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SAPOTACEAE

Vitellariopsis

Baill. ex Dubard

Source:

SSA

Synonym(s):

Austromimusops Meeuse: 347 (1960); Meeuse: 42 (1963).

Description:

Shrubs or medium-sized trees. Leaves crowded at tips of branches, firm, but not coriaceous; stipules 0. Flowers in axils of leaves or of scaly bracts, 1-4 together, appearing to be in umbels of up to 20 flowers or more, because of density of leaves; pedicels usually +/- pendulous. Calyx 6- or 8(10)-lobed, in 2 whorls, divided nearly to base. Corolla 3- or 4-merous; tube short; lobes and lateral appendages subequal. Stamens 6 or 8; anthers longer than filaments, apiculate; staminodes usually entire, concave and pubescent on outer surface. Ovary 6- or 8-locular, usually subglobose; ovules with lateral or basilateral attachment; style terete, subacute or obtuse. Fruit 1(2)-seeded. Seed with thin testa and broad scar on ventral side; endosperm absent; cotyledons thick and fleshy.

Distribution:

Species 6, E and S Africa; 2 in sthn Afr., Mpumalanga, Swaziland, KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape.

Sideroxylon

Source:

SSA

Description:

Trees or shrubs. Leaves dark green, glossy on upper surface. Flowers 5-merous throughout, all whorls single. Corolla lobes without lateral appendages. Stamens arising from throat of corolla tube; staminodes petaloid, with a broad base, alternipetalous. Ovary with basally attached seed. Fruit 1-seeded. Seeds depressed-globose, usually +/- 4- or 5-angled and somewhat ribbed, with small, circular scar in a basal depression; testa thick, bony; endosperm copious; cotyledons thin. x = 12, 13.

Distribution:

Species +/- 75: 49 in the Neotropics, +/- 25 elsewhere (6 Africa, 6 Madagascar, 8 Mascarenes, 4 Asia, 1 in NW Pakistan, Afghanistan, Oman, Somalia, Ethiopia, Djibouti); 1 in sthn Afr.: Sideroxylon inerme L., in subtropical and temperate forests of the Northern Province, Mpumalanga, Swaziland, KwaZulu-Natal, Western and Eastern Cape.

Mimusops

Source:

SSA

Description:

Trees or shrubs. Leaves not particularly crowded, secondary veins not conspicuously parallel; stipules present. Flowers axillary, pedicellate. Calyx 8-lobed, divided nearly to base, in 2 whorls. Corolla 8-lobed, each lobe with 2 dorsal appendages; appendages often in an outer row of 16 and petals in an inner row of 8. Stamens arising from throat of corolla tube; filaments usually shorter than the lanceolate, apiculate anthers; staminodes 8, entire or somewhat dentate, lacerate or fimbriate at apex, usually pubescent. Ovary 8-locular; ovules with basal attachment; style slender. Fruit 1-few-seeded. Seeds with small, circular, basal scar; endosperm copious; cotyledons thin. x = 12.

Distribution:

Species +/- 40: +/- 20 species in Africa, 15 in Madagascar, 4 in the Mascarenes, 1 in the Seychelles, and 1 in Asia and the Pacific; 3 in sthn Afr., Botswana, Northern Province, North-West, Gauteng, Mpumalanga, Swaziland, KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape.

Manilkara

Adans.

Source:

SSA

Synonym(s):

Mimusops in sense of Harvey & Wright: 439 (1906) in part. Muriea M.M.Hartog: 145 (1878); Meeuse: 52 (1963) in part.

Description:

Trees or large shrubs. Leaves usually crowded at tips of branches; stipules caducous or 0. Flowers axillary, usually in axils of lower leaves or scars. Sepals 6(8), in 2 whorls, often broad. Corolla 6(8)-lobed, each lobe with 2 dorsal appendages. Stamens 6(8) arising from throat of corolla tube; filaments usually longer than the short anthers; staminodes 6(8) or sometimes fewer, usually small, but not absent, often dentate, fimbriate or lobed, glabrous, not incurved. Ovary 6-16-locular; ovules ventrally or basiventrally attached. Fruit 1-several-seeded. Seeds laterally compressed; testa hard and brittle; scar conspicuous, rarely small. x = 12.

Distribution:

Species +/- 70, pantropical, 30 species in America, +/- 20 in Africa and Madagascar and +/- 15 in Asia and the Pacific; 4 in sthn Afr., Namibia, Botswana, Northern Provice, Mpumalanga, Swaziland and KwaZulu-Natal.

