Glossary Details – Lecythidaceae

Glossary Details:

Title: Flower of Gustavia augusta. Photo by S. A. Mori.

Description: Flower of Gustavia augusta based on Mori 25012 from a cultivated tree on the campus of IRD (formerly ORSTOM) campus, French Guiana. This individual has nearly white flowers in contrast to most other individuals that at least have a touch of pink or red on the petals, especially abaxially, and on the upper half of the filaments. The filaments are unidimensional and the cross sections of the filaments are terete.

Term:

Filaments terete

Definition:

Filaments with cross sections circular in outline.

Notes:

Most species of Lecythidaceae have terete filaments, although clavate and tapered filament shapes have different sized cross sections with those at the base always smaller in diameter than those just below the apex. The exceptions are species of Grias and Gustavia which have angular filaments.