Allantoma lineata

Allantoma lineata is the only species of the genus Allantoma from the family pot fruit tree crops ( Lecythidaceae ). The tree is native to areas around the Amazon in Venezuela and Brazil.

Description

Allantoma lineata is a small to large tree. The leaves are simple, alternate and not arranged in terminal groups.

The inflorescences are terminal or nearly terminal clusters or simply branched panicles. The flowers are radial symmetry, the klappige calyx is five - or sechslappig, the individual lobes are broad - triangular, the crown has five or six petals. The androecium is fused to a slightly asymmetric tubular structure and running at its extremity in eight to ten inwardly bent Lacinae from, at the end dust bag stand, sit the remainder of the approximately 30, all fertile anthers distributed in the tube interior. The ovary has four to five, rarely three compartments, each septum contributes about 20 ovules.

The fruits are oblong cylindrical capsules that open circular. The numerous, wingless seeds are long narrow - linear, their Testa is extremely hard and woody, flattened funiculus obsolete.

Distribution and ecology

Allantoma lineata is native to areas in the Amazonian Venezuela and Brazil on the Rio Negro, at the headwaters of the Orinoco and the tributaries of the lower Amazon.

For pollination is not aware, due to the similarity of the flowers with those of related and beetle -pollinated species Grias pollination but is just assumed by beetles. The seeds are dispersed by water.

System

Species and genus were first described in 1874 by John Miers. Within the pot fruit tree plants they are placed in the subfamily Lecythidoideae.

Evidence

• Lecythidaceae
• Potted fruit tree plants
• Tree