Merinthopodium
| Merinthopodium | ||||||||||||
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Merinthopodium | ||||||||||||
| Thu.Sm. |
Merinthopodium is a plant kind from the family of the nightshade family (Solanaceae) with probably only two ways. The species of the genus have the longest inflorescences within the family.
description
Merinthopodium are about 1 to 1.5 m high shrubs or lianas that rarely grow terrestrially, but are epiphytic to semi- epiphytic . The leaves are almost leathery to membrane-like, elliptical-elongated to ovate-elongated and elongated and pointed, the base of the leaves is also pointed. They have a size of 9.5 to 15 (20) × (3.5) 4 to 9 (13) cm and are on (5) 15 to 30 (48) mm long petioles.
The pendulous inflorescences are in the armpits or slightly outside the armpits, they consist of (one) three to nine (14) flowers and can be either simple or forked. The inflorescence stalks are very long at (12) 20 to 35 (90) cm, (12) 15 to 20 (35) mm thick, smooth and flexible. At the top they form a thickened, short area of about 3 to 15 cm. The flower stalks are 20 to 30 (80) mm long. The bell-shaped, radially symmetrical calyx is (13) 16 to 40 (50) mm long, the calyx tube is significantly shorter than the calyx lobes, which are ovate-lanceolate, sometimes pointed and reach about halfway up the corolla tube. There are short trichomes on the calyx . The crown is usually olive green with purple stripes, bell-shaped, 3 to 5.8 or 7 to 10 cm long, depending on the species, the corolla lobes are elongated, pointed, bent back during flowering and about 1/3 to 2/7 as long as the rest Crown. The anthers are fixed to the base or dorsal to the base, (7.5) 10 to 12 (17) mm long and 1 to 3 mm wide. The stamens are fixed about 5 mm above the crown base. The pollen grains have a size of 41 to 55 µm, the exine (pollen grain wall) is about 1.5 µm thick. The gynoeceum has two leaves, the ovary has two chambers , and the nectaries are well developed. The smooth stylus ends in a saddle-shaped punch . They are fertilized by bats .
The fruits are 1.3 to 2.0 cm long berries , which are enclosed by the calyx, which enlarges slightly as the fruit ripens. The almost boomerang-shaped seeds are 2 to 2.8 mm long. The special thing about it is that the side with the hilum is not concave, but straight. The curved embryo is thick and short, the cotyledons are close-fitting, longer than wide, and the endosperm is only sparsely developed.
Caterpillars of Melinaea Ethra feed on the plants.
Systematics
The systematics of the genus is unclear, but at least two types can be distinguished:
- Merinthopodium neuranthum (Hemsl.) Donn.Sm.
- Merinthopodium campanulatum Donn.Sm. : It was first described from Guatemala.
literature
- Armando T. Hunziker: The Genera of Solanaceae . ARG Gantner Verlag KG, Ruggell, Liechtenstein 2001. ISBN 3-904144-77-4 .