Kaliphora madagascariensis
| Kaliphora madagascariensis | ||||||||||||
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name of the genus | ||||||||||||
| Kaliphora | ||||||||||||
| Hook.f. | ||||||||||||
| Scientific name of the species | ||||||||||||
| Kaliphora madagascariensis | ||||||||||||
| Hook.f. |
Kaliphora madagascariensis is the only species of the monotypical genus Kaliphora . It was often placed in a separate family Kaliphoraceae or assigned to the dogwood family (Cornaceae), but iscountedamong the Montiniaceae according to molecular biological knowledge. It occurs in Madagascar .
description
Vegetative characteristics
Kaliphora madagascariensis are deciduous, woody plants that often grow as much branched shrubs along the edges of the forest and usually as trees up to 5 m high in the interior of the forest .
The leaves are alternate. They are simple and come in various forms; so a normal sized sheet is usually almost opposite a bract-like , reduced sheet. The leaf blade is entire, shiny and hairless, the veins are pinnate. The leaf base is often very asymmetrical. When rubbed, the leaves release a strong peppery odor, while drying the leaves often turn black. Stipules are missing.
Inflorescences and flowers
The inflorescences are in the armpits, mostly those of the strongly reduced leaves. There are with tiny bracts provided cymes , consisting of a few or up to 30 flowers exist. The unisexual flowers are relatively small and fourfold.
The male flowers have a cup-shaped calyx with four tooth-like lobes, the four petals lie on top of each other in the bud and are colored green during anthesis . The four stamens are between the petals, the very short stamens are free from each other, the anthers are light yellow, consist of two theka and open through longitudinal slits. The bloom soil is thick and cushion-like, in the middle there is a conical back educated ovary .
In the female flowers, the calyx and the semi-underneath, laterally strongly compressed ovary are fused together. Four tiny, tooth-shaped calyx lobes, which are slightly below the tip of the ovary, are the only visible part of the sepals. The calyx is partly permanent, but is displaced sideways on the fruit. Petals are not trained. The ovary is incompletely two-chambered, each chamber contains an ovule , on the ovary stands the stylus , which is divided into two lobes that form two perched scars .
Fruits and seeds
The fruits are small, fleshy, not popping stone fruits , which contain two single seeds. These are loosely connected to the middle septum of the fruit. When ripe, the fruits are yellow to orange. In the seed is the endosperm present, the embryo is orange colored.
Chromosome number
The number of chromosomes is 2n = 32.
Occurrence and locations
Kaliphora madagascariensis is a species endemic to Madagascar . It occurs exclusively in semi-humid to montane evergreen forests at altitudes between 900 and 2000 m. The distribution area extends from Andringitra to the northern slopes of the Tsaratanana .
literature
- George E. Schatz: Generic Tree Flora of Madagascar. Royal Botanic Gardens et al., Kew 2001, ISBN 1-900347-82-2 .
Individual evidence
- ↑ Kaliphora madagascariensis at Tropicos.org. In: Bolivia Checklist . Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis
- ↑ Kaliphora madagascariensis at Tropicos.org. In: IPCN Chromosome Reports . Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis