Neptunia

Taxonomy

Neptunia J. de Loureiro Fl. Cochinch. 641, 653. Sep 1790.

Subfamily: Mimosoideae.
Phylogenetic Number: 2.3.36.
Tribe: Mimoseae.
Group: Dichrostachys.
Species Studied - Species in Genus: 8 studied; ca. 12 in genus.

Description

Fruit: A legume; unilocular; 0.7–5.5 cm long; 0.5–1.7 cm wide; 0.1–0.2 cm thick; length less than twice as long as width, or 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; oblong to linear, or circular; not inflated; compressed to flattened; without beak; rounded at apex; aligned with longitudinal axis of fruit; short tapered at base to rounded at base; oblique with longitudinal axis of fruit; with the apex and base uniform in texture; coriaceous to membranous; seed chambers externally visible; margin not constricted to constricted; margin slightly constricted along both margins; margin without sulcus; margin plain; wing(s) absent; stipitate, or substipitate; with the stipe up to 12 mm long; with all layers dehiscing; splitting along suture(s). Dehiscence of valves along dorsally 1 suture, or both sutures (remaining attached to sutures); apical and down; passive. Replum invisible. Epicarp dull; monochrome; reddish brown to brown to black; with surface texture uniform; glabrous (to eglandular), or pubescent and indurate; with hairs erect; with glandular hairs; eglandular; without spines; not smooth; with elevated features; not veined, or 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 absent. Endocarp present; visible; dull; opaque; monochrome; tan; hairy; without adhering pieces of testa; septate (composed of hairs); not exfoliating; entire. Seed(s) 1–20; length transverse to fruit length to oblique to fruit length; neither overlapping nor touching; in 1 series. Funiculus 1.5 mm long; of 1 length only; filiform; curved. Aril absent.

Seed: 4–5.5 mm long; 2.1–5 mm wide; 0.1–0.3 mm thick; not overgrown; not angular; symmetrical; ovate to oblong, or circular; 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; brown; glabrous; smooth, or not smooth; with elevated features, or recessed features; may be blistered cuticle; pitted with small separate pits (alined or scattered); osseous. Pleurogram present; 75 %. Pseudopleurogram absent. Fracture lines absent. Rim absent. Wing(s) absent. Raphe not visible. Hilum present; visible; without faboid split; punctiform; subapical to radicle tip to apical at apex of radicle tip; flush (or nearly so); not within corona, halo, or rim. Lens discernible; 0.2 mm long; with margins curved; elliptic; not in groove of raphe; mounded (in depression); dissimilar color from testa; black; not within corona, halo, or rim. Endosperm present; thin; not pluglike and not resembling tip of radicle; adnate to testa. 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 touching (auriculate); without 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 rudimentary; glabrous.

Distribution

Tropical and subtropical America, Africa, Asia, Australia.

New World and Old World; United States, West Indies, Mexico, Central America, and South America; Argentina, Peru, Brazil, Ecuador, and the Guianas; Africa, Madagascar, India, Indochina, Indonesia and the Philippines, and Australia.

Generic Notes

Windler (1966, 1974b) monographed the genus.