Illigera trifoliata

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Illigera trifoliata

Description

Strong climber or creeper. Leaves: petioles 8-10 cm, petiolules 0.8-2 cm, slightly or densely hairy; leaflets chartaceous, ovate, 5-15 by 3.5-8 cm, apex acute, base rounded or cordate, upper surface glabrous or sparsely hairy in many gradations, and often with short hairs on the nerves, the lower surface hairy in many gradations: onh sparsely hairy, especially on and near the nerves; domatia present; nerves curved, c. 6 pairs, at angles of 60-80° with midrib. Flower buds ovoid, 4.5-5 mm long. Fruits cinnamon-coloured when dry, 2-winged and with 2 ridges, often with short hairs; nut 3-4 cm long; wings lingulate, 3.5-4 cm long, the ridge-c. 0.2 cm.

Distribution

Andaman Islands, present, Asia-Tropical: Laos (Laos present); Sumatera (Sumatera present); Thailand (Thailand present), Perak present, Selangor present
Andaman Islands,, Laos, Thailand; in Malesia: Sumatra, Peninsular Malaysia (Perak, Selangor).

Morphology

The indumentum of the leaves is very variable. Older stems may reach a diameter of c. 1.5 cm, with scaly bark (Maxwell 10-8755, Thailand).

Embryology

A recent study (Heo & Tobe 1995) on the embryology of Gyrocarpus (G. jatrophi-folius) and Hernandia (H. cordigera, H. nymphaeifolia) disclosed that no synapomor-phies exist for these two genera. They are rather divergent in various characters, which supports the prevalent acceptance of two subfamilies in the Hernandiaceae: a derived subfamily Hernandioideae and a less specialized subfamily Gyrocarpoideae (see under Taxonomy, page 738). Nevertheless, Hernandiaceae evidently is one separate family belonging in the Laurales, because both Gyrocarpus and Hernandia share various syn-apomorphies with other lauralian families, as was also previously supported by cladistic and DNA analyses. However, embryologically no evidence was found to separate Hernandiaceae from Lauraceae, whereas the genus Hernandia shares two synapomorphies with the latter family, viz. pachychalazy (ramified raphal vascular bundles at the chalaza) and ruminate cotyledons.

Citation

M.R. Hend. 1959: p. 445. – In: Malayan Wild Flow. Dicot.: f. 402.
Kubitzki 1969 – In: Bot. Jahrb.: 169
Miq. 1861: p. 333. – In: Fl. Ind. Bat.: t. 1.
Ng 1973: p. 247. – In: Tree Fl. Malaya: f. 3.