Sessea

Sessea is a genus of flowering plants of the nightshade family (Solanaceae ). The neotropical species have spread.

Description

The types of Sessea are usually 2 to 4.5 m tall shrubs, sometimes trees that can reach a height of 6 to 10 ( or more rarely 25) m. They are usually staffed with tree- shaped or like candelabra branched trichomes. The leaves have a membranous or leathery almost surface. They are up to 17 (23 ) × 5.5 (11 ) cm long, are lanceolate, elliptic, lanceolate -elliptic or oblong - lanceolate, sessile or are provided with short ( 4-35 mm) petioles.

The flower stalks are missing or very short with 0.8 to 6 mm. The calyx of the flower has about 1 /5 of the length of the crown. The five calyx teeth are shaped the same or different. The crown is tubular or slightly funnel-shaped, colored has a length of ( 9) 15-20 (23 ) mm and is yellow, greenish- yellow or yellowish-white. The five corolla lobes are oblong, have 1/3 to 1/5 (1/ 8) of the length of the corolla tube. The stamens are in the corolla tube, equal or unequal formed and are fused at different heights with the corolla tube. They are knee- shaped curved, finely hairy and thickened at Verwachsungspunkt. The anthers are elliptical, kidney-shaped, spherical or almost spherical. The top is covered with fine hair. The pollen grains are medium in size with a diameter of 30 microns. There shall be six to twelve ovules per flower.

The fruits are wenigsamige fruit capsules each ( often only one ) of four to eight seeds. The fruits are 9-25 mm long and consist of two chambers, each of two columns. The seeds are thin and long, compressed and imbricate structure. They have a length of (4 ) 6-8 (13 ) mm, located at both ends of a more pronounced narrow wings. The embryo is 2 to 3 mm long, the cotyledons are usually shorter and slightly wider than the rest of the embryo.

Occurrence

The genus has a predominantly neotropical distribution, a species occurs in Haiti. Most of the species are found in the Andes between Colombia and Bolivia, only the distribution area of Sessea corymbiflora sufficient to Venezuela. In Brazil, with Sessea regenellii, Sessea brasiliensis and Sessea to find vestioides three types, the latter is also found in the adjacent areas of Brazil in Argentina and Paraguay.

System

Inside systematics

Both the morphologically justified classifications of Solanaceae by William D' Arcy and Armando Hunziker and in the molecular biological classification by Richard Olmstead the genus in the tribe Cestreae is placed in the subfamily Cestroideae. From Hunziker addition to the hammer shrubs ( Cestrum ) is only counted the monotypic genus Vestia to this tribe, which also D' Arcy and Olmstead match. D' Arcy also placed yet Metternichia, Phrodus and then not to Sessea associated Sesseopsis and Olmstead Metternichia in this tribe.

Outer systematics

Within the species, about 27 species are distinguished.

Selection of species:

• Sessea brasiliensis
• Sessea corymbiflora
• Sessea farinosa
• Sessea regnellii
• Sessea stipulata
• Sessea vestioides

The type species is Sessea stipulata.