Carpodetus J.R. Forst. & G. Forst.

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Credits

Article from New Trees by John Grimshaw & Ross Bayton

Recommended citation
'Carpodetus' from the website Trees and Shrubs Online (treesandshrubsonline.org/articles/carpodetus/). Accessed 2024-03-28.

Family

  • Rousseaceae (formerly Carpodetaceae)

Species in genus

Glossary

alternate
Attached singly along the axis not in pairs or whorls.
axillary
Situated in an axil.
berry
Fleshy indehiscent fruit with seed(s) immersed in pulp.
calyx
(pl. calyces) Outer whorl of the perianth. Composed of several sepals.
family
A group of genera more closely related to each other than to genera in other families. Names of families are identified by the suffix ‘-aceae’ (e.g. Myrtaceae) with a few traditional exceptions (e.g. Leguminosae).
glandular
Bearing glands.
hermaphrodite
Having both male and female parts in a single flower; bisexual.
included
(botanical) Contained within another part or organ.
indehiscent
Not opening naturally; remaining closed at maturity. (Cf. dehiscent.)
lax
Loose or open.
simple
(of a leaf) Unlobed or undivided.
taxonomy
Classification usually in a biological sense.

References

There are no active references in this article.

Credits

Article from New Trees by John Grimshaw & Ross Bayton

Recommended citation
'Carpodetus' from the website Trees and Shrubs Online (treesandshrubsonline.org/articles/carpodetus/). Accessed 2024-03-28.

The two species of Carpodetus occur in New Zealand (C. serratus, described below) and in New Guinea and the Solomon Islands (C. arboreus Schltr.). They are small evergreen trees or shrubs with simple, alternate leaves. The leaves are serrated with glandular margins. The inflorescences are lax, terminal and axillary panicles. The flowers are hermaphrodite only or with hermaphrodite and female flowers on separate trees. The calyx is conical with (four to) five to six lobes; petals and stamens match the number of teeth. The fruit is a leathery, indehiscent berry with numerous small seeds (Allan 1961, van Royen 1983). The relationships of Carpodetus have long puzzled systematists. Modern DNA-based taxonomy places it in the small family Rousseaceae (Lundberg 2001, APG 2003), though previously it has at different times been included in the Escalloniaceae, the Grossulariaceae, the Saxifragaceae, and in its own family Carpodetaceae (together with the closely related genera Abrophyllum Hook. f. ex Benth. and Cuttsia F. Muell.).