Taxon Details: Capparidastrum (DC.) Hutch.
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The reinstatement of Capparidastrum (Capparaceae) (Cornejo & Iltis, 2008).
The reinstatement of Capparidastrum (Capparaceae) (Cornejo & Iltis, 2008).Family:
Capparaceae (Magnoliophyta)
Capparaceae (Magnoliophyta)
Scientific Name:
Capparidastrum (DC.) Hutch.
Capparidastrum (DC.) Hutch.
Primary Citation:
Gen. Fl. Pl. 2: 309. 1967
Gen. Fl. Pl. 2: 309. 1967
Accepted Name:
This name is currently accepted.
This name is currently accepted.
Description:
Description: Shrubs to/or trees (rarely herbaceous in Capparidastrum humile (Hassl.) Cornejo & Iltis), glabrous or covered by simple short trichomes. Leaves simple, spirally arranged, petioles often of different lengths (frequently not visible in herbarium specimens), and usually pulvinate. Inflorescences racemose, usually terminal, rarely cauline (in C. frondosum (Jacq.) Cornejo & Iltis, in Hispaniola and Brazil), often with small triangular bracts at or near the peduncle base. Calyx with open aestivation, sepals 4, exceeded by the corolla from bud. Floral nectaries 4, fleshy (subgen. Capparidastrum), rounded, cushion-shaped (subgen. Pulviniglans Cornejo & Iltis) or squamiform (subgen. Pachycarpum Cornejo & Iltis). Petals 4, with aestivation siniestrorsely-torsivus, sessile, usually inserted on a flat receptacle (subgen. Capparidastrum and Pulviniglans) or often inserted within a hypanthium (subgen. Pachycarpum). Stamens 30 to 130, exserted, arranged in alternate whorls on a hemispheric (when fresh), expanded upper part of the androphore; pollen tectate-spinulose or tectate-perforate. Ovary with 1 to 4 locules, often 1- to 4-septate. Fruits pendulous, capsular, dehiscent by 2 valves (subgen. Capparidastrum) to partially into 3 valves (in C. macrophyllum of subgen. Pulviniglans), or usually pepos (subgen. Pulviniglans) or amphisarca (subgen. Pachycarpum), oblong, cylindric, elliptical to spherical, usually rounded at the apex, with a white or cream fruit wall within, ± containing a white to cream-colored or rarely yellow pulp (sometimes scarce and then disintegrating while drying during specimen preparation); seeds cochleate to reniform, arranged in two or more rows, testa naked or covered by a sarcotesta or aril, the embryo usually white or cream, rarely light yellow (C. frondosum, in western Ecuador), the cotyledons convolute.
Distribution: A neotropical genus ranging from southern Mexico to northern Argentina, and the West Indies.
Ecology: Mostly in lowland forests on well-drained soils.
Number of species: This genus comprises 15 species.
Taxonomic notes: Hutchinson (1967: 309) correctly raised Capparidastrum to generic rank, but unfortunately designated Capparis baducca L. (= Capparidastrum baducca (L.) Hutch.), an Indian species from the Malabar coast (Jacobs, 1965: 435), as the generic type of the Neotropical Capparidastrum (Hutchinson, 1967: 309-310). This mistake was originally caused by Linnaeus (1753: 504) who misapplied the name of Capparis baducca, to the American Capparis frondosa Jacq., causing a great deal of confusion. Soon, however, this mistaken application was corrected by Linnaeus himself (1762-1763: 1674), who then properly restricted it to the SE Asian plants on which his C. baducca was initially based, namely the species illustrated in Rheede's Hortus Indicus Malabaricus t. 57, 1686 (= C. rheedei DC., Jacobs, 1965), while at the same time accepting C. frondosa for the American plants. Capparis frondosa was correctly designated as the lectotype of Capparis sect. Capparidastrum (with Capparis subgen. Capparidastrum and the genus Capparidastrum in synonymy), a problem that finally has been clarified and resolved (Rankin and Greuter, 2004: 261).
Description: Shrubs to/or trees (rarely herbaceous in Capparidastrum humile (Hassl.) Cornejo & Iltis), glabrous or covered by simple short trichomes. Leaves simple, spirally arranged, petioles often of different lengths (frequently not visible in herbarium specimens), and usually pulvinate. Inflorescences racemose, usually terminal, rarely cauline (in C. frondosum (Jacq.) Cornejo & Iltis, in Hispaniola and Brazil), often with small triangular bracts at or near the peduncle base. Calyx with open aestivation, sepals 4, exceeded by the corolla from bud. Floral nectaries 4, fleshy (subgen. Capparidastrum), rounded, cushion-shaped (subgen. Pulviniglans Cornejo & Iltis) or squamiform (subgen. Pachycarpum Cornejo & Iltis). Petals 4, with aestivation siniestrorsely-torsivus, sessile, usually inserted on a flat receptacle (subgen. Capparidastrum and Pulviniglans) or often inserted within a hypanthium (subgen. Pachycarpum). Stamens 30 to 130, exserted, arranged in alternate whorls on a hemispheric (when fresh), expanded upper part of the androphore; pollen tectate-spinulose or tectate-perforate. Ovary with 1 to 4 locules, often 1- to 4-septate. Fruits pendulous, capsular, dehiscent by 2 valves (subgen. Capparidastrum) to partially into 3 valves (in C. macrophyllum of subgen. Pulviniglans), or usually pepos (subgen. Pulviniglans) or amphisarca (subgen. Pachycarpum), oblong, cylindric, elliptical to spherical, usually rounded at the apex, with a white or cream fruit wall within, ± containing a white to cream-colored or rarely yellow pulp (sometimes scarce and then disintegrating while drying during specimen preparation); seeds cochleate to reniform, arranged in two or more rows, testa naked or covered by a sarcotesta or aril, the embryo usually white or cream, rarely light yellow (C. frondosum, in western Ecuador), the cotyledons convolute.
Distribution: A neotropical genus ranging from southern Mexico to northern Argentina, and the West Indies.
Ecology: Mostly in lowland forests on well-drained soils.
Number of species: This genus comprises 15 species.
Taxonomic notes: Hutchinson (1967: 309) correctly raised Capparidastrum to generic rank, but unfortunately designated Capparis baducca L. (= Capparidastrum baducca (L.) Hutch.), an Indian species from the Malabar coast (Jacobs, 1965: 435), as the generic type of the Neotropical Capparidastrum (Hutchinson, 1967: 309-310). This mistake was originally caused by Linnaeus (1753: 504) who misapplied the name of Capparis baducca, to the American Capparis frondosa Jacq., causing a great deal of confusion. Soon, however, this mistaken application was corrected by Linnaeus himself (1762-1763: 1674), who then properly restricted it to the SE Asian plants on which his C. baducca was initially based, namely the species illustrated in Rheede's Hortus Indicus Malabaricus t. 57, 1686 (= C. rheedei DC., Jacobs, 1965), while at the same time accepting C. frondosa for the American plants. Capparis frondosa was correctly designated as the lectotype of Capparis sect. Capparidastrum (with Capparis subgen. Capparidastrum and the genus Capparidastrum in synonymy), a problem that finally has been clarified and resolved (Rankin and Greuter, 2004: 261).