Alatococcus Acev.-Rodr., 2012

Acevedo-Rodriguez, Pedro, 2012, Alatococcus, a new genus of Sapindaceae from Espirito Santo, Brazil, PhytoKeys 10, pp. 1-5 : 1

Alatococcus Acev.-Rodr. gen. nov.

Remarks

Alatococcus siqueirae is distinguished by its fruits which consist of a single, woody, subglobose, mericarp with a wing that surrounds the entire longitudinal circumference of the locule.

Type.

Alatococcus siqueirae Acev.-Rodr.

Description.

Small to medium-sized trees. Stipules wanting. Leaves alternate, paripinnate; leaflets entire; distal leaflet rudimentary. Inflorescences distal or axillary, paniculate thyrses, with flowers in lateral sub-cincinni. Flowers functionally unisexual; calyx zygomorphic, sepals 5, free, imbricate, the outer 2 smaller; petals 5, clawed, twice as long as the sepals; appendages hood-shaped, with corniform crest and wooly ligule; disc semi-annular; stamens 8; pollen isopolar, subspheroidal, colporate, with striate ornamentation; ovary 3-carpellate, with a single ovule per carpel; stigma shortly trifid. Fruit of a single, woody, sub-globose, winged mericarp, the wing surrounding the entire longitudinal circumference of the locule; seed solitary, exarillate with a large hilum at base.

Distribution.

One species, known only from Espirito Santo, Brazil.

Etymology.

The name Alatococcus refers to the winged mericarps which characterizes the genus.