Polyscias racemosa

Last updated

Polyscias racemosa
Munroidendron racemosum.jpg
Polyscias racemosa growing in Maui Nui Botanical Gardens, Maui, Hawaii.
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Apiales
Family: Araliaceae
Genus: Polyscias
Species:
P. racemosa
Binomial name
Polyscias racemosa
(C.N.Forbes) Lowry & G.M.Plunkett
Synonyms [2]
  • Munroidendron racemosum(C.N.Forbes) Sherff
  • Tetraplasandra racemosaC.N.Forbes

Polyscias racemosa, or false 'ohe, [3] is a species of flowering plant in the family Araliaceae. As Munroidendron racemosum, the species was until recently considered to be the only species in the monotypic genus Munroidendron. With the change in classification, Munroidendron is now obsolete. Polyscias racemosa is endemic to the Hawaiian island of Kauai. [4] It is very rare in the wild and some of its original habitat has been replaced by sugar cane plantations. [5] It was thought for some time to be probably extinct, but was rediscovered a few years prior to 1967. [6]

Contents

Using cladistic methods, phylogenetic studies of DNA have shown that the closest relative of Munroidendron racemosum is Reynoldsia sandwicensis . [7] These two species are now known as Polyscias racemosa and Polyscias sandwicensis , respectively. They are two of the 21 species now placed in Polyscias subgenus Tetraplasandra. [8]

Polyscias racemosa is known in cultivation in Hawaii. [9] Cultivation procedures for Polyscias racemosa have been studied. [10]

Description

Polyscias racemosa is a small tree growing to 25 ft (7.6 m) tall, with a straight trunk, spreading branches, and smooth, grey bark. [11] Like many members of Polyscias, it is sparingly branched and thick-stemmed, with large imparipinnate leaves, but not as extreme in these characteristics as is Polyscias nodosa .

Its leaves are pinnate, 12 in (30 cm) long, with oval leaflets, each of which is over 3 inches (7.6 cm) long. These trees are dry season deciduous, dropping most of their leaves during their summer blooming season. Its small, pale yellow flowers hang in long, rope-like strands. [12] The inflorescence is racemose in form, with up to 250 flowers. [13]

Habitat and range

Polyscias racemosa occurs in coastal mesic and mixed mesic forests at elevations of 120–400 m (390–1,310 ft), where it grows on exposed cliffs and ridges. Associated plant species include papala kepau ( Pisonia umbellifera ), ʻāwikiwiki ( Canavalia galeata ), ʻilima ( Sida fallax ), ʻōlulu ( Brighamia insignis ), alaheʻe ( Psydrax odorata ), kōpiko ( Psychotria spp.), olopua ( Nestegis sandwicensis ), ʻahakea ( Bobea timonioides ), hala pepe ( Pleomele aurea ), and ʻālaʻa ( Planchonella sandwicensis ). [14] It occurs naturally in only three locations on Kauaʻi: Nounou Mountain, the cliffs of the Nā Pali Coast, and Haʻupu Ridge near Nāwiliwili Bay.

History

Polyscias racemosa first entered the botanical literature in 1917, when it was described and named as Tetraplasandra racemosa by Charles Noyes Forbes. [15]

Earl Edward Sherff felt that this species was uniquely distinct from the rest of Tetraplasandra, so he erected a new genus for it, Munroidendron, in 1952. [16] The genus was named for George Campbell Munro (1866-1963), described by Umberto Quattrocchi as "a pioneer in Hawaiian ornithology, botany, and horticulture; plant collector in the Hawaiian Islands". [17] Dendron is a Greek word for "tree". Munro was apparently the first collector to see his eponymous genus, Munroidendron. [18]

Sherff separated Munroidendron from Tetraplasandra on the basis of five characters: the absence of umbellules, the arrangement of the flowers in a raceme, the sunken, diamond-shaped pedicel scars, the long, persistence of the subtending floral bracts, and the insertion of the stamens in only one whorl, even when numerous. [18] It has been shown that, in spite of its appearance, the inflorescence is not truly a raceme because it is determinate. [11]

Sherff divided the species now known as Polyscias racemosa into three varieties: var. racemosa, var. forbesii, and var. macdanielsii. These have been described as "not sufficiently distinct to be retained". [11]

The establishment of Munroidendron was contentious from the beginning. William R. Philipson said that Munroidendron "comprises a single species with such a distinct inflorescence and corolla that it can well claim generic status. [19] In 1971, a pollen study indicated that Munroidendron might be embedded in Tetraplasandra. [20] This result was not supported by molecular phylogenetic studies based on DNA sequences of nuclear and chloroplast DNA regions. [7] These studies show that Polyscias sandwicensis (formerly Reynoldsia sandwicensis is not most closely related to other species of Reynoldsia , but is sister to Polyscias racemosa, (formerly Munroidendron). [21] This pair is then sister to a monophyletic Tetraplasandra in the sense of Philipson (1970). [19] This pair of species and the nine species formerly in Tetraplasandra form a clade and comprise all of the Hawaiian species of Polyscias. [21] The 11 species of this "Hawaiian clade" and 10 species from Malesia, Melanesia, and southern Polynesia constitute Polyscias subgenus Tetraplasandra. [8]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Araliaceae</span> Family of flowering plants

The Araliaceae are a family of flowering plants composed of about 43 genera and around 1500 species consisting of primarily woody plants and some herbaceous plants commonly called the ginseng family. The morphology of Araliaceae varies widely, but it is predominantly distinguishable based on its woody habit, tropical distribution, and the presence of simple umbels.

