Parartocarpus

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Parartocarpus

Description

Trees, dioecious. Leaves spirally arranged; stipules fused, semi-amplexicaul. Inflorescences unisexual (or rarely bisexual), solitary in the leaf axils, pedunculate, with 3-8 large basally attached bracts at the base of the head, interfloral bracts with free apices similar to the free parts of the tepals, discoid to cushion shaped to aculeate. flowers numerous, connate; flowers numerous, connate except for the apices, apices discoid to cushion shaped to aculeate; stamens 1-3, mostly 2, filaments free or partly connate. ovary free, stigma 1. fruit with a firm exocarp finally decaying and leaving the stony endocarp; seed with remains of endosperm present, embryo curved, cotyledons incumbent and unequal, radicle long.

Distribution

from Thailand to the Solomon Islands present
The genus comprises two closely related species and ranges from Thailand to the Solomon Islands.

Morphology

It is not clear whether all structures indicated as processes represent the upper parts of tepals, or can be upper parts of interfloral bracts as well (see ). Those surrounding the style and the androecium, two to four in number, are the free parts of perianths. Those not associated with style or stamens may represent interfloral bracts. However, in the neotropical genus Naucleopsis Miq., in which free parts of the tepals of pistillate flowers are aculeate to cushion shaped and indurated, the processes that are not clearly associated with styles can be regarded as derived from the perianth (see ). In contrast to Parartocarpus, there is a clear tendency of increase of tepals in both staminate and pistillate flowers. Aculeate interfloral bracts are found in two species of the African genus Treculia; the third species of this genus has peltate interfloral bracts (see ). Variation of the shape of the processes rather similar to that as occurs in P. venenosus can be found in some Naucleopsis species.

The staminate and pistillate inflorescences are indistinguishable before anthesis.

Taxonomy

This genus differs from Artocarpus in the interpetiolar connate stipules, the well-developed basally attached bracts at the base of the head of the inflorescence, epigeal germination, and from most species of Artocarpus in the full connation of perianths of the pistillate flowers.

Citation

Boerl. 1900 – In: Handl. Fl. Ned. Ind.: 335
Corner 1962 – In: Gard. Bull. Singapore 19: 241
Go 2000 – In: Tree Fl. Sabah & Sarawak: 318
J.J. Sm. 1922: p. 233. – In: Bull. Jard. Bot. Buitenzorg: t. 6-8
Renner 1907 – In: Bot. Jahrb. Syst.: 361
Boerl. 1900 – In: Handl. Fl. Ned. Ind.: 335
Engl. 1888 – In: Engl. & Prantl, Nat. Pflanzenfam. 3: 82
Corner 1976: p. 183. – In: Gard. Bull. Singapore 28: t. 1-3
Koord. 1912 – In: Exkurs.-Fl. Java: 96
Kochummen 1978 – In: Tree Fl. Malaya: 162
F.M. Jarrett 1960 – In: J. Arnold Arbor. 41: 320
Engl. 1900 – In: Engl. & Prantl, Nat. Pflanzenfam. 2: 17
Benth. & Hook.f. 1880 – In: Gen. Pl.: 375
Becc. 1923 – In: Webbia: 559
Koord. & Valeton 1906 – In: Bijdr. Boomsoort. Java: 28
Becc. 1902: For. Borneo: 632
Backer & Bakh.f. 1965 – In: Fl. Java: 17