Byrsonima
Encyclopedia
Byrsonima is one of about 75 genera
in the Malpighiaceae
, a family
of flowering plant
s in the order Malpighiales
. In particular in American English
, they are known as locustberries (which also may refer specifically to the Long Key Locustberry, B. lucida). Another widely seen common name is serrets or serrettes.
Byrsonima comprises over 135 species
of tree
s, shrub
s, and subshrub
s found in the New World
tropics
and subtropics
from southern Mexico
, southeastern Florida
, and the Caribbean
to southeastern Brazil
. The plants have entire leaves, yellow flowers, and fleshy, edible fruits called nance
; B. crassifolia in particular is known by that name, as it is an underutilized crop of some commercial importance in Latin America
. They are primarily pollinated by various oligolectic native bees that are specialized to collect floral oils (e.g., Centris
, Epicharis, and Tetrapedia), as the flowers do not offer the typical floral rewards.
Serrette trees are also important for some animals in their habitat
. The fruits are important in the diet of certain wildlife, such as the Golden Conure
(Guaruba guarouba), while Byrsonima leaves are food for some of the curious American moth-butterflies (Hedylidae). B. crassifolia plantings in the dry savanna
s of Oaxaca
may even be suitable as substitute habitat for the Tehuantepec Jackrabbit
(Lepus flavigularis), an endangered species
presently only found in three small relict
populations.
B. spicata (Maricao) is the namesake tree and floral emblem
of Maricao, Puerto Rico
, and figured on the coat of arms
of this city.
Genera
Genera is a commercial operating system and development environment for Lisp machines developed by Symbolics. It is essentially a fork of an earlier operating system originating on the MIT AI Lab's Lisp machines which Symbolics had used in common with LMI and Texas Instruments...
in the Malpighiaceae
Malpighiaceae
Malpighiaceae is a family of flowering plants in the order Malpighiales. It comprises approximately 75 genera and 1300 species, all of which are native to the tropics and subtropics...
, a family
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
of flowering plant
Flowering plant
The flowering plants , also known as Angiospermae or Magnoliophyta, are the most diverse group of land plants. Angiosperms are seed-producing plants like the gymnosperms and can be distinguished from the gymnosperms by a series of synapomorphies...
s in the order Malpighiales
Malpighiales
Malpighiales is one of the largest orders of flowering plants, containing about 16000 species, approximately 7.8% of the eudicots. The order is very diverse and hard to recognize except with molecular phylogenetic evidence. It is not part of any of the classification systems that are based only on...
. In particular in American English
American English
American English is a set of dialects of the English language used mostly in the United States. Approximately two-thirds of the world's native speakers of English live in the United States....
, they are known as locustberries (which also may refer specifically to the Long Key Locustberry, B. lucida). Another widely seen common name is serrets or serrettes.
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
of tree
Tree
A tree is a perennial woody plant. It is most often defined as a woody plant that has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground on a single main stem or trunk with clear apical dominance. A minimum height specification at maturity is cited by some authors, varying from 3 m to...
s, shrub
Shrub
A shrub or bush is distinguished from a tree by its multiple stems and shorter height, usually under 5–6 m tall. A large number of plants may become either shrubs or trees, depending on the growing conditions they experience...
s, and subshrub
Subshrub
A subshrub or dwarf shrub is a short woody plant. Prostrate shrub is a similar term.It is distinguished from a shrub by its ground-hugging stems and lower height, with overwintering perennial woody growth typically less than 10–20 cm tall, or by being only weakly woody and/or persisting...
s found in the New World
New World
The New World is one of the names used for the Western Hemisphere, specifically America and sometimes Oceania . The term originated in the late 15th century, when America had been recently discovered by European explorers, expanding the geographical horizon of the people of the European middle...
tropics
Tropics
The tropics is a region of the Earth surrounding the Equator. It is limited in latitude by the Tropic of Cancer in the northern hemisphere at approximately N and the Tropic of Capricorn in the southern hemisphere at S; these latitudes correspond to the axial tilt of the Earth...
