Eligmocarpus

Taxonomy

Eligmocarpus R.P.R. Capuron Adansonia ser. 2. 8: 205. 27 Sep 1968.

Subfamily: Caesalpinioideae.
Phylogenetic Number: 1.2.10.
Tribe: Cassieae.
Subtribe: Dialiinae.
Species Studied - Species in Genus: 1 studied; 1 in genus.

Description

Fruit: A legume; unilocular; 1–2.5 cm long (lenght of plicate fruit); 1.3–1.5(–2) cm wide (width of plicate fruit); 1.5 cm thick (Du Puy et al., 2002); 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; plicate; not twisted; asymmetrical; nearly circular, or quadrangular; not inflated; compressed; without beak; tapered at apex; aligned with longitudinal axis of fruit; rounded at base; flattened to 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 plain; wing(s) absent; nonstipitate; indehiscent. Replum invisible. Epicarp dull; monochrome; blackish brown, or black; with surface texture uniform; glabrous; eglandular; without spines; not smooth; with elevated features; not veined; not tuberculate; rugose; exfoliating in part; 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; longitudinally fibrous throughout; ligneous. Endocarp present; visible; dull; opaque; monochrome; reddish brown; spongy ("shagreen"); without adhering pieces of testa; septate; not exfoliating; remaining fused to mesocarp and epicarp; entire. Seed(s) 1 (Du Puy et al. (2002) described the fruit as, "with up to 4 seeds. Seeds not known"); length parallel with fruit length. Funiculus of 1 length only. Aril absent.

Seed: 5 mm long; 4.5 mm wide; 1 mm thick; not overgrown; not angular; symmetrical; circular; 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; shagreen; coriaceous. 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; apical at apex of radicle tip; raised; not within corona, halo, or rim. Lens not discernible. Endosperm absent.

Distribution

Southeastern Madagascar.

Old World; southeastern Madagascar.

Generic Notes

Fruit length, Thickness, and shape are external observations of the fruit, because internally the fruit is five- to six-plicate with one seed, if present, located in the middle of the fruit. The seed description is based on a study of immature seed fragments. Fruits are rare and seeds rarer, and more material should be collected. Capuron (1968, pp. 199–222) described the fruits as drupes and saw no mature seeds, and Irwin and Barneby (1981) described the fruits as "drupaceous but dry." Du Puy et al. (2002) added no more to our fruit and seed knowledge.