Batis (plant)

Batis maritima, male plant

Batis is a genus of flowering plants from the order of Kreuzblütlerartigen ( Brassicales ). It is the only genus of the family Bataceae and consists of only two species.

Description

Vegetative characteristics

The species of the genus Batis are hairless, much branched shrubs that can reach a height of 1.5 m. They form from both low -lying, horizontal and upright shoot axes, which are succulent. The deciduous leaves are arranged and decussate, they are simple and sessile, fleshy and entire. Stipules are very fine and soon absterbend, they are often only in the form gland-like body.

Inflorescences and flowers

The flowers are always unisexual. The plants are dioecious Batis maritima getrenntgeschlechtig ( dioecious ), however, is Batis argillicola monoecious getrenntgeschlechtig ( monoecious ). The inflorescences are peg-shaped ears or short shoots, the bracts of the flowers are fine, in addition to sheet-like attachments.

The male flowers are arranged in the axes of decussate bracts or in terminal cones. Each of the flowers has a blüttenhüllenartige tube, irregular splits into two or four parts. In its interior there are four spatulate, kronblattartige, often called staminodes designated structures alternating with four stamens. The stamens are free, the anthers are fixed dorsal side and tilted inward. The center of the flower is raised and probably represents a reduced stamp

The female flowers are sessile in the axils of inflorescence, are single standing or fused together at the base. Each flower consists of a stamp, which is supported by a single bract, a perianth is absent. The ovary is vierkammerig, each chamber contains a single ovule that grows epitroph at the base of the ovary chamber enlarged placentas. There shall be two seated scars.

Fruit and seeds

The fruits are drupe- like or composed, the seeds have no endosperm, the embryo is straight and has large cotyledons.

Dissemination

A widespread species of the genus Batis maritima, is found along the coasts of tropical and subtropical parts of the Americas, on the Pacific coast from California to Peru, on the Atlantic coast of Florida and Texas to Brazil. It is distributed among other things, to the West Indies and on various islands in the Pacific. It grows on sandy coasts and near mangrove formations.

The second type, Batis argillicola, is known only from the south coast of New Guinea.