Lepisanthes Blume

Sapindaceae, Davies & B. Verdcourt. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1998

Morphology General Habit

Trees or shrubs

Morphology Leaves

Leaves pinnate; leaflets opposite or alternate, the lowermost often reduced and sometimes stipule-like

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescences terminal and axillary, paniculate or simple

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers regular; sepals 4–5, petaloid, unequal, free, strongly imbricate; petals (0–)4–5, scale simple or complicated; disk complete, convex

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Stamens 4–18, mostly ± 8

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil

Ovary 2–3-lobed with 1 ovule per lobe; style entire

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit of 1–3 mericarps, indehiscent

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Aril absent.

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

Distribution

A genus of 24 species from Africa and Madagascar, Indo-China, South-East Asia, Malesia and Australia. In New Guinea there are six species, three of which are endemic.

Morphology General Habit

Trees, shrubs and scramblers to 20 m tall

Morphology General Indumentum

Indumentum of simple hairs

Morphology Leaves Stipules

Pseudo-stipules sometimes present

Morphology Leaves

Leaves paripinnate (In New Guinea), rachis rarely winged, 1–40 jugate, leaflets opposite, rarely alternate, margin entire

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescences axillary, terminal, ramiflorous or cauliflorous

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers bisexual or unisexual, 4–5-merous; sepals free, imbricate, outer 1–2 smaller than inner lobes, inner lobes often partly petaloid; petals shorter or longer than sepals, usually clawed, appendages various, marginal or ventral; stamens (4–)8(–18), filaments hairy; ovary 2–3-locular, 1 ovule per locule, style equalling ovary length or sessile, stigma capitate or sessile

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit drupaceous, indistinctly lobed, 2–3-lobed or with distinct monocarps

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seed testa glabrous to hairy, exarillate.

Ecology

Lepisanthes is an understorey tree of primary and secondary rain forests, in ever-wet and seasonal areas, and also in open vegetation, sometimes on forest edges or by rivers, on sand, limestone and clay soils, from sea level to 60(–1300) m.

Recognition

Lepisanthes is a morphologically variable genus and is divided into 4 subgenera, 3 of which occur in New Guinea. The sepals are imbricate and unequal and often have a petaloid margin, the fruit varies from being not lobed to distinctly lobed, but is always indehiscent and drupaceous, and the seeds are exarillate. Three of the New Guinea species are known from just a handful of specimens and the fruit is unknown in two of these. Pseudo-stipules are rarely present in L. mixta Leenh., but not present in the other New Guinea species.

Sapindaceae, A. W. Exell. Flora Zambesiaca 2:2. 1966

Morphology General Habit

Medium-sized trees or shrubs, sometimes subscandent.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves usually paripinnate, rarely simple (not in our area) or tending to be imparipinnate, very shortly petiolate; leaflets 1–5-jugate.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescence a paniculate or racemoid thyrse, axillary or terminal on short shoots.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers spuriously polygamous, usually monoecious.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Sepals 5, 2 exterior ones smaller.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Petals (2–4)5, each with a small hairy scale at the base.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Disc

Disk patelliform, 5-crenate or 5-lobed, glabrous.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Stamens 5–8, inserted inside the disk; filaments pilose.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary

Ovary 2(3)-locular; loculi 1-ovulate.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit drupaceous, 2(3)-coccous (often 1-coccous by abortion).

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seed without arillode.