Xylopia L.

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

Distribution

About 160 species: Africa, America, South-East Asia; at least three species in New Guinea.

Morphology General Habit

Trees to 30 m tall

Morphology General Indumentum

Indumentum of simple hairs

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers bisexual; sepals 3, valvate, thick, connate at base sometimes into a cup-shaped calyx; petals 6, in 2 whorls, with each whorl valvate, connivent or scarcely open, elongated, thick, woody when dry, inside basally concave, middle narrowly convex; outer petals larger and longer than inner petals; stamens many, anthers oblong, extrorse, transversely septate, connectives 3-angular, apex truncate-dilated; carpels few to many, ovules 2–6 per carpel, styles elongated; stigmas clavate, rarely oblong Flowers axillary, solitary (or fasciculate); pedicel usually short, bracteolate at apex

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit apocarpous; monocarps stipitate, oblong, moniliform, often dehiscent

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds (1–)3–8(to many) per monocarp, ovoid; aril present but often inconspicuous.

Ecology

Found in primary and riverine forest from sea level to 400 m.

Recognition

Members of the genus are can be recognised as being canopy trees, and having the young parts (especially the leaves and the abaxial surface of the outer petals), densely covered with sericeous yellow or golden-yellow hairs; the longer outer petals, usually quite elongate and ligulate; the inner petals connivent over the sexual organs; and the stamens with septate anthers.

Annonaceae, B. Verdcourt. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1971

Morphology General Habit

Trees, shrubs or subshrubs, only rarely climbing, glabrous or with an indumentum of simple or rarely 2-branched hairs

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers hermaphrodite, solitary, fasciculate or in cymes, axillary, sessile or stalked; buds ovoid, subglobose or more usually narrowly conical and 3-angled; bracteoles 1–5, deciduous or persistent

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Sepals 3, valvate, ± united, very much smaller than the external petals

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Petals 6 in 2 whorls of 3, both valvate, subequal or the outer ones larger, free, thick, flattened or angular, enlarged and ± concave at the base, the inner petals sometimes with a fleshy part covering the stamens and gynoecium

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Stamens numerous, linear, the outer and inner ones often flattened and staminodial; filaments articulated, sometimes partly united at the base and enclosing the gynoecium; anther-cells extrorse,transversely septate; connective-prolongation capitate

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Carpels

Carpels few to many or rarely solitary, free, ovoid-oblong or flattened, with 1–many 1–2-seriate ovules; styles linear or narrowly clavate, aggregated

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Monocarps dehiscent or indehiscent, obovoid to cylindric, sessile or mostly stipitate, 1–8(–many)-seeded, ± fleshy

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds vertical to horizontal, collateral or 2-seriate; aril present but often inconspicuous.