Fernandoa
Content
Description
Trees.
Leaves 1-pinnate;
Stamens 4, didynamous;
Ovary elongate, with 2 marginal placentas in each cell;
Capsule long, linear, terete, twisted or straight, pendent, smooth or ribbed;
Seeds numerous, rather rectangular, the wings rather narrow;
Distribution
Africa: Angola (Angola present); Gabon (Gabon present), Asia-Tropical: India present; Malaya (Peninsular Malaysia present), East Africa present, Indo-Malesia present, Madagascar present, N. Sumatra present, Tanganyika present, tropical West Africa present
About 4 spp. in tropical West Africa (Angola to Gabon) and East Africa (Tanganyika), 3 in Madagascar, and 6 in Indo-Malesia (India to Indo-China); in Malesia 2 spp., in the Malay Peninsula and N. Sumatra. .
Taxonomy
In Blumea l.c. I have given the reasons for uniting all these genera, by which the range of Fernandoa is considerably extended and becomes similar to that of Stereospermum, Dolichandrone and Markhamia. It differs from Markhamia and Dolichandrone in not having a false septum and a spathaceous calyx; it differs from the continental Asian genus Barnettia in not having a cruciate septum, shortly ellipsoid-oblong capsules and pseudo-whorled leaves. Its closest ally is Radermachera which has thinner, linear-terete capsules which are not striate or ribbed and with thinner valves (except in R. sinica), and a terete septum; moreover, the leaves in Radermachera are mostly 2-4-pinnate and the leaflets have no domatia and another type of glands and never stellate hairs.
It is noteworthy that Fernandoa adenophylla shows in the aspect of flower size and shape, thick indu-ment and especially in the leaves (leaflet texture and size diminishing downwards, often auricles) a striking similarity in habit with Markhamia (e.g. M. cauda-felina), a genus which may have also ridged pods in Africa: but Markhamia has a 4-angled septum and a spathaceous calyx! One gets the impression that there are signs of reticulate affinity among the Afro-Asian genera, and possibly parallel evolution, but it must be observed that several genera are obviously not unnatural in having distinct pollen types.
From its wide distribution Fernandoa might be supposed to be an ancient genus, from which Radermachera, Barnettia SANTISUK (cf. ) and Stereospermum are derived specialisations.
It is noteworthy that Fernandoa adenophylla shows in the aspect of flower size and shape, thick indu-ment and especially in the leaves (leaflet texture and size diminishing downwards, often auricles) a striking similarity in habit with Markhamia (e.g. M. cauda-felina), a genus which may have also ridged pods in Africa: but Markhamia has a 4-angled septum and a spathaceous calyx! One gets the impression that there are signs of reticulate affinity among the Afro-Asian genera, and possibly parallel evolution, but it must be observed that several genera are obviously not unnatural in having distinct pollen types.
From its wide distribution Fernandoa might be supposed to be an ancient genus, from which Radermachera, Barnettia SANTISUK (cf. ) and Stereospermum are derived specialisations.
Uses
All Indo-Malesian species seem to be good timber trees and of the Indo-Chinese species it is said that the timber is good for all purposes and not attacked by termites. They may already flower and fruit at an early age.
Citation
SEEM. 1871 – In: J. Bot.: 81
P.DOP 1928 – In: Bull. Jard. Bot. Btzg: 262
SEEM. 1866 – In: J. Bot.: 123
STEEN. 1976 – In: Blumea: 133
MILNE-REDHEAD 1948 – In: Kew Bull.: 171
HEINE 1964: pp. 467-470. – In: Adansonia
SEEM. 1870 – In: J. Bot.: 280
GENTRY 1975 – In: Ann. Mo. Bot. Gard.: 480
STEEN. 1927: Thesis: 998