Cryptocarya

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Cryptocarya
Cryptocarya.PNG
Cryptocarya alba
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Magnoliids
Order: Laurales
Family: Lauraceae
Genus: Cryptocarya
R.Br. [1]
Species

Over 360; See List of Cryptocarya species

Synonyms [1]
  • AgathophyllumJuss.
  • CaryodaphneBlume ex Nees
  • DahlgrenodendronJ.J.M.van der Merwe & A.E.van Wyk
  • EvodiaGaertn.
  • IcosandraPhil.
  • KerrdoraGagnep.
  • MassoiaBecc.
  • PseudocryptocaryaTeschner
  • RavensaraSonn.
  • SalgadaBlanco
Cryptocarya mackinnoniana Cryptocarya mackinnoniana ALA3.jpg
Cryptocarya mackinnoniana

Cryptocarya is a genus of about 360 species [1] of flowering plants in the laurel family, Lauraceae. Most species are trees, occasionally shrubs, distributed through the Neotropical, Afrotropical, Indomalayan, and Australasian realms. Most plants in the genus Cryptocarya have leaves arranged alternately along the stems, small flowers with 6 tepals, stamens in 2 rows, the inner row alternating with staminodes, and the fruit is a drupe.

Contents

Description

Plants in the genus Cryptocarya are trees, occasionally shrubs, the leaves usually arranged alternately along the branches. The leaves are petiolate and pinnately-veined. The flowers are arranged in cymes, racemes or panicles in leaf axils usually at the ends of branches and often appearing as if on the ends of the branches. The flowers have both male and female parts, with 6 tepals usually erect as the flower opens, and 9 stamens in 2 rows, the inner row of 3 alternating with staminodes. The ovary is sessile, usually with an inconspicuous stigma and the fruit is an elliptic to spherical, fleshy drupe, containing a single seed. [2] [3] [4]

Taxonomy

The genus Cryptocarya was first formally described in 1810 by Robert Brown in his Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae et Insulae Van Diemen . [1] [5] The genus name (Cryptocarya) means "hidden nut", referring to the fruit that is hidden by the tepals. [6]

In a recent generic classification of Lauraceae based on DNA sequence, Cryptocarya was found to be part of a strongly supported clade that also includes Beilschmiedia, Potameia, Endiandra and Endiandra . [7]

Species list

See List of Cryptocarya species.

Distribution

Species of Cryptocarya are found in some parts of South America, southern Africa, Madagascar, South Asia, Southeast Asia, Japan, New Guinea and Australia. [1]

Uses

The leaves of C. woodii have been found in prehistoric settlements in Africa and are believed to have been used for insect control. [8]

Essential oil is commercially harvested from Cryptocarya agathophylla (formerly Ravensara aromatica), a tree native to the lowland rainforests of eastern Madagascar. Known as ravensara oil, it is used for aromatherapy in Europe and America. [9]

Related Research Articles

<i>Hemiandra</i> Genus of flowering plants

Hemiandra is a genus of nine species of flowering plants of the family Lamiaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. Plants in the genus Hemiandra are shrubs with sessile leaves arranged in opposite pairs, petals with five lobes arranged in two "lips" and the fruit a capsule usually containing four nuts.

<i>Bulbine bulbosa</i> Species of plant

Bulbine bulbosa, commonly known as bulbine lily, native leek, golden lily, or native onion, is a species of flowering plant in the family Asphodelaceae and is endemic to Australia. It is a perennial herb with thick roots, channelled leaves, and yellow flowers with hairy stamen filaments.

<i>Isotoma</i> (plant) Genus of flowering plants

Isotoma is a genus of annual and perennial herbs in the family Campanulaceae and are native to Australia and New Zealand.

<i>Acrotriche</i> Genus of flowering plants

Acrotriche is a genus of about 18 species of flowering plants in the family Ericaceae, occurring in all states of Australia except the Northern Territory. Plants in the genus Acrotriche are shrubs with hairy branchlets, leaves with more or less parallel veins and small flowers with 5 sepals and petals joined at the base to form a bell-shaped to cylindrical tube with hairs and stamens in the throat.

<i>Lobelia purpurascens</i> Species of flowering plant

Lobelia purpurascens, commonly known as white root or purplish pratia, is a flowering plant in the family Campanulaceae of eastern Australia. It is a small herbaceous, scrambling plant with white to pale pink flowers.

<i>Wurmbea dioica</i> Species of plant

Wurmbea dioica, commonly known as early Nancy, is a species of plant in the family Colchicaceae and is endemic to Australia. It is a herb with three linear to thread-like leaves and usually two to seven white flowers with a purple or greenish nectary band.

<i>Lissanthe</i> Genus of shrubs

Lissanthe is a genus of about 10 species of flowering plants in the family Ericaceae and is endemic to Australia. Plants in the genus Lissanthe are small, erect to spreading shrubs with egg-shaped to oblong leaves. Up to 17 bisexual flowers are arranged in leaf axils or on the ends of branches, the 5 petals joined at the base to form a cylindrical to urn-shaped tube with triangular lobes.

<i>Ehretia acuminata</i> Species of tree

Ehretia acuminata is a deciduous tree found in Japan, China, Bhutan, Nepal, Laos, Vietnam, New Guinea and Australia. Fossil evidence suggests an ancient Laurasian origin. This group of plants spread to Australia and South America via Africa, when these continents were still joined.