Inhambanella

(Engl.) Dubard

Source:

SSA

Synonym(s):

Lecomtedoxa in sense of Meeuse: 343 (1960).

Description:

Trees attaining impressive size. Leaves coriaceous, glabrous; stipules caducous. Flowers in fascicles in axils of leaves or leaf scars. Sepals (3)4-6, imbricate. Corolla usually 4-6-lobed; lobes each with a middle and 2 lateral segments. Stamens 5, arising from throat of corolla tube; anthers apiculate; staminodes lanceolate, ovate-lanceolate to narrowly triangular. Ovary 5(6)-locular, pubescent; ovules with lateral attachment; style glabrous, short, capitate or tapering to apex. Fruit 1-seeded. Seed large, with long scar on ventral side; testa crustaceous.

Distribution:

Species 2, one in West Africa, the other in East Africa and sthn Afr.: Inhambanella henriquesii (Engl. & Warb.) Dubard in N KwaZulu-Natal.

Englerophytum

K.Krause

Source:

SSA

Synonym(s):

Bequaertiodendron De Wild.: 22 (1919); Heine & Hemsley: 306 (1960); Aubreville: 252 (1961); Meeuse: 36 (1963); Hemsley: 18 (1968); Aubreville: 432 (1971); Kupicha: 222 (1983); Steyn: 440 (1990). Chrysophyllum in sense of Harvey & Wright: 436 (1906) in part. Pouteria in sense of Meeuse: 332 (1960) in part.

Description:

Shrubs or trees. Leaves spirally arranged; venation brochidodromous, usually with a submarginal vein, secondaries usually close and parallel, higher order venation parallel to secondaries, leaves appearing coarsely striate; stipules usually present, but caducous. Inflorescence axillary, ramiflorous or cauliflorous. Flowers in fascicles, bisexual or unisexual. Calyx a single whorl of 5(6) free or slightly united, quincuncial sepals. Corolla shortly tubular or cyathiform; lobes 5(-10), often widely spreading, simple, aestivation imbricate or quincuncial. Stamens 5(-10), arising at top of corolla tube, usually exserted; filaments usually well developed, and often partially or completely fused into a short tube or thick fleshy collar; anthers usually extrorse, glabrous; stamens sometimes converted into petaloid staminodes in female flowers, as a single whorl of small, subulate structures alternating with stamens. Ovary (4)5(-10)-locular; placentation axile; style included or slightly exserted. Fruit a 1-seeded berry. Seeds ellipsoid, not or only slightly laterally compressed; testa smooth, often thin; scar adaxial; variable in width from narrow to broad, and sometimes extending to cover most of seed surface; embryo with plano-convex cotyledons; radicle extending to the surface; endosperm absent.

Distribution:

Species 5-10, poorly defined and variable species in tropical Africa; 2 in sthn Afr.; forest and bush of Botswana, Northern Provice, North-West, Gauteng, Mpumalanga, Swaziland, KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape.

Chrysophyllum

Source:

SSA

Description:

Trees or shrubs. Leaves with many, closely parallel lateral veins; stipules absent. Flowers generally 5-merous, axillary or on naked branches below leaves, solitary or in fascicles. Corolla tube: short, cylindric, urceolate or campanulate; petals entire, imbricate. Stamens usually short; anthers versatile, +/- dorsifixed, ovate to triangular, sometimes somewhat sagittate, often apiculate. Ovary pubescent; style columnar, short, thick, glabrous. Fruit usually 3-5-seeded. Seeds with long and narrow, ventral scar; testa hard, smooth and shiny; endosperm copious. x = 13 (12) (polyploidy).

Distribution:

Species +/- 80, especially in the Neotropics, +/- 15 in Africa, 10 in Madagascar, and 2 or 3 extending from India to Malesia and Australia; 1 in sthn Afr.: Chrysophyllum viridifolium J.M.Wood & Franks, Swaziland, KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape.

Tridesmostemon

Engl.

Description:

Trees. Leaves spirally arranged; stipules absent. Flowers bisexual, solitary or in few-flowered fascicles, axillary or in axils of fallen leaves. Calyx a single whorl of 5 free imbricate sepals. Corolla cyathiform; lobes 5, free almost to base, simple, imbricate, spreading or reflexed at tip. Stamens 10-15, 2 or 3 opposite each corolla lobe, arising ?-1/2-way up on corolla lobes; filaments of each pair or group of 3 fused almost to apex, hairy; anthers extrorse, hairy or glabrous; staminodes 5, usually 3-dentate at apex, hairy. Disc absent. Ovary 10-locular; placentation axile; style slightly exserted. Fruit subglobose, several-seeded. Seed strongly laterally compressed; testa smooth, shiny; scar adaxial, almost full length, very narrow; embryo with thin foliaceous cotyledons and exserted radicle; endosperm present.

