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Blastus cochinchinensis

Interesting Facts

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Description

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Family Melastomataceae

Herbs, shrubs , or trees (to 20 m tall), erect , climbing , or rarely epiphytic. Stipules lacking. Leaves simple , commonly opposite and decussate with one of a pair slightly smaller than other, rarely verticillate or alternate by abortion of one of a pair, usually 1-4(or 5) secondary veins on each side of midvein , originating at or near base and anastomosing apically, tertiary veins numerous, parallel, and connecting secondary veins and midvein but in Memecylon secondary veins pinnate and tertiary veins reticulate . Inflorescences cymose , umbellate , corymbose , in paniculate clusters , or a cincinnus, rarely flowers single, fascicled, or born on a spike; bracts sometimes conspicuous and persistent . Flowers bisexual , actinomorphic but androecium often slightly zygomorphic, usually (3 or) 4- or 5(or 6) -merous, perianth biseriate , perigynous; bracteoles opposite, usually caducous . Hypanthium funnel-shaped, campanulate , cyathiform , or urceolate . Calyx lobes (3-) 5(or 6), valvate (rarely connate , but not in Chinese species) . Petals (3-) 5(or 6), equal to number of sepals, distinct , imbricate. Stamens usually twice as many as petals and in 2 whorls, rarely as many as petals by loss of 1 whorl, isomorphic or dimorphic ; filaments distinct, often geniculate , inflexed in bud; anthers typically 2-celled, introrse , basifixed , dehiscent by 1 or 2 apical pores or by short longitudinal slits (Astronia, Memecylon) ; connective often variously appendaged. Pistil and style 1; stigma minute, capitate or truncate . Ovary commonly inferior or semi-inferior, locules usually (3 or) 4 or 5(or 6) with numerous anatropous ovules , rarely 1-loculed and ovules ca. 9 (Memecylon) ; placentation axillary , parietal (Astronia and, outside China, Pternandra Jack ), or free central (Memecylon) . Fruit a dry or fleshy capsule or a berry, loculicidally dehiscent or indehiscent. Seeds (when 3-6-loculed) usually small, curved through half a circle (cochleate) or wedge-shaped (cuneate), in Memecylon seeds large and ovoid ; endosperm absent.

Between 156 and 166 genera (150-160 in Melastomataceae sensu stricto and six in Memecylaceae here considered part of Melastomataceae) and ca. 4500 species (ca. 4050 in Melastomataceae sensu stricto and 450 in Memecylaceae [Olisbeoideae if considered a subfamily of Melastomataceae]) : primarily in tropical and subtropical regions; 21 genera (five endemic) and 114 species (72 endemic) in China.

Chinese genera of economic value include Osbeckia (medicine) and Melastoma (wild fruit and ornamental flowers) .[1]

Genus Blastus

Shrubs . Branches terete , usually glandular pubescent . Leaves opposite, petiolate to almost sessile; leaf blade oblong-lanceolate to ovate-lanceolate, secondary veins 1 or 2(or 3) on each side of midvein . Inflorescences axillary and umbellate cymes or umbellate or terminal and cymose panicles; peduncle usually short, rarely long or absent; bracts absent or caducous . Flowers (3 or) 4(or 5) -merous, minute. Hypanthium funnelform to funnelform-campanulate, (3 or) 4(or 5) -sided. Petals 4, ovate , oblong , or rarely lanceolate. Stamens 4(or 5), whorls equal in shape and length ; anthers apically attenuate, curved or geniculate , divergent at base , dehiscence poricidal ; connective slightly inflated , not appendaged at base. Ovary inferior, 4-celled; placentation axile , paired . Style filiform , simple . Capsule obscurely 4-furrowed, opening at apex by 4 pores , finally loculicidally dehiscing into 4-valves. Seeds very numerous , cuneate.

Twelve species: Cambodia, China, E India, Indonesia, Japan (Ryukyu Islands), Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam; nine species (seven endemic) in China.

The genus was revised by Hansen (Bull . Mus. Natl. Hist. Nat., B , Adansonia 1: 43-77. 1982). Further study is necessary to be confident of the status of Blastus tenuifolius and B. tsaii.[2]

Habitat

Typically found in water with a depth of 0 to -3,046 meters (0 to -9,993 feet).[3]

Biome: Marine .

Taxonomy

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Notes

Publishing author : Lour. Publication : Fl. Cochinch. 2: 527 1790 [Sep 1790]

Similar Species

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Members of the genus Blastus

ZipcodeZoo has pages for 0 species, subspecies, varieties, forms, and cultivars in this genus:

More Info

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Further Reading

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Notes

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Contributors

Data Sources

Accessed through GBIF Data Portal November 15, 2007:

Identifiers

Footnotes

  1. Jie Chen & Susanne S. Renner "Melastomataceae". in Flora of China Vol. 13 Page 360. Published by Science Press (Beijing) and Missouri Botanical Garden Press. Online at EFloras.org. [back]
  2. "Blastus". in Flora of China Vol. 13 Page 360, 371. Published by Science Press (Beijing) and Missouri Botanical Garden Press. Online at EFloras.org. [back]
  3. Mean = 13.730 meters (45.046 feet), Standard Deviation = 647.590 based on 220 observations. Ocean depth information for each observation from British Oceanographic Data Centre. [back]
Last Revised: 7/19/2012