Tecoma
Content
Description
Erect or scrambling shrubs or small trees.
Leaves 1-pinnate, sometimes 1-jugate, or more rarely simple;
Flowers in terminal racemes or more often raceme-like thyrses, yellow, orangish or scarlet.
Stamens 4, didyna-mous, exserted or included;
Ovary narrow cylindric or oblong, compressed, lepidote;
Capsule linear, ± compressed parallel to septum;
Seeds hyaline-winged all round, insertion punctiform.
Distribution
Africa, Andes present, Asia-Tropical, New World present, S. Florida present, extreme S. Arizona present, northern Argentina present
Some dozen species in the New World, from extreme S. Arizona and S. Florida to northern Argentina, especially in the Andes, and one species in southern Africa. Some species widely cultivated in the tropics and subtropics and one of these locally naturalized in Malesia.
Taxonomy
I can see not sufficient reason to keep Tecomaria generically apart from Tecoma. It often is said to differ by the exserted stamens and orange-red to scarlet flowers, but it has appeared that among the many taxa of South American Tecoma (Stenolobium) there are taxa with exserted stamens and in some the flowers are orangish. Inadvertently SEEMANN () also united them, but curiously later distinguished Stenolobium (l.c. 87).
According to SPRAGUE () there are only two valid characters, viz the number of the rows of ovules in each cell (2 in Tecoma, 4 in Tecomaria) and the anthers. As to the first character, in a dozen American genera this number varies, from 2-4, 2-6 and in Tabebuia even from 2-many; its value seems therefore to be rather low. The second character holds: in American Tecoma the anther-cells are completely free causing them in full anthesis to stand often perpendicular to the filament; in Tecomaria they are connate in the upper 3rd or 4th part, so that they can not diverge so widely.
The intimate relationship between Tecoma and Tecomaria is emphasized by a reputed fertile hybrid, × Tecoma smithii W. WATSON (see p. 118), between Tecoma velutina and Tecomaria capensis.
As the differences between the genera coincide with the geographical disjunction I am prepared to distinguish them at sectional level and refer Tecomaria to Tecoma sect. Tecomaria (SPACH) ENDL., Gen. Pl. (1839) 71.
From southern Africa 3 spp. were described but F. WHITE () and BRUMMITT () distinguish only one.
In South America a thorough revision probably will also show reduction to fewer variable and raciated species.
According to SPRAGUE () there are only two valid characters, viz the number of the rows of ovules in each cell (2 in Tecoma, 4 in Tecomaria) and the anthers. As to the first character, in a dozen American genera this number varies, from 2-4, 2-6 and in Tabebuia even from 2-many; its value seems therefore to be rather low. The second character holds: in American Tecoma the anther-cells are completely free causing them in full anthesis to stand often perpendicular to the filament; in Tecomaria they are connate in the upper 3rd or 4th part, so that they can not diverge so widely.
The intimate relationship between Tecoma and Tecomaria is emphasized by a reputed fertile hybrid, × Tecoma smithii W. WATSON (see p. 118), between Tecoma velutina and Tecomaria capensis.
As the differences between the genera coincide with the geographical disjunction I am prepared to distinguish them at sectional level and refer Tecomaria to Tecoma sect. Tecomaria (SPACH) ENDL., Gen. Pl. (1839) 71.
From southern Africa 3 spp. were described but F. WHITE () and BRUMMITT () distinguish only one.
In South America a thorough revision probably will also show reduction to fewer variable and raciated species.
Citation
SPACH 1928 – In: Bull. Jard. Bot. Btzg: 193
BRITTON 1915 – In: Bull. Torr. Bot. Club: 372
REHDER 1913 – In: Mitt. Deut. Dendr. Ges.: 262
MELCHIOR 1941: pp. 18-31. – In: Ber. Deut. Bot. Ges.
URBAN 1916 – In: Fedde, Rep. 14: 313
STEEN. 1927: Thesis: 964
FENZL 1841 – In: Denkschr. K. Bay. Bot. Ges. Regensburg: 266
SEEM. 1863 – In: J. Bot.: 87
D.DON 1928 – In: Bull. Jard. Bot. Btzg: 217
BRUMMITT 1974 – In: Bull. Jard. Bot. Nat. Belg.: 421
STEEN. 1927: Thesis: 831
SPRAGUE 1904 – In: Fl. Cap.: 448
SEEM. 1863: pp. 19-23. – In: J. Bot.