Elizabetha

Taxonomy

Elizabetha R.H. Schomburgk ex G. Bentham J. Bot. (Hooker) 2: 92. Mar 1840.

Subfamily: Caesalpinioideae.
Phylogenetic Number: 1.4.54.
Tribe: Detarieae.
Group: Brownea.
Species Studied - Species in Genus: 6 studied; ca. 10 in genus.

Description

Fruit: A legume; unilocular; 11–30 cm long; 3–6.5 cm wide; 0.7–1.5 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, or asymmetrical; oblong, or falcate; with both sutures parallelly curved, or 1 straight and 1 curved suture; widest near apex; not inflated; compressed; without beak; long tapered at apex to short tapered at apex (along dorsal suture, straight along ventral suture); 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, or plain; margin with wing(s); wing(s) present, or absent; wing(s) 1; wing(s) 0.1–3 mm wide; wing(s) sutural; wing(s) on 1 suture (ventral); stipitate; with the stipe 6–40 mm long; with all layers dehiscing; splitting along suture(s). Dehiscence of valves along both sutures; active; with valves separately enrolling. Replum invisible. Epicarp dull; monochrome; reddish brown; with surface texture uniform; densely velvety pubescent and indurate; with hairs erect; eglandular; without spines; not smooth; with elevated features; veined; transversely veined relative to fruit length; not tuberculate; not exfoliating; without cracks; without embedded tissue, much thicker than epicarp, running from base to apex. Mesocarp present; surface not veined; 2-layered; without balsamic vesicles; with fibers; without reniform canals; with fibers embedded in mealy tissue over solid layer; ligneous. Endocarp present; visible; dull; opaque; monochrome; brown; without adhering pieces of testa; subseptate to nonseptate; not exfoliating; remaining fused to mesocarp and epicarp; entire. Seed(s) 1–12; length transverse to fruit length; neither overlapping nor touching; in 1 series. Funiculus 0.1–2 mm long; of 1 length only; flattened; straight. Aril absent.

Seed: 18–28 mm long; 18–20 mm wide; 5–6 mm thick; not overgrown; not angular; symmetrical, or asymmetrical; ovate to oblong, or irregular; flattened; 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; brown; glabrous; not smooth; with elevated features; rugose (with prominent separate simple to branched veins from near margin to near center of seed, not anastomising); 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; larger than punctiform; 0.1–2 mm long; with curved outline; elliptic; apical at apex of radicle tip (or alined with radicle and at right angle to seed length); flush; not within corona, halo, or rim. Lens not discernible. Endosperm absent. Cotyledons not smooth; 1–3 grooves on each face (with surface showing impressions of veins in testa); 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; completely concealing radicle; notched at radicle and 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; oblique to length of seed to perpendicular to length of seed; without a joint evident between the radicle and the cotyledons. Radicle differentiated from cotyledon; centered between cotyledons. Plumule rudimentary; glabrous.

Distribution

Generic Notes

Tribal Notes

Tribe Detarieae

Bruneau et al. (2000) carried out extensive phylogenetic analyses of tribes Amherstieae and Detarieae. They concluded that they form a single monophyletic group. Therefore, they supported Polhill's (1995a, 1995b) decision to unite the two tribes.