Family:
Boraginaceae Juss.

Cordia L.

This genus is accepted, and its native range is Tropical & Subtrop.

[FZ]

Boraginaceae, E. S. Martins (Trichodesma by R. K. Brummit). Flora Zambesiaca 7:4. 1990

Morphology General Habit
Trees or shrubs sometimes dioecious.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves alternate, rarely subopposite, petiolate, entire to coarsely toothed.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Cymes arranged in lax or dense or sometimes very contracted and subglobose panicles, ebracteate, terminal or axillary.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers hermaphrodite or unisexual, actinomorphic, pedicelled or subsessile, the pedicels joined.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx tubular or ± campanulate, sometimes sulcate, usually splitting irregularly, 3-5-toothed, enlarging in fruit.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Corolla 4-5(7)-lobed, funnel-shaped to salver-shaped, white or yellowish; lobes imbricate or subcontorted in bud, shallow and obscure or oblong and conspicuous, patent or recurved at anthesis.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium
Stamens or staminodes inserted in the corolla tube, as many as the corolla lobes and alternate with them; anthers oblong.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil
Ovary entire, 4-locular with 1 ovule in each locule (or reduced and abortive in male flowers); style terminal, twice cleft, with stigmatic branches linear or clavate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit drupaceous, partially or wholly surrounded by the enlarged persistent calyx; stone with 1-4 exalbuminous seeds, cotyledons plicate.

[FTEA]

Boraginaceae, B. Verdcourt. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1991

Morphology General Habit
Trees or shrubs, less often climbers or scramblers
Morphology Leaves
Leaves alternate or in a few (but sometimes very common species) subopposite, petiolate, simple, often large, entire to crenate-dentate
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers mostly white, yellow or orange, hermaphrodite, polygamous or unisexual (plant dioecious), subsessile or pedicellate, borne in terminal or axillary dichotomous corymbs, panicles or subglobose clusters of cymes, the branches scorpioid, without bracts Female with anthers sterile, otherwise similar to ♂ flowers Male flowers with 4–8 stamens, the filaments often hairy at the base; ovary rudimentary but style absent
sex Male
Male flowers with 4–8 stamens, the filaments often hairy at the base; ovary rudimentary but style absent
sex Female
Female with anthers sterile, otherwise similar to ♂ flowers
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx tubular or campanulate, smooth or with marked ribs, 2–5(–more)-lobed, persistent and accrescent in fruit
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Corolla funnel-shaped or salver-shaped, mostly 5- but sometimes 3–8-lobed; tube short or long, cylindric or widened; lobes erect, spreading or reflexed, imbricate or subcontorted in bud.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens exserted or included, the filaments glabrous or pubescent at the base
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary
Ovary 4-locular with 1 erect ovule in each locule
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Style
Style terminal, twice bifid (or abnormally twice trifid), the ultimate stigmatic parts of the 4 branches linear to subfoliaceous or terminated by 1 capitate or peltate stigma, rarely with 4 separate styles
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruits ovoid, globose or ellipsoid, included in or sitting in the persistent accrescent cupuliform calyx; endocarp bony with up to 4 locules but only 1–2 fertile
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds without endosperm.

[FSOM]

M. Thulin et al. Flora of Somalia, Vol. 1-4 [updated 2008] https://plants.jstor.org/collection/FLOS

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Corolla small to large, salver-shaped to funnel-shaped or subtubular; lobes usually 4–5, spreading or reflexed
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens as many as the corolla-lobes, exserted or included
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary
Ovary 4-celled; style terminal, twice 2-fid or 4-branched; stigmatic areas linear or spathulate
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit usually an orange or yellowish drupe with a thin exocarp, a mucilaginous mesocarp, and a woody endocarp, or a hard nut with a corky or woody mesocarp.
Distribution
Some 250 species in the tropics, the majority in America.
Morphology General Habit
Trees, shrubs, subshrubs or woody climbers, often functionally dioecious
Morphology Leaves
Leaves alternate or sometimes opposite, entire or toothed
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers bisexual or unisexual, regular, in cymose panicle-, head- or spike-like inflorescences
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx ± tubular-campanulate, smooth to deeply ribbed, 2–5(–10)-lobed, usually persistent, sometimes much enlarged in fruit

[FSOM]
Use
The fruits of most Somali species are edible.

