Oncotheca balansae Baill.

Rio, Cédric Del, Stull, Gregory W. & Franceschi, Dario De, 2020, Survey of the fruits and endocarps of Icacinaceae (Lamiids, Icacinales), European Journal of Taxonomy 645, pp. 1-130 : 114

Oncotheca balansae Baill.

Fig. 36.9–36.14

Material examined

Specimen used for endocarp and fruit description

NEW-CALEDONIA • 1979; H.S. Mackee 37671; P [ MNHN-P-P00180992 ].

Description

FRUIT. Brown-black when dry, more or less globose but flattened in the apex-base axis. Epicarp glabrous. Calyx persistent. Length ca 10.4 mm, width ca 16.7 mm, thickness ca 16.7 mm.

ENDOCARP. Brown, with five locules and five seeds, globose in transverse section. Outer surface of the endocarp smooth. Endocarp wall with two parts, the outer part surrounding the inner locule walls, but outer and inner walls fused and difficult to dissociate. All walls ca 2 mm thick, inner endocarp wall (locule) ca 200 µm thick, with crystalliferous cells. Endocarp wall with sclerotic cells, with two stratified cell layers: outermost layer with numerous rows of isodiametric cells, cells 28.3–44.0 µm in diameter; innermost layer with one row of periclinally oriented cells, cells 2.4–3.3 µm in width, lining the locule surface with inflated, elongate and semi-triangular cells.

Remarks

The mesocarp is strongly attached to the endocarp wall. The structure of the endocarp is difficult to break due to the thickness of the endocarp wall.