WECKERLE, CAROLINE S.*, PETER K. ENDRESS, and ROLF RUTISHAUSER. Institute of Systematic Botany, University of Zurich, Zollikerstrasse 107, CH-8008 Zurich, Switzerland. - Systematics of the genus Averrhoidium (Sapindaceae) with special emphasis on its fruit morphology.
The neotropical genus Averrhoidium Baillon (Sapindaceae)
belongs to the tribe Doratoxyleae and comprises four species with
disjunct areas of distribution. Recently a new species,
Averrhoidium dalyi Acevedo & Ferrucci, was described from Peru
and Brazil, based on vegetative material and undehisced fruits. The
other three species are known from a few herbarium specimens only.
Here we present for the first time observations on live material and
detailed morphological and anatomical data of flowers and dehisced
fruits. This information contributes to a more complete
circumscription of the genus Averrhoidium. The fruits of
Averrhoidium dalyi are one-seeded capsules. They dehisce on one
side, allowing the placenta and parts of the septa to turn outwards
like a tongue. The single seed, with a conspicuous white sarcotesta,
is still fixed to the placenta but is dangling between neighboring
undehisced red capsules, and presumably attracts birds for seed
dispersal. Seeds displayed by their own placenta have not been
reported for Sapindaceae as yet. A morphological cladistic analysis
including these new morphological characters was conducted in order to
infer the phylogenetic relationships of Averrhoidium within the
family. Its inclusion within the Doratoxyleae clade was confirmed
based on the presence of an uninflated fruit with a single pendulous
seed. It occupies a basal position in this clade and is
distinguishable from the other members by the possession of dehiscent
fruits.
Key words: Averrhoidium, Doratoxyleae, flower morphology, fruit morphology, Sapindaceae