Helicteres isora

Helicteres isora
	Helicteres isora
Systematics
	Eurosiden II
Order :	Mallow-like (Malvales)
Family :	Mallow family (Malvaceae)
Subfamily :	Helicteroideae
Genre :	Helicteres
Type :	Helicteres isora
Scientific name
	Helicteres isora
	L.

Helicteres isora, or the hazelnut-leaved screw tree , is a shrub or small tree in the mallow family from India , Pakistan , Nepal to Southeast Asia and southern China .

description

Vegetative characteristics

Helicteres isora grows as a shrub or small tree about 4–8 meters high. The bark is relatively smooth and grayish to brownish.

The stalked, thin leaves are arranged simply and alternately. They are up to 20 centimeters long and round, elliptical or ovoid to obovate. The thick, fine-haired petiole is up to 2.5 inches long. They are sawn to slightly lobed on the edge, with a blunt, slightly heart-shaped base and a pointed or pointed tip. The leaves are more or less hairy, dense on the underside, as well as somewhat tomentose and sparse and rough-haired on top. The nerve is three to five-fold. The small stipules are sloping.

Generative characteristics

The hermaphroditic, stalked and fragrant flowers stand axially and individually on a short stem or zymose in small groups of up to 5 on a short peduncle. The flowers are five-fold and double-capped. At the bottom of the flower stalk, on the rachis , sit two glands, extra-floral nectaries , and a small, linear cover and two small, linear pre-leaves . The two-day blooms are dichogamous and proterandric for one day (pre-male).

The calyx is mustard-yellow, fine-haired on the outside and fused together like a bell with 5 unequal, smaller tips. 3 lobes are free and 2 are almost completely fused, nectar glands are located at the bottom of the calyx. When the fruit ripens, the calyx often detaches from its base and moves upwards, where it then hangs relatively freely on the fruit stalk (androgynophore). The 5 unequal and elongated petals, initially in the pre-male phase, bluish and then orange to red, are nailed with the plate laid back . 3 petals are smaller, narrower and sit with a longer, top-eyed nail on the androgynophore , the 2 larger, wider petals, with a shorter nail that is slightly winged at the top, sit at the bottom of the calyx. On the inside of the petals there are more or less small, reddish glandular hairs.

The greenish to white-red, somewhat sideways androgynophore is long and protruding. There are 10, approximately 2/3 tubular fused stamens , which are at a 90 ° angle to the androgynophore, with reddish, spreading anthers and inside 5 short staminodes. The fine hairy ovary is in five parts, of five individual single-chamber carpels (apokarp), with five, almost adherent and bent, whitish and above styluses with elongated grain .

There are 5 spirally, to a dew-like cylinder, twisted, dark brown, fine-haired and up to 4-8 centimeters long, beaked follicles or, according to another view, capsule fruits formed. They open along the inner seam and each contain 20-25, about 2-2.5 millimeters long and dark brown seeds. The slightly warty seeds are ovate to rhombic or cylindrical.

The number of chromosomes is 2n = 18.

leaves
blossoms
Bluish, pre-male flower and a red one in the female phase
Still unripe fruits with one cup each
Ripe fruits and seeds

literature

Ian D. Cowie: New taxa and notes on Helicteres L. (Malvaceae: Helicteroideae) from the Northern Territory, Australia. In: The Beagle: Records of the Museums and Art Galleries of the Northern Territory. 27, 2011, 27-54, online at researchgate.net.
Helicteres isora at PROSEA.

Web links

Commons : Helicteres isora - collection of images, videos and audio files

Helicteres isora at Useful Tropical Plants.
Helicteres isora at Pitchandikulam Forest Virtual Herbarium, accessed on April 29, 2019 (with a selection in the menu on the right).