Zuccagnia

Taxonomy

Zuccagnia J.A. Cavanilles Nom. cons. Icon. 5: 2. Jun-Sep 1799.

Subfamily: Caesalpinioideae.
Phylogenetic Number: 1.1.31.
Tribe: Caesalpinieae.
Group: Caesalpinia.
Species Studied - Species in Genus: 1 studied; 1 in genus.

Description

Fruit: A legumelegume:
usually dry, dehiscent fruit derived from a single carpel that opens along two longitudinal sutures
; unilocular; 0.5–1 cm long; 0.3–0.5 cm wide; 0.2–0.4 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; symmetrical, or asymmetrical; C-shaped, or harp-shaped; with both sutures unequally curved, or both sutures parallelly curved, or 1 straight and 1 curved suture; widest near middle or D-shaped; not inflated; flattened; without beak; tapered at apex; oblique with longitudinal axis of fruit, or right-angled with longitudinal axis of fruit; tapered at base; oblique with longitudinal axis of fruit, or right angled 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; indehiscent. Replum invisible. Epicarp glossy; monochrome; brown; with surface texture uniform; pubescent and indurate (golden bases & purplish apices); with hairs erect; eglandular; with spines; not smooth; with elevated features; not veined; not tuberculate; 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; without fibers; without reniform canals; solid; ligneous. Endocarp present; visible; dull; opaque; monochrome; silvery brown; without adhering pieces of testa; nonseptate; 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; thick; straight. Aril absent.

Seed: 5–6.5 mm long; 3.5–4 mm wide; 2 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; nearly glossy; not modified by a bloom; colored; monochrome; brown; glabrous; not smooth; with elevated features; rugose; chartaceous. Pleurogram absent. Pseudopleurogram absent. Fracture lines absent. Rim absent. Wing(s) absent. Raphe not visible. Hilum present; fully concealed; concealed by funicular remnant; without faboid split; punctiform; subapical to radicle tip; 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; 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; centered between cotyledons. Plumule moderately developed; glabrous.

Distribution

Chile and Argentina.

New World; South America (Chile and Argentina); Argentina.

Generic Notes