Native to:

Aldabra, Algeria, Andaman Is., Angola, Argentina Northeast, Argentina Northwest, Arizona, Aruba, Assam, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Belize, Benin, Bismarck Archipelago, Bolivia, Borneo, Botswana, Brazil North, Brazil Northeast, Brazil South, Brazil Southeast, Brazil West-Central, Burkina, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Provinces, Caprivi Strip, Caroline Is., Cayman Is., Central African Repu, Chad, Chagos Archipelago, Chile Central, Chile North, China South-Central, China Southeast, Christmas I., Cocos (Keeling) Is., Colombia, Comoros, Congo, Cook Is., Costa Rica, Cuba, Djibouti, Dominican Republic, East Himalaya, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Fiji, French Guiana, Gabon, Galápagos, Gambia, Ghana, Gilbert Is., Guatemala, Guinea, Gulf of Guinea Is., Guyana, Hainan, Haiti, Hawaii, Honduras, Howland-Baker Is., India, Iran, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Japan, Jawa, Kenya, KwaZulu-Natal, Laccadive Is., Laos, Lebanon-Syria, Leeward Is., Lesser Sunda Is., Liberia, Line Is., Madagascar, Malawi, Malaya, Maldives, Mali, Maluku, Marianas, Marquesas, Marshall Is., Mauritania, Mexico Central, Mexico Gulf, Mexico Northeast, Mexico Northwest, Mexico Southeast, Mexico Southwest, Mozambique, Mozambique Channel I, Myanmar, Namibia, Nansei-shoto, Nauru, Nepal, Netherlands Antilles, New Caledonia, New Guinea, New Mexico, Nicaragua, Nicobar Is., Niger, Nigeria, Niue, Northern Provinces, Northern Territory, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Panamá, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Phoenix Is., Pitcairn Is., Puerto Rico, Queensland, Rwanda, Samoa, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Society Is., Socotra, Solomon Is., Somalia, South China Sea, Southwest Caribbean, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Sulawesi, Sumatera, Suriname, Swaziland, Taiwan, Tanzania, Texas, Thailand, Tibet, Togo, Tokelau-Manihiki, Tonga, Trinidad-Tobago, Tuamotu, Tubuai Is., Turks-Caicos Is., Tuvalu, Uganda, Uruguay, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Venezuelan Antilles, Vietnam, Wake I., Wallis-Futuna Is., West Himalaya, Western Australia, Windward Is., Yemen, Zambia, Zaïre, Zimbabwe

Introduced into:

East Aegean Is., Florida, Guinea-Bissau, Gulf States, Iraq, Libya, Mauritius, Rodrigues, Réunion, Turkey

Cordia L. appears in other Kew resources:

Date Reference Identified As Barcode Type Status Has image?
Jan 1, 1987 Brummitt, R.K. [14980], Malawi K000285746 Yes
Eyles, F. [8806], Zimbabwe 11172.000 No
Verdcourt, B. [1060], Kenya 39647.000 No
Headley, P.M. [223], Ethiopia 6049.057 No
Rico, L. [1461], Bolivia K000295378 No
Leeuwenberg, A.J.M. [9589], Cameroon K000029798 No
s.coll. [Cat. no. 9064], India K001132167 Yes
s.coll. [Cat. no. s.n.], Myanmar K001132436 Yes
s.coll. [Cat. no. s.n.] K001132435 Yes

First published in Sp. Pl.: 191 (1753)

Accepted by

  • Govaerts, R. (1999). World Checklist of Seed Plants 3(1, 2a & 2b): 1-1532. MIM, Deurne.

Literature

Flora of West Tropical Africa

  • —F.T.A. 4, 2: 6.

Flora Zambesiaca

  • Gen. Pl. ed. 5: 87 (1754).
  • Sp. Pl.: 190 (1753)

Flora of Somalia

  • Flora Somalia, Vol 3, (2006) Author: by A. M. Warfa [updated by M. Thulin 2008]
  • Warfa in Acta Univ. Upsal., Comprehensive Summaries of Uppsala Dissertations from the Faculty of Science 174: 1–78 (1988).

Flora of Tropical East Africa

  • L., Gen. Pl., ed. 5: 87 (1754)
  • Sp. Pl.: 190 (1753)
  • Warfa, Acta Univ. Upsal. 174: 1–78 (1988)

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