Pittosporaceae

Pittosporum crassifolium, opened capsule fruit

The Klebsamengewächse ( Pittosporaceae ) are a family of plants within the order of Doldenblütlerartigen ( Apiales ). It is used in Paläotropis. The German common name and the scientific genus name of the type genus Pittosporum ( Pittosporum ) refer to the sticky mucus in the seeds seeds are embedded; Pittosporum is derived from the Greek words for Pitta mucus and sperm for semen.

• 5.1 Notes and references

Description

Appearance and leaves

There are always woody plants that grow as shrubs, half- shrubs or small trees or vines. They are mostly evergreen. A special feature of Klebsamengewächse are the resin ducts in the bark caused by a splaying of the cells. Some species contain colored latex. The plants are often armed with thorns.

The stalked leaves are alternate and spirally arranged on the younger branches but often so crowded that they appear lively. The simple, membranous to leathery leaf blades have a pinna and Netznervatur. There are no stipules present.

Inflorescences and flowers

The flowers are usually in zymösen, doldigen or doldenrispigen inflorescences, sometimes individually.

The hermaphrodite flowers are often relatively large, radial symmetry and usually fünfzählig double perianth. It's just a circle with five fertile stamens present. Three to five carpels are constant above a ( syncarp ), a grown - up multi-chambered ovary. The stamens are fused below into a tube.

Fruit and seeds

They form berry or capsule fruits. Frequently jump the fruit capsules with flaps and present their colored pulp to encourage birds to eat the seeds.

Chemical properties

From the Pittosporaceen a wealth of ingredients is known. Particularly notable for the chemosystematics is the presence of polyynes ( polyacetylenes ) that underpin the family relation with the Apiales and the lack of petroselinic acid, which confirms the separation of the family of Apiaceae and Araliaceae.

Dissemination

Most species of the family Pittosporaceae occur in Australia. The other is found in tropical and subtropical Asia, Malaysia's, Africa (including the Canary Islands and Madagascar) and New Zealand. This family is missing in the New World.

System

The Pittosporaceae family was by Robert Brown in Matthew Flinders: A Voyage to Terra Australis, App. III, 1814, pp. 65-74 erected. Type genus Pittosporum Banks ex Gaertn is ..

The Klebsamengewächse ( Pittosporaceae ) family contains six to nine genera with about 200-250 species. Except for the genus Pittosporum ( Pittosporum ) the species often contain only a few species:

• Bentleya EMBenn. With only two species in Western Australia: Bentleya diminuta Crisp & JMTaylor: It is native to Western Australia.
• Bentleya spinescens EMBenn: . These endangered species native to Western Australia.

• Hymenosporum flavum ( Hook. ) F.Muell. It is native to New South Wales and Queensland and in New Guinea.

Pictures

Chinese Pittosporum ( Pittosporum tobira ):

Immature seed capsules.

Opened ripe fruits

Swell

• The Pittosporaceae in APWebsite family. (Section Description and systematics)
• The Pittosporaceae at DELTA by L. Watson & MJ Dallwitz family. ( Description section )
• Description of the family in Western Australian flora. ( Description section ) (English )
• Description of the family in the Flora of China. ( Description section )
• Description of the family in the Flora of Pakistan. ( Description section )
• Entry in the Australian Plant Name Index ( Apni ). ( Section systematics)