(Last Modified On 2/7/2013)
|
|
(Last Modified On 2/7/2013)
|
Genus
|
MOLLINEDIA Ruiz & Pavon
|
PlaceOfPublication
|
Fl. Peruv. & Chil. Prodr. 83, t. 15. 1794.
|
Synonym
|
Tetratome Poepp. & Endl. Nov. Gen. & Sp. 2: 46, t. 163. 1838. Paracelsia Mart. ex Tul. in Mart. Fl. Bras. 41: 314. 1857.
|
Description
|
Dioecious shrubs or small trees. Leaves opposite, glabrous or slightly pilose below, membranaceous to coriaceous, petiolate, exstipulate, entire or irregularly dentate, with few secondary veins confluent at some distance from the margin. Flowers pedicellate, solitary, cymose or corymbiform in the axils, the hypanthium campanulate or urceolate, glabrous or pubescent, the hairs simple. Staminate flowers 3-many per inflorescence, with 4 tepals, the 2 inner frequently smaller and provided with a terminal laciniate appendage; stamens 8-many, included on the inner surface of the hypanthium, the filaments minute, the anthers (in Central America) hippocrepiform, longitudinally dehiscent. Carpellate flowers mostly 1-3 per in- florescence, the 4 petals soon deciduous from the urceolate hypanthium; carpels 6-many, glabrous to pilose, ellipsoid, the styles filiform. Drupes fleshy or coriaceous, sessile or stipitate on the reflexed undulate hypanthium.
|
Habit
|
shrubs trees
|
Distribution
|
With the exception of 1 dubious Australian species, all of the nearly 75 species of this genus are found in tropical and subtropical America. Economically unimportant, the genus is taxonomically perplexing and little can be done to correct this until a monographic study is undertaken. Four of about 15 Central American species occur in Panama.
|
Key
|
a. Leaves ovate to obovate, basally rounded to cuneate, weakly toothed; fruits drying black or brown, scarcely stipitate: b. Drupes smooth, glabrous, drying black; leaves glabrous, acuminate; branch- lets glabrous -1. M. DARIENENSIS. bb. Drupes corrugated, often puberulent, drying brown; leaves puberulent, rarely glabrescent, obtuse to shortly acuminate; branchlets pubescent 2. M. COSTARICENSIS. aa. Leaves lanceolate to rhomb-elliptic, basally cuneate, often strongly toothed; fruits drying brown, occasionally long-stipitate: c. Drupes 10-13 mm. long, sessile or obscurely stipitate; leaves membrana- ceous, usually puberulent; plants dioecious -3. M. PINCHOTIANA. cc. Drupes 15-20 mm. long, on stipes 1-3 mm. long; leaves pergameneous, glabrous; plant possibly monoecious -4. M. STIPITATA.
|
Tag
|
|
Project Name
|
Tag
|
|
|