Redwood plants

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Redwood plants
Coca bush (Erythroxylum coca), illustration

Coca bush ( Erythroxylum coca ), illustration

Systematics
Eudicotyledons
Nuclear eudicotyledons
Rosids
Eurosiden I
Order : Malpighiales (Malpighiales)
Family : Redwood plants
Scientific name
Erythroxylaceae
Kunth

The redwood family (Erythroxylaceae) are a family of plants in the order of the Malpighia-like (Malpighiales). The best known representative of the family is the coca bush ( Erythroxylum coca ).

description

Vegetative characteristics

These woody plants grow as small trees or shrubs .

The mostly well-developed leaves, which are divided into a petiole and a leaf blade, are usually alternate and spiral, less often opposite to each other on the branch. The simple leaf blades are herbaceous to membranous with smooth leaf margins. Sometimes the branches are also covered in two rows with leaves that have been reduced to scales. Stipules are present.

Generative characteristics

Flower of Erythroxylum tortuosum

The flowers are individually in the leaf axils or in lateral, bundled inflorescences .

The small, mostly hermaphrodite flowers are radial symmetry and fünfzählig double perianth (perianth). Few species dioeciously separated sexes (Diözie | diözisch). The five sepals are free or fused. The five petals are free or partially fused and can have scales (ligules). There are two circles with five fertile stamens each. The three-cell pollen grains have three apertures and are colporat to almost zonorat. Three carpels are an above-permanent (syncarp), rarely two or mostly dreikammerigen ovary grown. Each ovary chamber contains only one pendent ovule of axillary or apical placentation. There are seldom two, mostly three free or partially overgrown styles. It is usually heterostyly present.

Drupes of Erythroxylum deciduum

They usually form solitary, fleshy drupes at the base of which the sepals and stamens are still present.

The basic chromosome number is x = 12.

ingredients

There were alkaloids detected. Cyanidin is present in anthocyanidins and kaempferol and quercetin in flavonoids . Saponins can be present. The seeds contain starch .

distribution

They have a pantropical distribution. With areas from the subtropics to the tropics: With around 200 species, they have the focus of biodiversity in South America .

Systematics

This family was set up in 1822 by Karl Sigismund Kunth in Nova Genera et Species Plantarum , 4th edition, 5, p. 175 under the name "Erythroxyleae". Type genus is Erythroxylum P. Brownne . A synonym for Erythroxylaceae Kunth is Nectaropetalaceae (Winkler) Exell & Mendonça .

Within the order of the Malpighiales , the Erythroxylaceae are most closely related to the Rhizophoraceae . Taxa of the former Nectaropetalaceae family belong to the Erythroxylaceae family.

Coca bush ( Erythroxylum coca )

In the redwood family (Erythroxylaceae) there are four genera with around 300 species:

  • Erythroxylum P.Browne : Often the filaments of the two circles are of different lengths and fused at their base. Some types contain milky exudates . There are 230 to 250 types (selection):
    • Coca shrub ( Erythroxylum coca Lam. ): It is native to the Andes of South America. For the production of the leaf drug coca and as a further processed product cocaine the varieties:
      • Bolivian or Huanuco-Coca ( Erythroxylum coca Lam. Var. Coca )
      • Amazon Coca ( Erythroxylum coca var. Ipadu Plowman )
    • Erythroxylum novogranatense (D.Morris) Hieron. : For obtaining the leaf drug coca and, as a further processed product, cocaine. It occurs in Colombia, Ecuador and Peru. With the varieties:
      • Colombian coca: Erythroxylum novogranatense var. Novogranatense
      • Trujillo-Coca: Erythroxylum novogranatense var. Truxillense (Rusby) Plowman
    • Erythroxylum catuaba A.J.Silva ex Raym.-Hamet : For the extraction of the bark drug Catuaba . It occurs in Brazil.
    • Erythroxylum vacciniifolium Mart. : For the extraction of the bark drug Catuaba .
    • Erythroxylum zeylanicum O.E.Schulz : For the extraction of tropane alkaloids .
  • Aneulophus Benth. : There are about two types, they differ in morphology with weak zygomorphic flowers, septicidal capsule fruits and an aril .
  • Nectaropetalum Engl. (Including Peglera Bolus ): The six or so species are common in Africa, two of which are only found in southern Africa
  • Pinacopodium Exell & Mendonça : The roughly two species are common in tropical Africa.

swell

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ First publication scanned at biodiversitylibrary.org.
  2. ↑ a b c d Erythroxylaceae in the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN), USDA , ARS , National Genetic Resources Program. National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland.

Web links

Commons : Redwood Family (Erythroxylaceae)  - Collection of images, videos and audio files