Tessmannia

Taxonomy

Tessmannia H.A.T. Harms Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 45: 295. f. 2. 13 Dec 1910.

Subfamily: Caesalpinioideae.
Phylogenetic Number: 1.4.39.
Tribe: Detarieae.
Group: Detarium.
Species Studied - Species in Genus: 4 studied; 11 in genus.

Description

Fruit: A legumelegume:
usually dry, dehiscent fruit derived from a single carpel that opens along two longitudinal sutures
; unilocular; 3–8 cm long; 1.8–4.5 cm wide; 0.3–2 cm thick (including spines); length less than twice as long as width; with deciduous androecial sheath; with deciduous corolla; with deciduous calyx; without orifice formed by curving of fruit or fruit segments; straight; not plicate; not twisted; symmetrical, or asymmetrical; with nearly 1 straight and 1 curved suture; oblong to obovate or subcircular widest near middle or D-shaped; not inflated; flattened; without beak; tapered at apex; aligned with longitudinal axis of fruit (bearing hooked style); rounded at base; oblique with longitudinal axis of fruit; with the apex and base uniform in texture; ligneous; seed chambers externally visible, or invisible; margin not constricted; margin without sulcus; margin plain; wing(s) absent; substipitate; tardily with all layers dehiscing, or indehiscent; splitting along suture(s). Dehiscence of valves along 1 suture (along ventral suture); passive. Replum invisible. Epicarp dull; monochrome; brown or dark reddish brown; with surface texture uniform; glabrate, or pubescent and indurate (velvety); with hairs erect; with simple hairs; eglandular; with spines, or without spines (spines 3–5 mm long and broad at base); not smooth; with elevated features; not veined; not tuberculate; rugose, or warty; not exfoliating; without cracks; without embedded tissue, much thicker than epicarp, running from base to apex. Mesocarp present; surface not veined; 2-layered; without balsamic vesicles; with fibers; without reniform canals; with fibers almost solid or over solid layer (and partially separating); ligneous. Endocarp present; visible; dull; opaque; monochrome; tan; without adhering pieces of testa; nonseptate; not exfoliating; remaining fused to mesocarp and epicarp; entire. Seed(s) 1–4; length oblique to fruit length; neither overlapping nor touching; in 1 series. Funiculus 0.1–3 mm long; of 1 length only; thick; straight. Aril absent.

Seed: 12–21 mm long; 7–18 mm wide; 4–11 mm thick; not overgrown; not angular; symmetrical, or asymmetrical; nearly circular to oblong, or D-shaped; compressed; with surface smooth; without visible radicle and cotyledon lobes; without hilar sinus; without umbo on seed faces; without medial ridge on each face. Cuticle not exfoliating; not inflated; not wrinkled. Testa present; without pieces of adhering epicarp; not adhering to endocarp; free from endocarp; glossy to dull; not modified by a bloom; colored; monochrome; black to brown; glabrous; not smooth; with elevated features; rugose; osseous. Pleurogram absent. Pseudopleurogram absent. Fracture lines present, or absent; concentric (unconnected at middle of face). Rim absent. Wing(s) absent. Raphe not visible. Hilum present; fully concealed; concealed by funicular remnant; without faboid split; larger than punctiform; 0.1–1.2 mm long; with straight outline; apical at apex of radicle tip; flush; not within corona, halo, or rim. Lens not discernible. Endosperm absent. Cotyledons smooth; both outer faces convex; both the same thickness; both more or less of equal length; not folded; margin entire 180 degrees from base of radicle; similar at apex; completely concealing radicle; notched at radicle and split over radicle (somewhat); with the interface division terminating at base of radicle; without margins recessed; inner face flat; glabrous on inner face. Embryonic axis straight; parallel to length of seed; without a joint evident between the radicle and the cotyledons. Radicle differentiated from cotyledon; centered between cotyledons. Plumule rudimentary; glabrous.

Distribution

Guineo-Congolian forest to east Africa.

Old World; Africa (Guineo-Congolian forest to east Africa).

Tribal Notes

Tribe Detarieae

Bruneau et al. (2000) carried out extensive phylogenetic analyses of tribes Amherstieae and Detarieae. They concluded that they form a single monophyletic group. Therefore, they supported Polhill's (1995a, 1995b) decision to unite the two tribes.