Deplanchea
Content
Description
Trees, with thick, pithy branches, robust in all parts.
Leaves simple, in whorls of 3-4, ± tufted to end of branches, entire, at base above with a few large crateriform or saucer-shaped glands, underneath often fine-punctiform dotted and sometimes with scattered larger crateriform glands;
Flowers erect, showy, yellow, stalked.
Stamens 4, didynamous, exserted, rarely a 5th 3 rudiment, ± erect or recurved to one side, together with a style inserted shortly above the base of tube, base capitate-glandular hairy;
Ovary subsessile, glabrous, 2-celled, each cell with 2 closely placed placentas;
Capsule short-stalked, ellipsoid, with hard, boat-shaped valves, erect;
Ovules, in many rows.
Seeds very many, roundish, very thin hyaline-winged all around, punctate-inserted.
Distribution
Asia-Tropical: New Guinea present, Central Celebes present, E. Borneo present, N. Australia present, New Caledonia present, West Malesia present
Probably 5 spp., 1 in West Malesia, 2 in New Guinea (of which 1 sp. also in N. Australia and the other also in E. Borneo and Central Celebes), and 2 in New Caledonia. .
Taxonomy
Deplanchea has no affinity to other Old World genera. BUREAU () compared it with the genus Delostoma from Andine South America with which it shares several characteristic features: thick twigs, terminal inflorescences, simple leaves, and boat-shaped fruit valves. Delostoma differs in having the valves said to be unequal, one flat, one boat-shaped, and further by triplinerved leaves, a regular, dentate (sometimes 'double') stunted calyx, and pink or violet flowers.
Notes
The much increased collections gave a better understanding in specific delimitation and variability of characters, leading to reduction in the number of species. Especially the hairiness occurs to degree and is occasionally deviating; in occasional specimens of D. bancana the calyx may possess dense long hairs inside the calyx. For this reason I have reduced D. tubulosa STEEN. and D. coriacea STEEN. The Australian D. hirsuta BAILEY I have reduced tentatively to D. tetraphylla; I believe it to be a juvenile form which accounts for its sinuate leaf margin and occurrence of deviating phyllotaxis, decussate or whorls of 3.
For brevity's sake the characters mentioned in the key are not repeated in the descriptions.
Specimens in fruit or in bud, or without corolla are difficult to identify.
For brevity's sake the characters mentioned in the key are not repeated in the descriptions.
Specimens in fruit or in bud, or without corolla are difficult to identify.
Citation
BEAUVIS. 1901: Gen. Montrouz.: 90
HEINE 1976: p. 71. – In: Fl. Nouv.-Caléd.: f. 16-17
SCHEFFER 1870 – In: Nat. Tijd. N. I.: 332
BUREAU 1862 – In: Bull. Soc. Bot. Fr.: 164
VIEILLARD 1928: p. 218. – In: Bull. Jard. Bot. Btzg: f. 2-3
STEEN. 1927 – In: Nova Guinea: 293
STEEN. 1927: Thesis: 906: f. 8-9
B. & H. 1876 – In: Gen. Pl.: 1048