Medusagyne

Leaves and fruits of the jellyfish tree ( Medusagyne oppositifolia ).

The jellyfish tree ( Medusagyne oppositifolia ) is one of the rarest plant species in the world and the only species of monotypic genus Medusagyne. It now belongs to the family Ochnaceae in the order of Malpighienartigen ( Malpighiales ).

Occurrence

The jellyfish tree grows only in the Seychelles. There he was rediscovered in 1970, after he had already thought to be extinct. Today, there are still some copies of the jellyfish tree in the mountain forests of Mahé, including the Mont Sebert.

Description

This small, evergreen tree or shrub reaches stature heights of up to ten meters. The opposite, short-stalked leaves are simple, leathery and the leaf edges are serrated short.

The small flowers are radial symmetry fünfzählig. The five petals are red or white, the white is pink slowly. There are 50 to 100 (many ) stamens present. 17 to 25 carpels are fused to a syncarp, superior ovaries, with the same number of pencils and scars as carpels.

See the opened capsule fruits with their ribs like jellyfish. The seeds are winged.

System

After APG III includes species of the former families of Medusagynaceae Engl & Gilg and Quiinaceae Engl in the family of Ochnaceae sl.

A synonym for Medusagyne oppositifolia is Bwa Mediz. Recently this species was conducted in a separate family Medusagynaceae. Today, it is no classification in one subfamily or tribe of the family of Ochnaceae. It belongs to the order of Malpighienartigen ( Malpighiales ).

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