Distribution:

Species 2, W trop. Africa; sthn trop. Afr. 1: Tridesmostemon omphalocarpoides Engl., Angola (Cabinda).

Source:

SSTA

Synonym(s):

Sideroxylon in sense of Greves: 71 (1927).

Synsepalum

(A.DC.) Daniell

Description:

Trees or shrubs. Leaves spirally arranged, +/- coriaceous, lateral nerves fairly conspicuous, distant, curving towards leaf apex; stipules absent or present, persistent or caducous. Flowers bisexual, 5-merous, fascicled or solitary, long-pedicellate or sessile, borne in axils of current and fallen leaves, sometimes on branches, rarely on stem. Calyx a single whorl of 5(6) free or partly united sepals. Corolla: tube short; lobes 5(6), usually widely spreading, simple, longer to shorter than tube. Stamens 5(6), arising at level of base of corolla lobes, included in to considerably exserted from corolla; filaments free, long and slender or very short; anthers usually extrorse. Staminodes in a single whorl alternating with the stamens, sometimes absent. Disc absent. Ovary 5(-7)-locular, ovoid or narrowly conical, pilose; placentation axile; style slender, usually exserted. Fruit a 1-seeded berry. Seed ellipsoid, not laterally compressed, scar long, occupying lateral face; endosperm absent, cotyledons fleshy.

Distribution:

Species +/- 20, trop. Africa; sthn trop. Afr. 5, Angola, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Mozambique.

Source:

SSTA

Synonym(s):

Afrosersalisia A.Chev.; White: 320 (1962); Hemsley: 42 (1968); Kupicha: 215 (1983). Pachystela Pierre ex Radlk.; Hemsley: 35 (1968); Kupicha: 225 (1983); Govaerts et al.: 346 (2001). Vincentella Pierre; Hemsley: 39 (1968); Kupicha: 227 (1983).

Pouteria

Aubl.

Description:

Tall, deciduous, often dioecious trees, often with strongly buttressed or deeply fluted bole. Leaves usually spirally arranged, rarely opposite, chartaceous or coriaceous, +/- clearly pellucid-punctate, densely pubescent to subglabrous; lateral nerves many-paired, looped distally and running parallel to leaf margin or extending to leaf edge to form the thickened margin, tertiary veins conspicuous; stipules 0. Flowers often unisexual, (4)5(6)-merous, sessile or shortly pedicellate, fasciculate in axils of current or fallen leaves. Calyx a single whorl of 4-6 sepals +/- free to base, or 6-11 in a closely imbricate spiral. Corolla: tube slightly shorter to longer than lobes; lobes 4-6(-9), simple, sometimes fringed or papillose, usually erect. Stamens 4-6(-9), arising in lower or upper half of tube, rarely free; anthers usually extrorse or laterally dehiscent, included; staminodes, if present, usually as many as corolla lobes, small, +/- subulate or rarely petaloid. Disc present or absent. Ovary 1-6(-16)-locular, subglobose, densely pilose; placentation axile; style cylindric, slightly expanded towards apex, included or exserted. Fruit a subglobose to narrowly ellipsoid 1-several-seeded berry. Seed solitary, +/- ellipsoid; testa shining brown with conspicuous scar; endosperm present or absent; cotyledons fleshy.

Distribution:

Species +/- 200, Old and New World tropics, Africa +/- 5; sthn trop. Afr. 3, Angola, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Mozambique.

Source:

SSTA

Synonym(s):

Aningeria Aubrev. & Pellegr.: 795 (1935); Hemsley: 26 (1968); Kupicha: 218 (1983); Coates Palgrave: 874 (2002). Malacantha Pierre; Greves: 73 (1929); Hemsley: 24 (1968); Kupicha: 220 (1983). Sersalisia R.Br.; Greves: 72 (1927).

GATEWAY TO AFRICAN PLANTS

Un outil dicisif vers l'identification des plantes africaines

SAPOTACEAE

Vitellariopsis

Sideroxylon

Mimusops

Manilkara

Inhambanella

Englerophytum

Chrysophyllum

Tridesmostemon

Synsepalum

Pouteria

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SAPOTACEAE

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