Schoepfia

  • Authority

    Sleumer, Hermann O. 1984. Olacaceae. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 38: 1-159. (Published by NYBG Press)

  • Family

    Schoepfiaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Schoepfia

  • Type

    Type species. S. schreberi Gmelin.

  • Synonyms

    Codonium, Haenkea, Diplocalyx, Ribeirea

  • Description

    Genus Description - Glabrous shrubs or low trees, reportedly root-parasites. Leaves alternate, entire, penninerved, petiolate. Flowers bisexual, often dimorphous and heterostylous, small, fragrant, in short axillary fascicled spikes; base of inflorescence (peduncle) set with a few small imbricate persistent perular bracts. Bract and two bracteoles at apex of pedicel more or less united into a small acutely 3-lobed epicalyx. Calyx inconspicuous, i.e. adnate to the cup-shaped truncate flower-axis. Petals (3-)4-5 (-6), inserted on the edge of flower-axis, fused in the lower ½ to 2/3 into a tube which often is cylindric in the brachystylous form and subcampanulate in the dolichostylous, distinct above in form of valvate and revolute lobes, with a tuft of hairs inside the tube behind each anther. Stamens as many as petals, epipetalous, the slender filaments adnate to the corolla tube for nearly their full length, free at apex; anthers free, 2-celled, attached below the middle, sometimes smaller in the brachystylous form. Disk epigynous, annular, fleshy. Upper half of the ovary superior, included by the disk, lower half within the flower-axis, 3-celled below, 1-celled above, with one unitegmic ovule pending from the apex of the central basal placenta into each cell; style slender, either as long as the corolla tube and with a well developed stigma in the dolichostylous form, or half as long in the brachystylous, the stigma then a little below the anthers and smaller. Fruit drupaceous, subtended by the persistent epicalyx, crowned by the remains of the calyx and disk; epicarp originating from the somewhat accrescent flower-axis, thin, fleshy; endocarp pergamentaceous to crustaceous, striate lengthwise; seed 1; embryo small at apex of the fleshy albumen which contains fatty substances, and little or no amylum.

  • Discussion

    Since the brachystylous form may also bear fruits, it is improbable that it can be regarded as being functionally unisexual.

    Root-parasitism is known only in S. schreberi, but may be expected in other species as well.

  • Distribution

    Two of the three sections of the genus are limited to Asia/Malesia with a total of four species. The third section, which includes the type species of the genus, is purely American, and has 19 species in C America, the Antilles, and S America with a southern limit from Brasil (Parana) to SE Bolivia and SE Peru. It occurs in open forest or shrub vegetation, mainly at low altitudes.

    Asia| Central America| South America| West Indies|