Interesting Facts
Description
Family Clusiaceae
Trees
, shrubs
, or sometimes herbs containing resin or oil
in schizogenous
spaces or canals and sometimes black or red glands
containing hypericin or pseudohypericin. Leaves simple
, entire or rarely gland-fringed, opposite or sometimes whorled
, nearly always estipulate. Flowers bisexual
or unisexual
, regular, hypogynous, solitary or in cymes or thyrses
; bracteoles often inserted
just beneath
calyx and then not always easily distinguishable from sepals. Sepals (2-) 4 or 5(or 6), imbricate or decussate or rarely wholly united
in bud, inner ones sometimes petaloid
. Petals [3 or]4 or 5[or 6], free
, imbricate or contorted in bud. Stamens many to rarely few (9), in [3 or]4 or 5 bundles (fascicles) that are free and antipetalous
or variously connate
, with filaments
variously united or apparently free and then sometimes sterile
(staminodes) ; anther
dehiscence longitudinal
. Staminode bundles (fasciclodes) 3-5, free and antisepalous
or variously connate or absent. Ovary superior, with 2-5(-12) connate carpels, 1-12-loculed, with axile
to parietal
or basal placentation
; ovules 1 to many on each placenta, erect
to pendulous; styles 1-5[-12], free or ± united or absent; stigmas 1-12, punctiform
to peltate or, when sessile, radiate
, surface papillate
or smooth
. Fruit a septicidal
or septifragal, rarely loculicidal, capsule, berry, or drupe; seeds 1 to many, without or almost without endosperm [sometimes arillate
].
About 40 genera and 1200 species: mainly in tropical regions
, except Hypericum and Triadenum, which are both mainly temperate
in distribution; eight genera (one endemic) and 95 species (48 endemic, one introduced
) in China.
The Clusiaceae are a rather economically important family
. Many species, such as Mesua ferrea and Garcinia paucinervis, have hard wood
. Numerous
species in Calophyllum, Clusia Linnaeus, and Garcinia produce
valuable commercial
resin or gum. Gamboge is produced
from Garcinia morella Desrousseaux and other species. Garcinia mangostana and Mammea americana Linnaeus produce well-known edible fruits. Other species, such as Calophyllum inophyllum and Garcinia indica Choisy, have oily seeds. Hypericum is important in horticulture
and medicine.
[1]
Genus Mesua
Trees
. Apical bud abortive
; axillary buds with scales
. Leaves opposite, petiolate
, leathery, usually with inconspicuous, translucent
glands
; secondary veins many, slender; tertiary veins scalariform, not prominent
. Flowers bisexual
, homostylous, solitary, axillary
[or in axillary thyrses]. Sepals 4[or 5], imbricate. Petals 4[or 5], imbricate. Stamens many, not obviously fascicled, in continuous ring
; filaments
free
, slender; anthers
erect
, basifixed
; fasciclodes absent. Ovary 2-loculed, with 2 erect ovules per locule; styles united
, elongate
; stigma peltate. Capsule subwoody, septifragal; septae persistent
. Seeds 1-4, without appendage
; embryo with broad fleshy
cotyledons.
About five species: India and Sri Lanka to peninsular Malaysia, possibly Java, and China; one species (introduced
) in China.[2]
Taxonomy
- Domain:
Eukaryota
(
)
- Whittaker & Margulis,1978
- eukaryotes
- Kingdom:
Plantae
()
- Haeckel, 1866
- Plants
- Subkingdom:
Viridaeplantae
()
- Cavalier-Smith, 1981
- Phylum:
Tracheophyta
()
- Sinnott, 1935 Ex Cavalier-Smith, 1998
- Vascular Plants
- Subphylum:
Euphyllophytina
()
- Infraphylum:
Radiatopses
()
- Kenrick & Crane, 1997
- Class:
Magnoliopsida
()
- Brongniart, 1843
- Dicotyledons
- Subclass:
Dilleniidae
()
- Takhtajan, 1967
- Superorder:
Theanae
()
- Thorne Ex Reveal, 1993
- Order:
Hypericales
()
- Dumortier, 1829
- Family:
Clusiaceae
()
- Lindley, 1836
- Mangosteen Family
- Subfamily:
Kielmeyeroideae
()
- Tribe:
Calophylleae
()
- Genus:
Mesua
()
- Linnaeus, Sp. Pl. 1: 515. 1753.
- Specific epithet:
glabra
- Forssk.
- Botanical name: - Mesua glabra Forssk.
- Specific epithet:
glabra
- Forssk.
- Genus:
Mesua
(
- Tribe:
Calophylleae
(
- Subfamily:
Kielmeyeroideae
(
- Family:
Clusiaceae
(
- Order:
Hypericales
(
- Superorder:
Theanae
(
- Subclass:
Dilleniidae
(
- Class:
Magnoliopsida
(
- Infraphylum:
Radiatopses
(
- Subphylum:
Euphyllophytina
(
- Phylum:
Tracheophyta
(
- Subkingdom:
Viridaeplantae
(
- Kingdom:
Plantae
(
Notes
Publishing author : Forssk. Publication : Fl. Aegypt. Arab. 100.
Similar Species
Members of the genus Mesua
ZipcodeZoo has pages for 3 species, subspecies, varieties, forms, and cultivars in this genus:
M. ferrea (Ceylon Ironwood) · M. ferruginea (Ironwood Tree) · M. nervosa (Chestnut Ironwood)
More Info
- Search for Pictures: images.google.com
- Search for Scholarly Articles: Google Scholar
- Search using Scientific Name and Vernacular Names: All the Web | AltaVista Canada | AltaVista | Excite | Google | HotBot | Lycos
- Search using Specialized Databases: GenBank | Medline | Scirus | CISTI/CAL | Agricola Periodicals | Agricola Books
Further Reading
- Li Xiwen & Li Yan-hui. 1990. Guttiferae. In: Li Hsiwen [Xiwen], ed., Fl. Reipubl. Popularis Sin. 50(2): 1-112.
Notes
Contributors
- The International Plant Names Index. Accessed Jan 19, 2007.
Identifiers
- Biodiversity Heritage Library NamebankID: 10606954
- Globally Unique Identifier: urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:428836-1
- International Plant Names Index (IPNI) ID: 428836-1
- Zipcode Zoo Species Identifier: 1234858
Footnotes
- Xi-wen Li, Jie Li, Norman K. B. Robson & Peter Stevens "Clusiaceae". in Flora of China Vol. 13 Page 1. Published by Science Press (Beijing) and Missouri Botanical Garden Press. Online at EFloras.org. [back]
- Xi-wen Li, Jie Li & Peter Stevens "Mesua". in Flora of China Vol. 13 Page 1, 38. Published by Science Press (Beijing) and Missouri Botanical Garden Press. Online at EFloras.org. [back]
