|
|
|
4. Strychnos Linnaeus, Sp. Pl. 1: 189. 1753.
马钱子属 ma qian shu
Shrubs, trees, or lianas, armed or unarmed. If lianas then with axillary simple or double curled tendrils, sometimes with axillary thorns. Stipules often reduced to a straight ciliate ridge connecting petiole bases. Leaves petiolate to sometimes subsessile; leaf blade margin entire, basal veins 3--7, secondary veins 1--3 distinct pairs from or near base curved along margin in species represented. Inflorescences terminal and/or axillary, thyrsoid; bracts scalelike to sepal-like. Flowers pedicellate or sessile, 4- or 5-merous. Corolla rotate to salverform; lobes valvate in bud, spreading to reflexed when open. Stamens inserted at corolla throat to middle of corolla tube, exserted to included; filaments long to short, mostly filiform; anthers orbicular to narrowly oblong, base mostly slightly 2-cleft, introrse, 2-locular and separate. Ovary (1- or)2-locular, with few to many ovules per locule. Style cylindrical; stigma capitate or faintly 2-cleft. Berries orange or red when ripe in species represented, usually globose to ellipsoid, thin- to thick-walled, outside smooth to minutely warty, glabrous; pulp fleshy, usually orange; 1--15-seeded. Seeds ± flattened to saucer-shaped, circular to elliptic in outline; seed coat sericeous, felty, or scabrous and glabrous; embryo spatulate; endosperm horny; cotyledon leaflike.
About 190 species: tropics and subtropics; 11 species in China.
Many species are medicinal and poisonous.
|
|
|
|
| 1 |
Trees, tendrils never present. |
|
(2) |
| + |
Lianas, sometimes with axillary tendrils. |
|
(4) |
| |
|
|
|
| 2 (1) |
Petiole 2--4 mm; leaf blade abaxially granular; young plants spiny; inflorescences terminal |
|
3 Strychnos lucida |
| + |
Petiole 5--15 mm; leaf blade abaxially smooth; plants never spiny; inflorescences axillary. |
|
(3) |
| |
|
|
|
| 3 (2) |
Sepals ovate, outside densely pubescent; fruit 2--4 cm in diam. |
|
1 Strychnos nux-vomica |
| + |
Sepals narrowly oblong, subglabrous; fruit 6--8 cm in diam. |
|
2 Strychnos nux-blanda |
| |
|
|
|
| 4 (1) |
Flowering specimen. |
|
(5) |
| + |
Fruiting specimen. |
|
(12) |
| |
|
|
|
| 5 (4) |
Flower buds 3--4.5 mm. |
|
(6) |
| + |
Flower buds 8--17 mm. |
|
(8) |
| |
|
|
|
| 6 (5) |
Flowers 4(or 5)-merous; anthers exserted; inflorescences 6--12 cm |
|
5 Strychnos umbellata |
| + |
Flowers 5-merous; anthers included; inflorescences 1--5 cm. |
|
(7) |
| |
|
|
|
| 7 (6) |
Corolla inside pubescent at mouth and on base of lobes, lobes longer than tube; leaf blade 8--13 cm |
|
4 Strychnos ovata |
| + |
Corolla inside with a row of erect bristlelike hairs at base or to middle of lobes, lobes ± as long as tube; leaf blade 2--10 cm |
|
7 Strychnos axillaris |
| |
|
|
|
| 8 (5) |
Corolla lobes ± as long as tube; filaments longer than anthers |
|
6 Strychnos angustiflora |
| + |
Corolla lobes shorter than tube; filaments shorter than anthers. |
|
(9) |
| |
|
|
|
| 9 (8) |
Corolla 0.8-1.2 cm, tube glabrous inside |
|
8 Strychnos cathayensis |
| + |
Corolla 1.4--1.7 cm, tube pubescent inside. |
|
(10) |
| |
|
|
|
| 10 (9) |
Corolla tube pubescent at mouth; style villous |
|
9 Strychnos nitida |
| + |
Corolla tube pubescent on lower half; style glabrous. |
|
(11) |
| |
|
|
|
| 11 (10) |
Inflorescences axillary; anther connective apiculate at apex; sepal margin glabrous |
|
10 Strychnos ignatii |
| + |
Inflorescences terminal; anther connective obtuse or rounded at apex; sepal margin ciliate |
|
11 Strychnos wallichiana |
| |
|
|
|
| 12 (4) |
Seeds 0.6--1.8 cm. |
|
(13) |
| + |
Seeds 2--3 cm. |
|
(16) |
| |
|
|
|
| 13 (12) |
Fruit to 2 cm in diam., 1--3-seeded. |
|
(14) |
| + |
Fruit 2--5.5 cm in diam., often more than 3-seeded. |
|
(15) |
| |
|
|
|
| 14 (13) |
Leaf apex acute to rounded; inflorescences 6--12 cm |
|
5 Strychnos umbellata |
| + |
Leaf apex acuminate; inflorescences 1--5 cm |
|
7 Strychnos axillaris |
| |
|
|
|
| 15 (13) |
Branchlets spiny; tendrils absent; petiole ca. 1.5 cm; leaf blade 8--13 cm |
|
4 Strychnos ovata |
| + |
Branchlets not spiny but older branches spiny; tendrils present; petiole 0.4--0.6 cm; leaf blade 3--8 cm |
|
6 Strychnos angustiflora |
| |
|
|
|
| 16 (12) |
Fruit wall not woody, to 3 mm thick. |
|
(17) |
| + |
Fruit wall woody, ca. 5 mm thick. |
|
(18) |
| |
|
|
|
| 17 (16) |
Fruit 1.5--3 cm in diam., 2--7-seeded; petiole 2--4 mm |
|
8 Strychnos cathayensis |
| + |
Fruit 4--6 cm in diam., many-seeded; petiole 5--7 mm |
|
11 Strychnos wallichiana |
| |
|
|
|
| 18 (16) |
Tendrils double; leaf blade base cuneate to broadly cuneate |
|
9 Strychnos nitida |
| + |
Tendrils single; leaf blade base obtuse to rounded |
|
10 Strychnos ignatii |
|
|
|
List of lower taxa
| Related Links (opens in a new window) |
|
Treatments in Other Floras @ www.efloras.org
Other Databases
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
