Kaliphora

Kaliphora madagascariensis is a species occurring in Madagascar, which forms the monotypic genus Kaliphora. It was often placed in a separate family Kaliphoraceae or the dogwood family ( Cornaceae ) assigned, but is expected according to the latest molecular biological findings to the Montiniaceae.

Description

Vegetative characteristics

Kaliphora madagascariensis are deciduous, woody plants that often grow along forest edges as much branched shrubs, in the interior of the forest mostly as up to 5 m tall trees. The next leafless deciduous leaves are alternate. They are simple and occur at different polymorphic; as a full-size sheet is usually almost constantly against a contract sheet-like, reduced leaf opposite. The leaf blade is entire, shiny and hairless, the venation is fiederig. The leaf base tends to be highly unbalanced. When rubbed, the leaves release an strong peppery smell, drying the leaves turn often black.

Inflorescences and flowers

The inflorescences are in the axils, mostly those of the greatly reduced leaves. There are provided with minute bracts cymes, which consist of a few or up to 30 flowers. The flowers are small and cruciform.

The male flowers have a cup-shaped calyx, which is staffed with four tooth-like lobes, the four petals are in bud klappig ( valvat ) one above the other and are colored green at flowering time. The four stamens are between the petals, the very short stamens are free from each other, the anthers are bright yellow, consist of two theca and open by longitudinal slits. The base of the flower is thick and cushion -like, in the middle there is a conical, back formed ovary.

In the female flowers of the chalice and the half under constant, laterally strongly compressed ovary is fused together. Four tiny, tooth-shaped sepals, which are slightly below the top of the ovary, are the only visible part of the sepals. The cup is resistant to some extent, but is displaced in the fruit of sideways. Petals are not formed. The ovary is incomplete zweikammerig, each chamber containing an ovule to the ovary is the stylus, which is divided into two lobes that form two seated scars.

Fruit and seeds

The fruits are small, fleshy, not dehiscent drupes, containing two -seeded kernels. These are loosely connected to the central septum of the fruit. At maturity the fruits are yellow to orange. In the seed endosperm is present, the embryo is colored orange.

Occurrences and locations

Kaliphora madagascariensis is endemic to Madagascar Art It comes exclusively in semi- humid montane evergreen forests at altitudes between 900 and 2000 m before. The range extends from Andringitra up to the northern slopes of Tsaratanana.