Xylia

Taxonomy

Xylia G. Bentham J. Bot. (Hooker) 4: 417. Jan 1842.

Subfamily: Mimosoideae.
Phylogenetic Number: 2.3.29.
Tribe: Mimoseae.
Group: Xylia.
Species Studied - Species in Genus: 5 studied; ca. 13 in genus.

Description

Fruit: A legumelegume:
usually dry, dehiscent fruit derived from a single carpel that opens along two longitudinal sutures
; unilocular; 8–25 cm long; 2.5–7 cm wide; 1–2 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; curved; not plicate; not twisted; symmetrical, or asymmetrical; obliquely oblanceolate, or obliquely obovate, or dolabriform; with 1 straight and 1 curved suture, or both sutures parallelly curved; widest near apex; not inflated; compressed; without beak; short tapered at apex; oblique with longitudinal axis of fruit, or aligned with longitudinal axis of fruit; long tapered at base; oblique 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 plain; wing(s) absent; substipitate; with all layers dehiscing; splitting along suture(s). Dehiscence of valves along both sutures (and recurving eventually falling apart, remaining attached to sutures); apical and down (and elastically); active; with valves reflexing. Replum invisible. Epicarp dull; monochrome; brown; with surface texture uniform; glabrous to pubescent and indurate (partially); with hairs erect; with 1 type of pubescence; tomentose; with pubescence brown; with simple hairs; eglandular; without spines; not smooth; with elevated features; not veined, or veined; longitudinally veined relative to fruit length; not tuberculate; shagreen; checking and 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; without reniform canals; fibrous throughout; ligneous. Endocarp present; visible; dull; opaque; monochrome; reddish brown; smooth; without adhering pieces of testa; subseptate; not exfoliating; remaining fused to mesocarp and epicarp; entire. Seed(s) 4–10; length oblique to fruit length to transverse to fruit length; neither overlapping nor touching; in 1 series. Funiculus 2.5–3 mm long; of 1 length only; thick; straight. Aril absent.

Seed: 10–20 mm long; 6–10 mm wide; 3–5 mm thick; not overgrown; not angular; asymmetrical; ovate to oblong; 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; not modified by a bloom; colored; monochrome, or mottled; brown; with brown overlay; glabrous; smooth; osseous. Pleurogram present; 75–100 %. Pseudopleurogram absent. Fracture lines present. Rim absent. Wing(s) absent. Raphe not visible. Hilum present; fully concealed; concealed by funicular remnant; without faboid split; punctiform to larger than punctiform (somewhat); 4.5–6 mm long (1.2–3 mm wide); with straight outline; oblong; apical at apex of radicle tip to subapical to radicle tip; raised; not within corona, halo, or rim. Lens discernible; 0.5 mm long; with margins curved; elliptic; not in groove of raphe; mounded; similar color as testa; brown; not within corona, halo, or rim. Endosperm absent. 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; with lobes; with lobes overlapping; with 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; 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

Africa, Madagascar, India to Indochina.

Old World; Africa, India, Indochina, and Madagascar.