Chrysophyllum

  • Authority

    Pennington, Terence D. 1990. Sapotaceae. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 52: 1-750. (Published by NYBG Press)

  • Family

    Sapotaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Chrysophyllum

  • Type

    Type species. Chrysophyllum cainito Linnaeus.

  • Synonyms

    Chrysophyllum cainito L., Cainito Adans. ex, Nycterisition, Nycterisition ferrugineum Ruiz & Pav., Guersentia, Guersentia oliveformis Raf., Dactimala Raf., Prieurella, Prieurella cuneifolia (Rudge) Pierre ex Aubrév., Bumelia cuneifolia Rudge, Ragala, Ragala sanguinolenta Pierre, Martiusella imperialis Pierre, Theophrasta imperialis Linden ex K.Koch & Fintelm., Gambeya, Gambeya subnuda Pierre, Chrysophyllum subnudum Baker, Cornuella, Cornuella venezuelanensis Pierre, Chloroluma, Chloroluma gonocarpa (Mart. ex Eichler) Baill., Sapota gonocarpa Mart. & Eichler ex, Fibocentrum Pierre & Glaz., Achrouteria, Achrouteria pomifera Eyma, Villocuspis, Villocuspis flexuosum (Mart.) Aubrév. & Pellegr., Chrysophyllum flexuosum Mart., Cynodendron, Cynodendron oliviforme (L.) Baehni, Chrysophyllum oliviforme L., Ecclinusa

  • Description

    Genus Description - Trees or shrubs. Stipules absent. Leaves alternate and distichous or spirally arranged. Venation brochidodromous or eucamptodromous, tertiary veins often parallel to the secondaries and descending from the margin, or oblique and closely parallel, or reticulate. Inflorescence axillary, ramiflorous or cauliflorous. Flowers unisexual or bisexual, fasciculate, rarely solitary. Calyx a single whorl of (4-)5(-6) imbricate or quincuncial sepals, sometimes accrescent in fruit, frequently ciliate. Corolla globose, campanulate or cylindrical, tube shorter than, equalling or longer than the lobes, lobes (4-)5(-8), simple. Stamens (4-)5(-8), fixed in the lower or upper part of the corolla tube, included; anthers extrorse in bud, hairv or glabrous. Staminodes usually absent, rarely present as small lanceolate or subulate structures in the corolla lobe sinuses, alternating with the stamens. Ovary (4-)5(-12)-locular, placentation axile; style included. Fruit one-many-seeded. Seed laterally compressed, with a narrow adaxial scar, sometimes extending around the base of the seed, or not laterally compressed and then the scar broader, basi-ventral or adaxial; testa smooth and shining, or rough and then adherent to the pericarp; embryo vertical, with thin foliaceous or thick flat cotyledons and exserted radicle, endosperm abundant or about equalling the thickness of the cotyledons. Pollen (Figs. 181-186) (number of specimens examined: 35; number of spp.: 25). The pollen of Chrysophyllum is fairly uniform: sub-prolate or prolate, 3-, 3- & 4- or 4-colporate. Average polar length 28.0-34.4 /on. Endoapertures narrowly or broadly elongate. Colpi very reduced, short or long. Tectum frequently protrudent. Total wall thickness 1-4 µm. Tectum and foot layer usually more or less equal in thickness. Interstitium narrow. Endexine often a continuous thickened band in equatorial zone. Surface patterning of tectum commonly smooth or indistinct in apocolpial region and finely rugulate mesocolpia.

  • Distribution

    43 spp. in the Neotropics, ca. 15 in Africa, ca. 10 in Madagascar, and 2-3 spp. extending through Asia to Malesia and Australia.

    Madagascar Africa| Australia Oceania|