<i>Cryptocarya glaucescens</i> Species of tree

Cryptocarya glaucescens, commonly known as jackwood, is a rainforest tree of the laurel family growing in eastern Australia.

<i>Cryptocarya obovata</i> Species of tree

Cryptocarya obovata is a species of laurel growing on basaltic and fertile alluvial soils in eastern Australian rainforests. It is found from Wyong in New South Wales to Gympie in the state of Queensland. Extinct in the Illawarra region, allegedly last seen in the Illawarra in 1818 by Allan Cunningham. The species was included in the Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae et Insulae Van Diemen, 402 (1810)

<i>Trochocarpa</i> Genus of flowering plants

Trochocarpa is a genus of about 16 species of flowering plants in the family Ericaceae native to Australia, New Guinea, Borneo and Malesia. Plants in the genus Trochocarpa are shrubs or small trees, the leaves with more or less parallel veins, flowers in small clusters, each with 5 sepals, petals joined to form a cylindrical or bell-shaped tube, and the fruit a more or less spherical drupe.

<i>Chloanthes</i> Genus of flowering plants

Chloanthes is a genus of four species of flowering plants in the family Lamiaceae and is endemic to Australia. Plants in this genus are shrubs with hairy foliage, blistered or wrinkly leaves and flowers with five petals fused at the base, usually with two "lips".

<i>Stenanthera</i> Genus of plants

Stenanthera is a genus of flowering plants in the family Ericaceae. Most are low shrubs with leaves that are paler on the lower surface, tube-shaped flowers and with the fruit a drupe. There are three species, formerly included in the genus Astroloma.

<i>Pityrodia salvifolia</i> Species of flowering plant

Pityrodia salvifolia is a flowering plant in the mint family Lamiaceae and is endemic to Queensland. It is an erect, spreading shrub with aromatic, wrinkled or corrugated leaves and clusters of small flowers with white petals. It is mostly found in wet forests in coastal north Queensland.

<i>Chenopodium spinescens</i> Species of plant

Chenopodium spinescens is a species of plant in the family Amaranthaceae and is endemic to all mainland states and territories of Australia where it is known as Rhagodia spinescens.

<i>Styphelia pendula</i> Species of plant

Styphelia pendula is a species of flowering plant in the heath family Ericaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is an erect, straggling shrub with oblong leaves and white, tube-shaped flowers that are bearded inside.

<i>Styphelia propinqua</i> Species of shrub

Styphelia propinqua is a species of flowering plant in the heath family Ericaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is an erect, rigid shrub with linear leaves and white tube-shaped flowers that are bearded inside.

<i>Styphelia margarodes</i> Species of shrub

Styphelia margarodes is a species of flowering plant in the heath family Ericaceae and is endemic to near-coastal areas of eastern Australia. It is an erect, spreading shrub with egg-shaped leaves with the narrower end towards the base, and small numbers of white, tube-shaped flowers usually arranged singly or in pairs in upper leaf axils.

<i>Conostylis breviscapa</i> Species of flowering plant

Conostylis breviscapa is a rhizomatous, tufted perennial, grass-like plant or herb in the family Haemodoraceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It has flat leaves and yellow, hairy, tubular flowers.

<i>Acrotriche aggregata</i> Species of plant

Acrotriche aggregata, commonly known as red cluster heath, tall acrotriche or tall groundberry is a species of flowering plant in the family Ericaceae and is endemic to eastern Australia. It is an erect, spreading shrub, with elliptic to egg-shaped leaves, and spikes of tube-shaped, pale green, cream-coloured or white flowers, and succulent red drupes.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "Cryptocarya R.Br". Plants of the World Online . Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. 2023. Retrieved 18 October 2023.
  2. Le Cussan, J.; Hyland, Bernard P.M. "Cryptocarya". Flora of Australia. Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water: Canberra. Retrieved 4 June 2024.
  3. Harden, Gwen J. "Cryptocarya". Royal Botanic Garden, Sydney. Retrieved 4 June 2024.
  4. "Cryptocarya". Northern Territory Government. Retrieved 4 June 2024.
  5. Brown, Robert (1810). Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae et Insulae Van Diemen. London. p. 402. Retrieved 4 June 2024.
  6. George, Alex; Sharr, Francis (2021). Western Australian Plant Names and Their Meanings (4th ed.). Kardinya, WA: Four Gables Press. p. 72. ISBN   9780958034180.
  7. Van Der Werff, Henk (2006). "A Revision of the Malagasy endemic genus Aspidostemon Rohwer & Richter (Lauraceae" (PDF). Adansonia. 28 (1): 7–38. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-08-08. Retrieved 2011-11-06.
  8. Wadley L, Sievers C, Bamford M, Goldberg P, Berna F, Miller C (2011). "Middle Stone Age bedding construction and settlement patterns at Sibudu, South Africa". Science. 334 (6061): 1388–91. Bibcode:2011Sci...334.1388W. doi:10.1126/science.1213317. PMID   22158814. S2CID   11063722.
  9. Hanitriniaina Sahondra Andrianoelisoa, Chantal Menut, Panja Ramanoelina, Falihery Raobelison, Philippe Collas de Chatelperron, & Pascal Danthu (2010). "Chemical Composition of Essential Oils From Bark and Leaves of Individual Trees of Ravensara aromatica Sonnerat", Journal of Essential Oil Research, 22:1, 66-70, DOI: 10.1080/10412905.2010.9700267