Rubiaceae

Chassalia Comm. ex Poir.

First published in J.B.A.M.de Lamarck, Encycl., Suppl. 2: 450 (1812)
This genus is accepted
The native range of this genus is Tropical Africa to Tropical & Subtropical Asia.

Descriptions

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

Distribution
A genus of c. 114 species distributed from tropical Africa to tropical and subtropical Asia. Only one endemic species is known from the region: Chassalia pedicellata Valeton.
Morphology General Habit
Shrubs or small trees to c. 5 m
Morphology General
Raphides present
Morphology Leaves Stipules
Stipules shortly connate at base, triangular, apex often slightly bifid but caducous, usually drying papery and lighter in colour than the stem. Leaves without bacterial nodules
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescences terminal panicles, inflorescence rachis sometimes fleshy & tinged white, red or purple. Flowers bisexual, slightly zygomorphic, 4–5-merous, fairly large (1–3 cm long); calyx tube short, calyx lobes small, triangular to linear; corolla white to pale pink or purple, valvate in bud, tube slightly to distinctly curved, lobes erect to spreading at anthesis, much shorter than tube; stamen included or exserted; ovary 2-locular, ovules 1 per locule; style included, stigma 2-lobed
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit a small fleshy black globose to subglobose drupe
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds 2, with adaxial hilar cavity excavations.
Ecology
The genus is poorly known in New Guinea.
Recognition
Chassalia may be confused with Psychotria, Ixora, Tarenna or Pavetta which also have similar terminal inflorescences but it differs from them all in having curved slightly zygomorphic flowers, often coloured and/or fleshy inflorescence axes and stipules which dry distinctively papery with the apices broken off. Additionally, Psychotria will have ridged pyrenes in fruit, Ixora will have articulated petiole bases, Pavetta has leaf bacterial nodules and seeds with hilar cavities, and Tarenna has dark drying, tar-like seeds also with hilar cavities.
[TONG]

Rubiaceae, B. Verdcourt. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1976

Morphology General Habit
Shrubs or less often small trees or subshrubby herbs, with mostly glabrous or only finely pubescent stems
Morphology Leaves
Leaves opposite or rarely ternate, mostly acuminate, usually quite thin, shortly to distinctly petiolate, usually glabrous; stipules interpetiolar, ovate to triangular or quite short and broad, sometimes united into a small sheath, entire or with 2 short fimbriae, often with colleters and hairs within the base, mostly persistent
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers hermaphrodite, 4–5-merous, heterostylous, mostly small, in branched panicles, the ultimate elements usually being small heads but in some few species the flowers are pedicellate; bracts small
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx-tube mostly ovoid or oblong, ± ribbed, the free limb mostly very short, lobes triangular or linear but mostly very short
Morphology General Buds
Buds often winged
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Corolla white, pink or purple, sometimes yellow inside; tube cylindrical, hairy or glabrous inside; lobes often winged; venation of corolla often curiously prominent in dry material
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens included or exserted
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Disc
Disc cylindrical, distinct
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil
Ovary 2-locular; ovules solitary in each locule, erect from the base; style included or exserted; stigma-lobes linear
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruits succulent, with 2 pyrenes; pyrenes pale, semi-globose or semi-ellipsoid, the ventral surface often grooved, often with a median dorsal keel along which dehiscence takes place
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds concavo-convex, with a pale testa; endosperm not ruminate.
[FTEA]

Rubiaceae, B. Verdcourt. Flora Zambesiaca 5:1. 1989

Morphology General Habit
Shrubs or less often small trees or subshrubby herbs, with mostly glabrous or only finely pubescent stems.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves opposite or rarely ternate, mostly acuminate, usually quite thin, shortly to distinctly petiolate, usually glabrous; stipules interpetiolar, ovate to triangular or quite short and broad, sometimes united into a small sheath, entire or with 2 short fimbriae, often with colleters and hairs within the base, mostly persistent.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers hermaphrodite, 4–5-merous, heterostylous, mostly small, in branched panicles, the ultimate elements usually being small heads but in some few species the flowers are pedicellate; bracts small.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx tube mostly ovoid or oblong, ± ribbed, the free limb mostly very short, lobes triangular or linear but mostly very short.
Morphology General Buds
Buds often winged.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Corolla white, pink or purple, sometimes yellow inside; tube cylindrical, hairy or glabrous inside; lobes often winged; venation of corolla often curiously prominent in dry material.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens included or exserted.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Disc
Disk cylindrical, distinct.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil
Ovary 2-locular; ovules solitary in each locule, erect from the base; style included or exserted; stigma lobes linear.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruits succulent, with 2 pyrenes; pyrenes pale, semi-globose or semi-ellipsoid, the ventral surface often grooved, often with a median dorsal keel along which dehiscence takes place.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds concavo-convex, with a pale testa; endosperm not ruminate.
[FZ]

Sources

  • Flora Zambesiaca

    • Flora Zambesiaca
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    • Flora of Tropical East Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Trees of New Guinea

    • Trees of New Guinea
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0