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

GastoniaCommerson ex Lamarck is a formerly accepted genus of plants in the ivy and ginseng family, Araliaceae. It had been known as an unnatural group, but was recognized as late as 2010, when its nine species were distributed to four different subgenera of the large genus Polyscias. Because the genus Gastonia is now obsolete, its species are herein referred to by their names in Polyscias.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wiliwili</span> Species of legume

Wiliwili is a species of tree in the pea family, Fabaceae, that is endemic to the Hawaiian Islands. It is the only species of Erythrina that naturally occurs there. It is typically found in Hawaiian tropical dry forests on leeward island slopes up to an elevation of 600 m (2,000 ft).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Monimiaceae</span> Family of flowering plants

The Monimiaceae is a family of flowering plants in the magnoliid order Laurales. It is closely related to the families Hernandiaceae and Lauraceae. It consists of shrubs, small trees, and a few lianas of the tropics and subtropics, mostly in the southern hemisphere. The largest center of diversity is New Guinea, with about 75 species. Lesser centres of diversity are Madagascar, Australia, and the neotropics. Africa has one species, Xymalos monospora, as does Southern Chile. Several species are distributed through Malesia and the southwest Pacific.

Arthrophyllum is a defunct genus of plants in the family Araliaceae. It was recognized by most authors until 2010, when all of its 30 species were "sunk" into Polyscias subgenus Arthrophyllum.

Cuphocarpus is an obsolete genus of flowering plants in the family Araliaceae. Mabberley (2008) treated it as a synonym of Polyscias, but other authors still recognized it at that time. In 2010, in a phylogenetic analysis of DNA sequences, it was shown that Cuphocarpus was biphyletic and embedded in the large genus Polyscias. In an accompanying paper, Polyscias was divided into 11 subgenera, with seven species left incertae sedis.

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

Polyscias is a genus of flowering plants in the family Araliaceae. They bear pinnately compound leaves.

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

Raukaua is a genus of flowering plants in the family Araliaceae. It has an austral distribution, being indigenous to southern Argentina and Chile, as well as New Zealand and the island of Tasmania.

Reynoldsia is a formerly recognised genus of plants in the ivy family, Araliaceae. In 2003, Kew Gardens published a checklist for Araliaceae, in which eight species were recognized for Reynoldsia: four from Samoa, two from Tahiti, one from the Marquesas, and one from Hawaii. In 2010, a phylogenetic comparison of DNA data showed that Reynoldsia was polyphyletic, consisting of two groups that are not each other's closest relatives. In a companion paper, three of the species were "sunk" into synonymy with others, reducing the number of species to five. All species that were formerly in Reynoldsia are now in Polyscias subgenus Tetraplasandra, a subgenus of 21 species indigenous to Malesia and the Pacific islands.

Tetraplasandra is a no longer recognised genus of plants in the ivy family, Araliaceae. They are small to medium trees, of mesic to wet forests.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aralioideae</span> Subfamily of flowering plants

Aralioideae is a subfamily of flowering plants contains around 50 recognized genera. These include the genus Panax, to which ginseng belongs. Other notable species are the Angelica-tree, the devil's club, or common ivy.

Polyscias prolifera, synonym Arthrophyllum proliferum, is a species of plant in the family Araliaceae. It is endemic to Papua New Guinea.

Polyscias crassa is a species of plant in the family Araliaceae. It is endemic to Seychelles. It is threatened by habitat loss.

<i>Polyscias maraisiana</i> Species of flowering plant

Polyscias maraisiana is a species of plant in the family Araliaceae, formerly named Gastonia mauritiana.

Polyscias marchionensis is a species of plant in the family Araliaceae. It is endemic to the Marquesas Islands of French Polynesia.

<i>Polyscias sandwicensis</i> Species of tree

Polyscias sandwicensis, known as the 'ohe makai or ʻOhe kukuluāeʻo in Hawaiian, is a species of flowering plant in the family Araliaceae, that is endemic to Hawaii. It is a tree, reaching a height of 4.6–15 m (15–49 ft) high with a trunk diameter of 0.5–0.6 m (1.6–2.0 ft). It can be found at elevations of 30–800 m (98–2,625 ft) on most main islands. Polyscias sandwicensis generally inhabits lowland dry forests, but is occasionally seen in coastal mesic and mixed mesic forests. It is threatened by habitat loss.

Polyscias verrucosa is a species of plant in the family Araliaceae. It is endemic to the island of Tahiti in the Society Islands of French Polynesia. It is listed as a species of "Least Concern" on the IUCN Red List.

Polyscias gymnocarpa, commonly known as the Koolau Range 'ohe or Koʻolau tetraplasandra, is a species of flowering plant in the family Araliaceae, that is endemic to the Hawaiian island of Oʻahu. It is threatened by habitat loss.

