Mimusops L.

Sapotaceae, J. H. Hemsley. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1968

Morphology General Habit

Trees or shrubs

Morphology Leaves Stipules

Stipules caducous

Morphology Leaves

Leaf-lamina frequently elliptic to obovate; upper surface often glossy, lower surface practically glabrous or pubescent in young leaves; midrib raised, primary lateral nerves finely raised on both surfaces, secondary lateral nerves inconspicuous, venation reticulate

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers usually in axils of current leaves, pedicellate

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Sepals 8, arranged in two dissimilar whorls of 4, ± free or slightly fused at base; inner sepals smaller and paler in colour than outer

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Corolla of 8 members, fused into a short basal tube, upper parts further subdivided into three segments giving 24 linear segments per flower

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Stamens 8, epipetalous; anther dehiscence extrorse

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Staminodes

Staminodes 8, alternating with stamens, usually simple, narrowly lanceolate or ligulate, densely pilose externally and along margins

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary

Ovary usually 8-locular; ovules solitary, anatropous, with basal attachment

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit baccate, fleshy to ± coriaceous, 1-several-seeded, calyx persisting at base

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds ± ellipsoid, laterally compressed; testa horny and polished; scar ± basal to basi-ventral, usually (probably always in East Africa) small and scarcely longer than broad; abundant endosperm present; cotyledons flattened and foliaceous.

Timothy M. A. Utteridge and Laura V. S. Jennings (2022). Trees of New Guinea. Kew Publishing. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Distribution

A genus of 45 species widely distributed in tropical and subtropical parts of Africa, Asia and Australasia to the Pacific. Only one species is known from New Guinea, Mimusops elengi L., with none in the Solomon Islands.

Morphology General Habit

Hermaphroditic trees or shrubs to 30 m. Leaves spirally arranged, sometimes clustered; secondary venation brochidodromous; tertiary venation reticulate, ±following secondaries. Inflorescences axillary or in leaf scars, 1–several flowers per fascicle. Flowers bisexual, star-shaped with a short corolla tube and longer corolla lobes; calyx of 2 whorls with 8 sepals (2 × 4), outer whorl valvate; corolla white, greenish-cream, or sometimes cream and brown, glabrous or hairy; corolla lobes 8, usually divided to base into three segments; middle segment keeled, erect and clasping the stamen (like Manilkara), lateral segments usually spreading, entire or deeply divided; stamens usually 8 in 1 whorl, inserted in corolla tube orifice; filaments free or partially fused to staminodes; anthers hairy or glabrous; staminodes present, inflexed and often appressed to the gynoecium; ovary silky-hairy; style exserted or included, persistent or absent in fruit

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit 1–6-seeded, usually orange or red when mature, ellipsoid to subglobose, silky-hairy when young, glabrescent; seed laterally compressed, scar small, circular or elliptic; cotyledons foliaceous with a radicle extending below cotyledon commissure, endosperm present.

Ecology

Mimusops elengi is commonly found in the transition zone between beach and mangrove or rain forest and scrub vegetation and is found at elevations of 0–100 m in New Guinea.

Recognition

The young twigs and leaves are usually covered in a distinctive reddish-brown indumentum, which falls with age (mature leaves are glabrous and shiny). The genus is recognisable by its complex flower structure: a calyx with 2 whorls of 4 sepals each (2 × 4), and where corolla lobes, stamens, and staminodes are in multiples of eight. However, note that each corolla lobe is often divided into 3 segments. Mimusops may be confused with Manilkara and Madhuca which all have 2 whorls of sepals. A thumb of rule: alphabetic order increases the number of sepals, hence, 2 × 2 (Madhuca), 2 × 3 (Manilkara), and 2 × 4 (Mimusops).

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

Morphology General Habit

Unarmed trees and shrubs; milky latex abundant to scarce

Morphology Leaves

Leaves alternate, often clustered towards the tip of branches; venation with many parallel secondary veins; stipules small, soon falling

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescences axillary, cymose, umbel-like clusters. Flowers bisexual

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx of 2 whorls of 4 free sepals, those of the outer whorl valvate

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Corolla hairy or glabrous; tube much shorter than the 8 lobes, each of which is nearly always divided almost to the base into 3 segments, with the median segment clasping the stamen, sometimes pressed inwards towards the style, lateral segments widely spreading at anthesis, entire or deeply divided

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Stamens (7–)8 in a single whorl, inserted at top of corolla-tube; filaments free or more or less fused with staminodes; anthers opening outwards with slits, hairy or glabrous

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Staminodes

Staminodes 8, well developed, alternating with the stamens, usually appressed to ovary and style, often hairy

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary

Ovary (7–)8-celled, hairy; style often exserted from the many appressed floral parts

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit 1–6-seeded, indehiscent, fleshy.

Distribution

About 45 species distributed in the Old World tropics, mostly in tropical Africa (c. 20 species), on Madagascar (c. 15 species), on the Mascarene Islands (4 species), and 1 species in Asia and the Pacific.