Vochysiaceae
Encyclopedia
Vochysiaceae is a plant family belonging to the order of Myrtales
.
; ovary inferior or superior; one fertile stamen; fruits samara
or capsule
s
are native to West and Central Africa.
. Erismadelphus is thought to have diverged from Erisma approximately 30 million years ago, and travelled to Africa
as the result of long-distance dispersal.
. The Vochysiaceae consists of 7 genera with 217 species. The family is classified in two tribes:
Tribe Erismeae : one inferior ovary and winged fruits
Tribe Vochysieae: three fused superior ovaries and capsulate fruit
The genus Euphronia
, previously included in Vochysiaceae, is unrelated and now stands alone in the family Euphronia
ceae, more closely related to the family Chrysobalanaceae
.
Myrtales
The Myrtales are an order of flowering plants placed as a basal group within the rosid group of dicotyledons...
.
Description
Trees or shrubs with opposite leaves; flowers are zygomorph 1-(3)-5 merousMerous
Merosity is the number of component parts in each whorl of a plant structure. It is most commonly used in the context of flowers, in which case it refers to the number of sepals in the calyx, the number of petals in the corolla, and the number of stamens in each whorl of the androecium...
; ovary inferior or superior; one fertile stamen; fruits samara
Samara (fruit)
A samara is a type of fruit in which a flattened wing of fibrous, papery tissue develops from the ovary wall. A samara is a simple dry fruit and indehiscent . It is a winged achene...
or capsule
Capsule (fruit)
In botany a capsule is a type of simple, dry fruit produced by many species of flowering plants. A capsule is a structure composed of two or more carpels that in most cases is dehiscent, i.e. at maturity, it splits apart to release the seeds within. A few capsules are indehiscent, for example...
s
Biogeography
Six of the eight genera are native to the Neotropics. The genera Erismadelphus and KorupodendronKorupodendron
Korupodendron is a genus of the family Vochysiaceae. The genus is represented by a single species: K. songweanum. It was first discovered in Korup NP in NW Cameroon and named in honor of Dr N. Songwe. Korupodendron differs from the other African genus Erismadelphus by having three conspicuous and...
are native to West and Central Africa.
Evolutionary history
The family likely originated in South AmericaSouth America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
. Erismadelphus is thought to have diverged from Erisma approximately 30 million years ago, and travelled to Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
as the result of long-distance dispersal.
Systematics
Vochysiaceae are closest to ChrysobalanaceaeChrysobalanaceae
Chrysobalanaceae is a family of trees, shrubs and flowering plants, consisting of 17 genera and about 460 species of leptocaul that grows in the Tropics or is subtropical and common in the Americas...
. The Vochysiaceae consists of 7 genera with 217 species. The family is classified in two tribes:
Tribe Erismeae : one inferior ovary and winged fruits
- Erisma Rudge (20 species)
- Erismadelphus Mildbr. (2 species)
- KorupodendronKorupodendronKorupodendron is a genus of the family Vochysiaceae. The genus is represented by a single species: K. songweanum. It was first discovered in Korup NP in NW Cameroon and named in honor of Dr N. Songwe. Korupodendron differs from the other African genus Erismadelphus by having three conspicuous and...
Litt & Cheek (1 species)
Tribe Vochysieae: three fused superior ovaries and capsulate fruit
- Callisthene Mart. (10 species)
- QualeaQualeaQualea is a flowering plant genus in the family Vochysiaceae. These plants occur in the Neotropics and their wood makes good timber and firewood and is used in construction....
Aubl. (60 species) - Salvertia A.St.-Hil. (1 species)
- Ruizterania Marc.-Bert. (19 species)
- VochysiaVochysiaVochysia is a genus of plant in family Vochysiaceae. It contains the following species, among others:* Vochysia aurifera, Standl. & L.O. Williams...
Aubl. (105 species)
The genus Euphronia
Euphronia
Euphronia is a genus of three species of shrubs native to northern South America and is the only genus in the family Euphroniaceae. It was previously classified in the Vochysiaceae family and elsewhere, but the APG III system of 2009 recognizes Euphroniaceae and places Euphronia in it...
, previously included in Vochysiaceae, is unrelated and now stands alone in the family Euphronia
Euphronia
Euphronia is a genus of three species of shrubs native to northern South America and is the only genus in the family Euphroniaceae. It was previously classified in the Vochysiaceae family and elsewhere, but the APG III system of 2009 recognizes Euphroniaceae and places Euphronia in it...
ceae, more closely related to the family Chrysobalanaceae
Chrysobalanaceae
Chrysobalanaceae is a family of trees, shrubs and flowering plants, consisting of 17 genera and about 460 species of leptocaul that grows in the Tropics or is subtropical and common in the Americas...
.
Reference
Vochysiaceae A. St-Hil. in Watson, L., and Dallwitz, M.J. The families of flowering plants.- Family of Vochysiaceae link APWebsite. (engl.)
- Amy Litt & Dennis W. Stevenson: Floral development and morphology of Vochysiaceae. I. The structure of the gynoecium in American Journal of Botany, 90, 2003, S. 1533-1547: Online.
- M. L. Kawasaki: Vochysiaceae, S. 480-487 in Klaus Kubitzki: The Families and Genera of Vascular Plants, Volume 9, Flowering Plants - Eudicots, Springer Berlin, Heidelberg, 2007, ISBN 978-3-540-32214-6.