Testulea | |
---|---|
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Rosids |
Order: | Malpighiales |
Family: | Ochnaceae |
Subfamily: | Ochnoideae |
Tribe: | Testuleeae J.V.Schneid. |
Genus: | Testulea Pellegr. |
Species: | T. gabonensis |
Binomial name | |
Testulea gabonensis | |
Testulea is a monotypic genus of plants in the family Ochnaceae. The sole species is Testulea gabonensis. It is found in Central Africa. It is threatened by habitat loss.
T. gabonensis is native to Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the Republic of the Congo, where it grows in primary rainforests. It is usually scattered at low densities throughout its habitat and prefers humid, well-drained locations. [2]
T. gabonensis is a medium to large tree growing up to 50 m (160 ft) tall. The trunk is typically straight and cyclindrical, growing up to 120 cm (47 in) in diameter, with steep butresses up to 3 m (9.8 ft) high. The yellowish-grey or yellowish-brown bark is scaly and falls away in small patches. The leaves are oblanceolate in shape, measuring 20–35 cm (7.9–13.8 in) long and 4–8 cm (1.6–3.1 in) wide. The tip of the leaf is short and pointed, and the edges are slight wavy. The leaves are arranged spirally, clustering near the tips of the branches. The inflorescence is a false raceme that grows up to 35 cm (14 in) long, with flowers arranged in groups of three or four. The bisexual flowers are zygomorphic and tetramerous. The flowers may be yellowish-white to pink in colour and are borne on pedicels measuring approximately 1.5 cm (0.59 in) long. The petals and sepals are of unequal sizes, with the petals ranging from 1 cm (0.39 in) to 1.5 cm (0.59 in) long. Several staminodes are fused to form a long tube. The fruit is a rounded, flattened capsule measuring 3–6 cm (1.2–2.4 in) in diameter with a notch at the top. The seeds are cyclindrical, measuring around 1 cm (0.39 in) long, with a papery wing that measures around 1.5 cm (0.59 in) long. [2]
T. gabonensis typically flowers from December to April, with the seeds dispersed by wind. Grey parrots are known to feed on the seeds. [2]
Conocarpus erectus, commonly called buttonwood or button mangrove, is a species of mangrove shrub in the family Combretaceae.
Pachypodium bicolor is a species of plant in the family Apocynaceae.
Annona glabra is a tropical fruit tree in the family Annonaceae, in the same genus as the soursop and cherimoya. Common names include pond apple, alligator apple, swamp apple, corkwood, bobwood, and monkey apple. The tree is native to Florida in the United States, the Caribbean, Central and South America, and West Africa. It is common in the Everglades. The A. glabra tree is considered an invasive species in Sri Lanka and Australia. It grows in swamps, is tolerant of saltwater, and cannot grow in dry soil.
Mallotus cumingii is a species of plant in the family Euphorbiaceae. It is native to Southeast Asia, occurring in Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines. It is a shrub or small tree growing to 25 m (82 ft) tall.
Entandrophragma cylindricum is a tree of the genus Entandrophragma of the family Meliaceae. It is commonly known as sapele or sapelli or sapele mahogany, as well as aboudikro, assi, and muyovu.
Irvingia gabonensis is a species of African trees in the genus Irvingia, sometimes known by the common names wild mango, African mango, or bush mango. They bear edible mango-like fruits, and are especially valued for their fat- and protein-rich nuts.
Magnolia kobus, known as mokryeon, kobus magnolia, or kobushi magnolia, is a species of Magnolia native to Japan and Korea and occasionally cultivated in temperate areas. It is a deciduous, small to tall tree which has a slow rate of growth but can reach 8–15 m (25–50 ft) in height and up to 10 m (35 ft) in spread.
Protea eximia, the broad-leaved sugarbush, is a shrub from South Africa that may become a small tree. It occurs in mountain fynbos on mainly mildly acidic sandy soils; the species was very well known under its old name of Protea latifolia. The flowers have awns that are covered in purple-black velvety hairs, and are contained within a series of rings of involucral bracts that have the appearance of petals. The fruit is a densely hairy nut, many of which are inserted on a woody base. The flowers are borne terminally on long shoots, and have a tendency to become very untidy as they age.
Afzelia pachyloba, commonly known as afzelia, white afzelia, doussié, or doussié blanc, is a species of tree in the family Fabaceae that is native to tropical Western and Central Africa. It is harvested for its timber.
Monodora myristica, the calabash nutmeg or African nutmeg, is a tropical tree of the family Annonaceae or custard apple family of flowering plants. It is native to tropical Africa from Sierra Leone in the west to Tanzania. In former times, its seeds were widely sold as an inexpensive nutmeg substitute. This is now less common outside its region of production. Other names of calabash nutmeg include Jamaican nutmeg, ehuru, ariwo, awerewa, ehiri, airama, African orchid nutmeg, muscadier de Calabash and lubushi.
Ariocarpus kotschoubeyanus is a species of plant in the family Cactaceae.
Pitavia punctata is a species of tree endemic to Chile in the family Rutaceae. It is known by the common names Pitao and Pitran. It grows in native deciduous forests in the Chilean Coast Range of central Chile. It is threatened with habitat loss, and is assessed as Endangered.
Capparis arborea is a bush or small tree occurring in eastern Australia. Its habitat is rainforest, usually riverine, littoral or the drier rainforests. It is distributed from the Hunter River, New South Wales to Cape Melville in tropical Queensland. Common names include native pomegranate, wild lime, wild lemon and brush caper berry.
Melochia corchorifolia, the chocolateweed, is a weedy tropical plant that is typically seen in the wastelands. It has been most frequently observed to grow in open areas, such as highways. Its weedy and invasive characteristic inhibits its wider cultivation.
Zanha golungensis, commonly known as the smooth-fruited zanha, is a species of plant in the family Sapindaceae that is native to Africa. It is used locally for timber and herbal medicine.
Ceriops tagal, commonly known as spurred mangrove or Indian mangrove, is a mangrove tree species in the family Rhizophoraceae. It is a protected tree in South Africa. The specific epithet tagal is a plant name from the Tagalog language.
Monodora tenuifolia is a species of plant in the family Annonaceae. It is native to equatorial Africa. George Bentham, the English botanist who first formally described the species, named it after its slender leaves.
Drypetes gerrardii is a species of small tree or large shrub in the family Putranjivaceae. Common names include forest ironplum, bastard white ironwood, and forest ironwood. It is native to tropical and subtropical central and eastern Africa. It was first described in 1920 by the English botanist John Hutchinson, who named it after the English botanist William Tyrer Gerrard who collected plants and seeds in southern Africa in the 1860s.
Droogmansia pteropus is a plant in the legume family Fabaceae, native to southern tropical Africa.
Xylopia polyantha is a species of plant in the Annonaceae family. It is native to Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. Robert Elias Fries, the botanist who first formally described the species, named it after its many flowers.