Spondianthus preussii
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Spondianthus preussii is a tree in the Phyllanthaceae family from tropical central to western Africa . It is the only species in the genus Spondianthus .
description
Vegetative characteristics
Spondianthus preussii grows as a tree with a dense crown and reaches heights of over 30 meters. The trunk diameter can reach over 100 centimeters. The brown bark is relatively smooth and slightly scaly. The tree carries a reddish and resinous exudate . Stilt roots can be formed in swampy locations .
The alternate or whorled and long-stalked leaves are elliptical or ovate to obovate. They are terminally on the branches and the petiole is up to 5-15 centimeters long. The leaf blade is lighter on the underside and shiny on the top, and is up to 25–35 centimeters long and 12–18 centimeters wide. The leaves are entire, glabrous and the tip is blunt or rounded to rounded or pointed. The nerve is lighter and pinnate, with a raised central artery underneath. The stipules are small and sloping. The young leaves are reddish. There may be small glands on the petioles at the base of the leaves.
Generative characteristics
Spondianthus preussii is dioecious segregated sexually diocesan . It forms unisexual and upright, terminal or axillary, multi-flowered, more or less hairy panicles . The male flowers are in small clusters on short side axes, the female are individually on the spindle or on the side axes. The unisexual, very small flowers are five-fold with a double flower envelope. The flowers are white to yellowish, pink in color. The 1.5–2 millimeter long, somewhat hairy calyx is short fused with 5 lobes and the 1.5–2 millimeter large 5 petals are free. Are on the side axes of the male inflorescences and the female flowers bracts present. The male flowers are almost sessile with 5 free, protruding stamens and there is a pistil-shaped pestle and 5 nectar glands. The female flowers are stalked and have a disc , as well as an upper, often three-chambered ovary with often 3 short pistils with recessed and two-part, elongated and papillary stigmas .
Initially green, then reddish, smooth and mostly three-seeded, loculicidal, rounded capsule fruits are formed. The capsules are about 1.5-2 centimeters in size. They then open from below, then dry out and become dark brown and leathery. The pericarp and the brownish endocarp later fall off and then the reddish, approximately 1.2 centimeters large, ellipsoidal seeds with a thin shell hang out on a "seed holder" ( Columellaast , carpophor ). The seed coat is divided into Testa and Tegmen.
All parts of the tree are considered poisonous.
Systematics
The first description of the genus Spondianthus and the species Spondianthus preussii was made in 1905 by Adolf Engler in Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 36: 215, 216. Synonyms are Megabaria ugandensis Hutch. , Spondianthus glaber Engl. , Spondianthus ugandensis (Hutch.) Hutch. Beille , Thecacoris trillesii
There are two subspecies:
- Spondianthus preussii subsp. preussii : With hairy inflorescences
- Spondianthus preussii subsp. glaber (Engl.) J.Léonard & Nkounkou : With bare inflorescences
use
The poison from the leaves and bark is usually not used as arrow poison because it works too quickly! The poison is used for elephant hunting or for murders.
The hard and heavy wood makes a good charcoal and can be used for constructions, tools or for dugout canoes .
literature
- Spondianthus preussii at PROTA.
- P. Hoffmann, KJ Wurdack, H. Kathriarachchi: A phylogenetic classification of Phyllanthaceae (Malpighiales; Euphorbiaceae sensu lato). In: Kew Bulletin. 61 (1), 2006, 37-53, online at researchgate.net.
- A. Engler , F. Pax , K. Hoffmann: The plant kingdom. IV, 147, XV: Euphorbiaceae - Phyllanthoideae - Phyllantheae , Engelmann 1922, p. 13 ff, online at Biblioteca digital del Real Jardín Botánico de Madrid.
Web links
- Spondianthus preussii at Useful Tropical Plants.
- Spondianthus preussii . In: U. Brunken, M. Schmidt, S. Dressler, T. Janssen, A. Thiombiano, G. Zizka: West African plants - A Photo Guide. Senckenberg Research Institute, Frankfurt am Main 2008.
- Spondianthus (Illustration below at Botanic Garden Meise, The Digital Flora of Central Africa preussii Spondianthus subsp. Glaber ).
Individual evidence
- ↑ R. Hegnauer : Chemotaxonomy of plants. VIII, Springer, 1989, ISBN 978-3-0348-9977-2 , pp. 443, 452, 713.
- ↑ online at biodiversitylibrary.org.
- ^ Spondianthus preussii at KEW Science.