Primulaceae

Ardisia Sw.

First published in Prodr. Veg. Ind. Occ.: 48 (1788), nom. cons.
This genus is accepted
The native range of this genus is Tropics & Subtropics.

Descriptions

Timothy M. A. Utteridge and Laura V. S. Jennings (2022). Trees of New Guinea. Kew Publishing. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Distribution
A large genus of c. 500 species, distributed primarily in the tropics and especially diverse in South-East Asia, Americas, Australia, and Pacific; at least 30 species in New Guinea, but with many of the species only known from single collections.
Morphology General Habit
Trees, shrubs, suffruticesent (or rarely herbs); sometimes with main stem swollen at point of lateral branch insertation, and the lateral branches swollen or flared at the base
Morphology General Indumentum
Indumentum of simple or multicellular hairs
Morphology Leaves
Leaves alternate or pseudo-verticillate, usually punctate or punctate-lineate
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescences paniculate, cymose, corymbose, or umbellate, rarely racemose
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers bisexual, often punctate with yellow-brown to black glandular punctations, (4–)5-merous; sepals free or united at base, imbricate or quincuncial, usually punctate or punctate-lineate; corolla campanulate, usually white to pink, often punctate; lobes united at base, overlapping to right or very rarely to left, imbricate, or quincuncial, often conical in bud; stamens attached at the base or middle of corolla tube, filaments long or very short, anthers dehiscing longitudinally or by apical pores, connective often punctate; ovary ovoid or subglobose, ovules three to many; style as long or longer than corolla, sometimes exserted before anthesis, base persistent; stigma minute, apiculate
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit drupaceous, punctate, sometimes longitudinally ribbed, with somewhat fleshy exocarp and crusty or slightly bony endocarp; white to pink to black
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seed 1.
Ecology
Ardisia species are found throughout New Guinea in a range of habitats especially in the understorey of primary lowland to montane forest, but also in disturbed or regrowth areas; from sea level to 2000 m.
Recognition
There are several different subgenera in New Guinea, each with slightly different architecture, but the genus can be recgonised by the glandular punctations throughout but especially prominent in the leaves, flowers and fruits, the swollen or flared bases to the lateral branches, the bisexual flowers with anthers not remaining connivent around the ovary, and the slender style with a minute stigma. The fruits are usually spherical and red to purple-black at maturity.
[TONG]

Myrsinaceae, P. Halliday. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1984

Morphology General Habit
Shrubs, trees or woody herbs, hermaphrodite or ♀
Morphology Leaves
Leaves usually marked with dark, often raised dots or streaks
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence axillary, with a bract-covered peduncle shorter than or equalling the petioles and bearing less than 12 flowers
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers 5-merous
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Perianth
Sepals and petals imbricate, the latter shortly united and sometimes contorted in bud
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens subsessile on lower 1/3 of petals; anthers large, dehiscing by longitudinal slits, often adnate in bud
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil
Ovary with several to many ovules in several rows but in African species usually with placenta bearing few ovules which are in 1 row on the upper half of the placenta and attached basally to it; style long, slender; stigma minute, punctiform
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit globose, 1-seeded; endocarp brittle
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seed globose, covered by remnants of placenta; embryo transverse, straight or slightly curved.
[FTEA]

Julius, A. & Utteridge, T.M.A. Kew Bull (2012) 67: 379. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12225-012-9374-4

Morphology General Habit
Herbs or low subshrubs
Morphology Leaves
Leaves subopposite, subverticillate or crowded towards the stem apex, rarely alternate; margins finely and densely serrate or serrulate-denticulate (rarely nearly entire), lacking marginal glands
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescences axillary, in axils of fully-developed or bract-like leaves; simple racemes appearing umbellate or corymbose or compound-racemose (appearing umbellate-paniculate)
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers 5-merous; sepals spreading at anthesis, not or scarcely overlapping; filaments short or very short; styles inserted before anthesis; ovules few to many in 1 – 3 series.
[KBu]

Sources

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    • Flora of Tropical East Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

  • Interactive Key to Seed Plants of Malesia and Indo-China

    • The Malesian Key Group (2010) Interactive Key to Seed Plants of Malesia and Indo-China (Version 2.0, 28 Jul 2010) The Nationaal Herbarium Nederland Leiden and The Royal Botanic Gardens Kew

  • Kew Bulletin

    • Kew Bulletin
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Trees of New Guinea

    • Trees of New Guinea
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • World Checklist of Vascular plants (WCVP)

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0