<i>Polyscias oahuensis</i> Species of tree

Polyscias oahuensis is a species of tree in the ivy family known by the common name 'ohe mauka. It is endemic to Hawaii, where it occurs on all the major islands except for Niihau and Kahoolawe.

<i>Polyscias flynnii</i> Species of flowering plant

Polyscias flynnii is a plant species endemic to the island of Kauai in Hawaii. It is rare, found only in one population covering about 1 km2 in the Kalalau Valley. It is regarded as threatened. It is threatened by feral goats and non-native plant species in its habitat. It was federally listed as an endangered species of the United States in 2010.

References

  1. ↑ Adams, J.W.A. (2016). "Polyscias racemosa". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2016: e.T34055A83787166. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-2.RLTS.T34055A83787166.en . Retrieved 20 November 2021.
  2. ↑ "Polyscias racemosa (C.N.Forbes) Lowry & G.M.Plunkett". World Checklist of Selected Plant Families . Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew . Retrieved 3 April 2014– via The Plant List. Note that this website has been superseded by World Flora Online
  3. ↑ USDA, NRCS (n.d.). "Munroidendron racemosum". The PLANTS Database (plants.usda.gov). Greensboro, North Carolina: National Plant Data Team. Retrieved 14 July 2015.
  4. ↑ David G. Frodin and Rafaël Govaerts. 2003. World Checklist and Bibliography of Araliaceae. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. ISBN   978-1-84246-048-1. (See External links below).
  5. ↑ Earl Edward Sherff. 1956. "Some Recently Collected Dicotyledonous Hawaiian Island and Peruvian Plants". American Journal of Botany43(7):475-478.
  6. ↑ Benjamin C. Stone. 1967. "A review of the endemic genera of Hawaiian plants" Botanical Review (Lancaster) 33(3):216-259.
  7. 1 2 Gregory M. Plunkett and Porter P. Lowry II. 2010. "Paraphyly and polyphyly in Polyscias sensu lato: molecular evidence and the case for recircumscribing the "pinnate genera" of Araliaceae". Plant Diversity and Evolution (formerly Botanische Jahrbucher) 128(1-2):23-54. doi : 10.1127/1869-6155/2010/0128-0002.
  8. 1 2 Porter P. Lowry II and Gregory M. Plunkett. 2010. "Recircumscription of Polyscias (Araliaceae) to include six related genera, with a new infrageneric classification and a synopsis of species". Plant Diversity and Evolution (formerly Botanische Jahrbucher) 128(1-2):55-84. doi : 10.1127/1869-6155/2010/0128-0003. (See External links below).
  9. ↑ Clyde T. Imada, George W. Staples, and Derral R. Herbst. undated. Annotated Checklist of Cultivated Plants of Hawai‘i. (See External links below).
  10. ↑ Kerin E. Lilleeng-Rosenberger. 2005. Growing Hawaiʻi's Native Plants. Mutual Publishing. ISBN   978-1-56647-716-1
  11. 1 2 3 Warren L. Wagner, Derral R. Herbst, and Sy H. Sohmer. Manual of the Flowering Plants of Hawaii, Revised Edition, 1999. Bishop Museum Press: Hololulu
  12. ↑ "Munroidendron racemosum". Hawaiian Native Plant Propagation Database. University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa . Retrieved 2009-03-03.
  13. ↑ Peter S. Green (author) and Mary Grierson (illustrator). 1996. A Hawaiian Florilegium: Botanical Portraits from Paradise. University of Hawaii Press: Honolulu, Hawaii. ISBN   978-0-915809-20-2.
  14. ↑ "Munroidendron racemosum". CPC National Collection Plant Profiles. Center for Plant Conservation. 2008-07-22. Archived from the original on 2012-02-23. Retrieved 2009-11-14.
  15. ↑ Charles Noyes Forbes. 1917. "New Hawaiian Plants.-VI." Occasional Papers of the Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum 6(4):51. (See External links below).
  16. ↑ Munroidendron in International Plant Names Index. (see External links below).
  17. ↑ Umberto Quattrocchi. 2000. CRC World Dictionary of Plant Names, volume III. CRC Press: Baton Rouge, New York, London, Washington DC. ISBN   978-0-8493-2673-8 (vol. III). (see External links below).
  18. 1 2 Earl Edward Sherff. 1952. "Munroidendron, a new genus of Araliaceous trees from the island of Kauai". Botanical Leaflets 7(section V):21-24. published by the author.
  19. 1 2 William R. Philipson. 1970. "A redefinition of Gastonia and related genera (Araliaceae)". Blumea18(2):497-505.
  20. ↑ Charles C. Tseng. 1971. "Light and Scanning Electron Microscopic Studies on Pollen of Tetraplasandra (Araliaceae) and Relatives". American Journal of Botany58(6):505-516.
  21. 1 2 Annemarie Costello and Timothy J. Motley. 2007. "Phylogenetics of the Tetraplasandra Group (Araliaceae) Inferred from ITS, 5S-NTS, and Morphology". Systematic Botany32(2):464-477.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.