Chrysobalanus

  • Authority

    Prance, Ghillean T. 1972. Chrysobalanaceae. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 9: 1-410. (Published by NYBG Press)

  • Family

    Chrysobalanaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Chrysobalanus

  • Type

    Type species. Chrysobalanus icaco Linnaeus.

  • Synonyms

    Chrysobalanus icaco L., Icaco Adans.

  • Description

    Description - Small trees and shrubs with hermaphrodite flowers. Leaf underside glabrous or with a few stiff appressed hairs, the stomata visible at x 25, with two glands (sometimes obscure) at base of lamina. Bracts and bracteoles small, eglandular. Inflorescences terminal or axillary cymules. Receptacle cupuliform, the interior and exterior puberulous. Calyx lobes 5, acute. Petals 5, longer than the calyx lobes. Stamens 12-26, sometimes shorter than the others, arranged in a complete or nearly complete circle; filaments hairy, united at the base for a short part of their length, about twice as long as calyx lobes. Ovary inserted at base of the receptacle, densely pilose; carpel unilocular; ovules 2. Style pubescent. Fruit a small fleshy drupe; epicarp smooth, ridged; endocarp hard, thin, glabrous on interior, smooth on exterior with 4-8 prominent longitudinal ridges which correspond to the lines of fracture that allow the seedling to escape.

  • Discussion

    onomic History of Chrysobalanus

    Chrysobalanus was validly published by Linnaeus in the 1753 edition of Species Plantarum, although it had appeared in the literature prior to that date (Linnaeus,1737). The specific name C. icaco was taken from Plumier (1703). Linnaeus also cited several other earlier names, some of which are certainly not referable to Chrysobalanus, such as Myrobalanus of Sloane and Condondum of Rumphius. If it were not for the type specimens in the Linnaean herbarium, Chrysobalanus would be difficult to typify because of the different elements cited by Linnaeus. However, his conception of the species was obviously based on the herbarium material which is now in the Linnaean Herbarium, and it corresponds with Plumaier’s (1703) description and (1755) illustration. The Linnaean herbarium contains three sheets of C. icaco. One sheet was collected by Patrick Browne from Jamaica, and bears Linnaeus’ script, therefore, must be regarded as the holotype. The other two sheets are from Suriname, but the collector is not identified. Linnaeus gave the distribution of Chrysobalanus as Jamaica, Brazil and Suriname.

    Since the time of Linnaeus Chrysobalanus has been cited and dealt with in numerous publications, without any alteration to the generic circumscription. It has also been beautifully illustrated several times, eg by Tussac (1827). Some of these references are given here above the generic and specific descriptions.

    Chrysobalanus was apparently first recognized in Africa by Solander when annotating material in the Banks Herbarium as Chrysobalanus ellipticus. Solander did not publish this, but his name was published by Sabine (1824). In the same publication Sabine published C. luteus, another new African species. Since the latter species was based only on a description given to Sabine by Don, and since there is no herbarium material, it will always remain a dubious species. C. ellipticus, however, is a Chrysobalanus. Shortly after the publication of Sabine, Schumacher (1827) published C. orbicularis from Liberia. This species is conspecific with the Linnaean species C. icaco from the New World.

    More recently several other species of Chrysobalanus have been described both from America and Africa. All the subsequent species from America, except C. cuspidatus, belong within the polymorphic species C. icaco. This genus has been little confused with other genera. However, its closeness to Licania was suggested by the opinions of Gomez de la Maza (1887) and Morales (1887), who initiated the merging of Licania with Chrysobalanus by making some of the new combinations. The position of Chrysobalanus, and its relationship with Licania will be more fully discussed (Prance, in press).

  • Distribution

    Tropical Africa and America, mainly in coastal regions. Naturalized in Asia and Pacific Islands. In America from Florida through Central America, to southern Brazil and the West Indies.

    Africa| Asia| United States of America North America| Central America| Mexico North America| Venezuela South America| Colombia South America| Ecuador South America| Peru South America| Brazil South America| Bolivia South America| West Indies| Guyana South America| Suriname South America| French Guiana South America|