and subtropics
Subtropics
The subtropics are the geographical and climatical zone of the Earth immediately north and south of the tropical zone, which is bounded by the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn, at latitudes 23.5°N and 23.5°S...
from southern Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, southeastern Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, and the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
to southeastern Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
. The plants have entire leaves, yellow flowers, and fleshy, edible fruits called nance
Nance (disambiguation)
Nance a name for tropical American trees:* Usually it refers to Byrsonima crassifolia , also called "golden spoon".* More broadly, it means a tree of the genus Byrsonima....
; B. crassifolia in particular is known by that name, as it is an underutilized crop of some commercial importance in Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
. They are primarily pollinated by various oligolectic native bees that are specialized to collect floral oils (e.g., Centris
Centris
The genus Centris contains over 110 species of large apid bees occurring from Kansas to Argentina. A number of these bees possess adaptations for carrying floral oils rather than pollen or nectar....
, Epicharis, and Tetrapedia), as the flowers do not offer the typical floral rewards.
Serrette trees are also important for some animals in their habitat
Habitat
* Habitat , a place where a species lives and grows*Human habitat, a place where humans live, work or play** Space habitat, a space station intended as a permanent settlement...
. The fruits are important in the diet of certain wildlife, such as the Golden Conure
Golden Conure
The Golden Parakeet or Golden Conure, Guaruba guarouba, formerly classified as Aratinga guarouba, is a species of Neotropical parrot. Sometimes known as the Queen of Bavaria Conure, it is the only species in the genus Guaruba.Its plumage is mostly bright yellow, hence its common name, but it also...
(Guaruba guarouba), while Byrsonima leaves are food for some of the curious American moth-butterflies (Hedylidae). B. crassifolia plantings in the dry savanna
Savanna
A savanna, or savannah, is a grassland ecosystem characterized by the trees being sufficiently small or widely spaced so that the canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to reach the ground to support an unbroken herbaceous layer consisting primarily of C4 grasses.Some...
s of Oaxaca
Oaxaca
Oaxaca , , officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Oaxaca is one of the 31 states which, along with the Federal District, comprise the 32 federative entities of Mexico. It is divided into 571 municipalities; of which 418 are governed by the system of customs and traditions...
may even be suitable as substitute habitat for the Tehuantepec Jackrabbit
Tehuantepec Jackrabbit
The Tehuantepec Jackrabbit is easily distinguished from other species of jackrabbits by two black stripes that run from the base of the ears to the nape, and by its white flanks. Underparts are white, upperparts are bright-brown washed with black, rump is gray, and the tail is black. This leporid...
(Lepus flavigularis), an endangered species
Endangered species
An endangered species is a population of organisms which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters...
presently only found in three small relict
Relict
A relict is a surviving remnant of a natural phenomenon.* In biology a relict is an organism that at an earlier time was abundant in a large area but now occurs at only one or a few small areas....
populations.
B. spicata (Maricao) is the namesake tree and floral emblem
Floral emblem
In a number of countries, plants have been chosen as symbols to represent specific geographic areas. Some countries have a country-wide floral emblem; others in addition have symbols representing subdivisions. Different processes have been used to adopt these symbols - some are conferred by...
of Maricao, Puerto Rico
Maricao, Puerto Rico
Maricao is the second-least populous municipality of Puerto Ricolocated at the western edge of the Cordillera Central. It is a small town set around a small plaza in hilly terrain, north of San Germán, Saban Grande and Yauco; south of Las Marías and Lares, southeast of Mayagüez, and west of Adjuntas...
, and figured on the coat of arms
Coat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
of this city.
Selected species
- Byrsonima basiloba A.Juss.Adrien-Henri de JussieuAdrien-Henri de Jussieu was a French botanist.Born in Paris as the son of botanist Antoine Laurent de Jussieu, he received the degree of Doctor of Medicine in 1824 with a treatise of the plant family Euphorbiaceae. When his father retired in 1826, he succeeded him at the Jardin des Plantes; in...
