Genipa
Genipa is a genus of trees in the family Rubiaceae. This genus is native to the American tropical forests.
Genipa | |
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Flower, fruit, and leaf of Genipa americana | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Asterids |
Order: | Gentianales |
Family: | Rubiaceae |
Tribe: | Gardenieae |
Genus: | Genipa L. |
Species | |
see text |
Description
Tall trees, without any spines, prickles or thorns; with large opposite leaves of almost leathery texture, smooth or hairy.[1][2][3] Presence of interpetiolar stipules, triangle-shaped.[1][3] The large flowers are arranged in terminal cymes; the calyx is tubular, while the corolla can be trumpet-shaped or short-cylindrical, with 5-6 lobes.[1][2][3] The stamens are located at the top of the corolla.[1] The fruit is an almost globose or ovoid berry, smooth, fleshy, with a thick rind.[1][2][3] The seeds are large and flat.[1][2][3]
Taxonomy
The species from Madagascar, originally described by Drake, do not belong to the Rubiaceae tribe Gardenieae like the New World Genipa species, but in the tribe Octotropideae.[4] Those species were transferred to the genus Hyperacanthus.[4]
Genipa spruceana is considered doubtfully distinct from Genipa americana.[5]
Species currently recognized in Genipa are:[6][4]
- Genipa americana L.
- Genipa infundibuliformis Zappi & J.Semir
- Genipa spruceana Steyerm.
Distribution and habitat
The genus is native to the tropical forests of America, including Florida.[3][7][5]
References
- Francis, Macbride, J.; E., Dahlgren, B. (1936). "Flora of Peru /". Fieldiana. v.13:pt.6:no.1 [Rubiaceae]: 106.
- Standley, Paul (1938). "Flora of Costa Rica". v.18:pt:4: 1299. Cite journal requires
|journal=
(help) - Liogier, Alain H. (1985). Descriptive Flora of Puerto Rico and Adjacent Islands. La Editorial, UPR. p. 97. ISBN 9780847723386.
- Rakotonasolo, Franck; Davis, Aaron (2006). "Six Species of Madagascan Genipa Transferred to Hyperacanthus (Rubiaceae-Gardenieae) and New Data on General Morphology, Placentation and Ovary Structure in Hyperacanthus". Taxon. 55 (2): 387–396. doi:10.2307/25065586.
- Zappi, D. C.; Semir, J.; Pierozzi, N. I. (1995). "Genipa infundibuliformis sp. nov. and Notes on Genipa americana (Rubiaceae)". Kew Bulletin. 50 (4): 761–771. doi:10.2307/4110237.
- "Genipa — The Plant List". www.theplantlist.org. Retrieved 2017-10-11.
- Grandtner, M. M.; Chevrette, Julien (2013). Dictionary of Trees, Volume 2: South America: Nomenclature, Taxonomy and Ecology. Academic Press. p. 263. ISBN 9780123969545.
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