (in 2 unequal pairs); wing(s) 0.1–10 mm wide, or 11–24 mm wide; wing(s) valvular and sutural (1 pair sutural and the other valvular); wing(s) on both valves (1 on each valve); wing(s) on both sutures (ventral wing much larger than dorsal wing); stipitate to substipitate; with the stipe 0.1–11 mm long; indehiscent. Replum invisible. Epicarp dull; monochrome; yellowish brown; with surface texture uniform; glabrous; eglandular; without spines; smooth (except for reticulate wings); not veined; not tuberculate; not 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; with fibers; without reniform canals; fibrous throughout; coriaceous. Endocarp present; visible; dull; opaque; monochrome; tan; without adhering pieces of testa; septate; not exfoliating; remaining fused to mesocarp and epicarp; entire. Seed(s) 1; length parallel with fruit length. Funiculus 0.1–0.5 mm long; of 1 length only; filiform; plicate. Aril absent.

Seed: 8–15 mm long; 4–5.5 mm wide; 3–4 mm thick; not overgrown; angular; symmetrical; trapezoid; nearly terete; 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; nearly glossy; not modified by a bloom; colored; monochrome; blackish brown; glabrous; not smooth; with recessed features, or elevated features; with cracks that are transversely reticulate; osseous. Pleurogram absent. Pseudopleurogram absent. Fracture lines present; transversely reticulate. Rim absent. Wing(s) absent. Raphe not visible. Hilum present; fully concealed; concealed by funicular remnant; without faboid split; punctiform; marginal according to radicle tip; flush (in notch); not within corona, halo, or rim. Lens not discernible. Endosperm present; thick; not pluglike and not resembling tip of radicle; adnate to embryo. 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; partially concealing radicle; with lobes; with lobes not touching; 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 well developed; glabrous.

Seed: 8–15 mm long; 4–5.5 mm wide; 3–4 mm thick; not overgrown; angular; symmetrical; trapezoid; nearly terete; 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; nearly glossy; not modified by a bloom; colored; monochrome; blackish brown; glabrous; not smooth; with recessed features, or elevated features; with cracks that are transversely reticulate; osseous. Pleurogram absent. Pseudopleurogram absent. Fracture lines present; transversely reticulate. Rim absent. Wing(s) absent. Raphe not visible. Hilum present; fully concealed; concealed by funicular remnant; without faboid split; punctiform; marginal according to radicle tip; flush (in notch); not within corona, halo, or rim. Lens not discernible. Endosperm present; thick; not pluglike and not resembling tip of radicle; adnate to embryo. 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; partially concealing radicle; with lobes; with lobes not touching; 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 well developed; glabrous.

Distribution

Madagascar.

Old World; Madagascar.

Generic Notes

Du Puy et al. (2002) added a second species to the genus, Tetrapterocarpon septentrionalis Du Puy & Rabev. It is easily distinguished from the type species, T. geayi Humbert, by its more robust vegetative and fruiting structures.