- Byrsonima coccolobifolia (Spreng.) KunthCarl Sigismund KunthCarl Sigismund Kunth , also Karl Sigismund Kunth or anglicized as Charles Sigismund Kunth, was a German botanist...
- Byrsonima coriacea (L.Carolus LinnaeusCarl Linnaeus , also known after his ennoblement as , was a Swedish botanist, physician, and zoologist, who laid the foundations for the modern scheme of binomial nomenclature. He is known as the father of modern taxonomy, and is also considered one of the fathers of modern ecology...
) KunthCarl Sigismund KunthCarl Sigismund Kunth , also Karl Sigismund Kunth or anglicized as Charles Sigismund Kunth, was a German botanist... - Byrsonima crassa Nied.Franz Josef NiedenzuFranz Josef Niedenzu was a German botanist born in Köppernig. For most of his career he was a professor and subsequently rector at the Lyceum Hosianum in Braunsberg, East Prussia...
- Byrsonima crassifolia (L.) Kunth – Nance, Savanna Serrette, Golden Spoon, murici, muruci (Brazil), nanche (Mexico)
- Byrsonima crispa
- Byrsonima cydonaefolia A.Juss.Adrien-Henri de JussieuAdrien-Henri de Jussieu was a French botanist.Born in Paris as the son of botanist Antoine Laurent de Jussieu, he received the degree of Doctor of Medicine in 1824 with a treatise of the plant family Euphorbiaceae. When his father retired in 1826, he succeeded him at the Jardin des Plantes; in...
- Byrsonima horneanaByrsonima horneanaByrsonima horneana is a species of plant in the Malpighiaceae family. It is endemic to Puerto Rico.-References:* World Conservation Monitoring Centre 1998. . Downloaded on 20 August 2007....
Britton & Small (Puerto RicoPuerto RicoPuerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
) - Byrsonima intermedia A.Juss.Adrien-Henri de JussieuAdrien-Henri de Jussieu was a French botanist.Born in Paris as the son of botanist Antoine Laurent de Jussieu, he received the degree of Doctor of Medicine in 1824 with a treatise of the plant family Euphorbiaceae. When his father retired in 1826, he succeeded him at the Jardin des Plantes; in...
- Byrsonima laxiflora Griseb.
- Byrsonima laevigata (Poir.) DC.
- Byrsonima lucida (Mill.) DC. – Long Key Locustberry Shiny Locustberry
- Byrsonima myricifolia Griseb.
- Byrsonima ophiticolaByrsonima ophiticolaByrsonima ophiticola is a species of plant in the Malpighiaceae family. It is endemic to Puerto Rico.-Sources:* World Conservation Monitoring Centre 1998. . Downloaded on 20 August 2007....
Small ex Britton (Puerto Rico) - Byrsonima sericea A.Juss.
- Brysonima spicata (Cav.) DC. – Maricao
- Byrsonima subterranea BradeAlexander Curt BradeAlexander Curt Brade was a German botanist who specialized in the study of the orchids and ferns of Brazil. Brade also realized an important and early series of collections of the flora of Costa Rica between 1908 and 1910 with his brother Alfred, who lived in San Jose and owned a horticultural...
et Markgr. - Byrsonima tuberosa
- Byrsonima variabilis A.Juss.
- Byrsonima verbascifolia (L.) Rich.Louis Claude RichardLouis Claude Marie Richard was a French botanist.Richard was born at Versailles. Between 1781 and 1789 he collected botanical specimens in Central America and the West Indies...
ex Juss.Antoine Laurent de JussieuAntoine Laurent de Jussieu was a French botanist, notable as the first to propose a natural classification of flowering plants; much of his system remains in use today.-Life:...
External links
- Malpighiaceae Malpighiaceae - description, taxonomy, phylogeny, and nomenclature
- Byrsonima