Abstract

AGUILAR-SANDI, Diego. ¿Samaras or samaroid fruits? Macroscopic structure of mature fruits of Myroxylon balsamum (Fabaceae, Papilionoideae). Lilloa [online]. 2020, vol.57, n.2, pp.89-98. ISSN 0075-9481.  http://dx.doi.org/https://doi.org/10.30550/j.lil/2020.57.2/1.

The taxonomic descriptions of Myroxylon balsamum mention that the fruits are sama- roids or samaras, but without providing a definition. In this article, the macroscopic structure of the mature fruits of this species is described and the carpological classification adopted is justified. Observations on the content of the seed-chamber and the quality of the seeds are also included. Flowers in different stages of development were analyzed. The floral structures were associated with the structures of the fruits. The fruits are simple, dry, indehiscent, glabrous, winged and laterally flattened. The pedicel, calyx, stipe and wing are in a proximal position, while the seed-chamber, style and stigma are distally located. The wing is an extension of the external wall of the gynoecium. In seedless fruits, the seed-chamber is flattened, the locule is reduced and the mesocarp resin deposits are conspicuous. In fruits with seeds, the seed-chamber is subglobose, the loculum is wide and the resin deposits occupy less space. The seeds may be damaged naturally. The fruits of M. balsamum are classified as samaras and not as samaroid fruits, since it is possible to differentiate both types by taking into account the floral structure that originates the wing.

Keywords : Balsam; carpology; legume; morphology; Sophoreae.

        · abstract in Spanish     · text in Spanish     · Spanish ( pdf )