Kopsia muteli

• Interesting Facts
• Description
• Taxonomy
• Similar Species
• More Info
• Further Reading
• Notes

Interesting Facts

Description

Family Apocynaceae

Trees , shrubs , or vines , rarely subshrubs or herbs, with latex or rarely watery juice. Leaves simple , opposite, rarely whorled or alternate, pinnately veined; stipules absent or rarely present. Inflorescences cymose , terminal or axillary , with bracteoles. Flowers bisexual , 5- [or 4]-merous, actinomorphic . Calyx 5- or rarely 4-partite, quincuncial, basal glands usually present. Corolla 5- or rarely 4-lobed, salverform , funnelform , urceolate , or rarely rotate, lobes overlapping to right or left, rarely valvate . Stamens 5 or rarely 4; filaments short; anthers mostly sagittate , free or connivent into a cone adherent to pistil head , dehiscing longitudinally, base rounded , cordate, sagittate, or prolonged into an empty spur; pollen granular ; disc ringlike or cup-shaped, 2-5-lobed, or absent. Ovaries superior, rarely half-inferior, connate or distinct , 1- or 2-locular; ovules (1 or) 2-numerous per locule. Style 1; pistil head capitate, conical , or lampshade-shaped, base stigmatic, apex 2-cleft and not stigmatic . Fruit a berry, drupe, capsule, or follicle. Seeds with or without coma; endosperm thick and often horny , scanty, sometimes absent; embryo straight or nearly so, cotyledons often large, radicle terete .

About 155 genera and 2000 species distributed primarily in the tropics and subtropics, poorly represented in the temperate regions . Of the 44 genera and 145 species present in China, one genus and 38 species are endemic, and nearly 95% of the taxa grow in the southern and southwestern portions of the country.

Fruit type is highly diversified in the family , and it is diagnostic of many genera. Genera 1-4 produce 1, 2-celled berries from a flower; genus 5 produces 2, 1-celled berries from a flower; 6 and 7 produce mostly fleshy follicles containing deeply indented seeds with ruminate endosperm; 8 has follicles and winged seeds; 9 produces follicles and seeds with 2 comas; 10-12 have follicles with globose seeds; 13-18 have drupes mostly with fleshy mesocarp; 19 has samaroid fruit; 20 has spiny capsules with seeds winged all around; and 21-44 have free or fused follicles and comose seeds. Double flowers are known only from cultivated forms of Nerium oleander, Tabernaemontana divaricata, and Wrightia religiosa.

Plants of the Apocynaceae are often poisonous and are rich in alkaloids or glycosides, especially in the seeds and latex. Some species are valuable sources of medicine, insecticides , fibers, and rubber.[1]

Genus Kopsia

Trees or shrubs with white latex. Leaves opposite. Cymes terminal , 3- to many flowered, bracteate ; peduncle long or short; bracteoles small or large. Flowers white or rose, 5-merous. Calyx small, deeply divided , without glands . Corolla salverform , tube 2.3-5 cm, narrow, dilated at or below apex; throat without scales , pilose inside; lobes overlapping to right . Stamens inserted above middle of corolla tube; filaments very short; anthers narrowly oblong or ovate , included , free from pistil head , base rounded ; disc scales alternate with ovaries. Ovaries 2, distinct ; ovules 2 per locule. Style filiform ; pistil head thickened, with a short basal collar and apiculate apex. Drupes 1 or 2, ellipsoid , 1- or 2-seeded. Seeds oblong, testa membranous, not comose .

About 20 species: SE Asia, three in China.[2]

Taxonomy

Similar Species

Members of the genus Kopsia

ZipcodeZoo has pages for 4 species, subspecies, varieties, forms, and cultivars in this genus:

K. arborea (Pin-Mala) · K. fruticosa (Kopsia Merah) · K. pruniformis (Kopsia) · K. singaporensis (White Kopsia)

More Info

• Search for Pictures: images.google.com
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• 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

• Tsiang Ying & Li Ping-tao. 1977. Apocynaceae. Fl. Reipubl. Popularis Sin. 63: 1-249.

Notes

Contributors

• Brands, S.J. (comp.) 1989-present. The Taxonomicon. Universal Taxonomic Services, Zwaag, The Netherlands. Accessed January 15, 2012.

Identifiers

• Biodiversity Heritage Library NamebankID: 10796981
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility Taxonkey: 15848656
• Globally Unique Identifier: urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:662024-1
• Zipcode Zoo Species Identifier: 3692593

Footnotes

1. Bingtao Li, Antony J. M. Leeuwenberg & David J. Middleton "Apocynaceae". in Flora of China Vol. 16 Page 143. Published by Science Press (Beijing) and Missouri Botanical Garden Press. Online at EFloras.org. [back]
2. "Kopsia". in Flora of China Vol. 16 Page 162. Published by Science Press (Beijing) and Missouri Botanical Garden Press. Online at EFloras.org. [back]

©2004-2012 David Stang. All rights reserved.