Emmotum nitens (Benth.) Miers, 1852

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 : 112

Emmotum nitens (Benth.) Miers

Fig. 35.18–35.27

Material examined

Specimen used for endocarp and fruit description

BRAZIL • 1968; R.M. Harley & R. Souza 10028; P [ MNHN-P-P05279304 ].

Other material

BRAZIL • 1969; M. Claussen 1838; P [ MNHN-P-P04513313 ] • 1974; R.M. Harley et al. 15081; P [ MNHN-P-P04513269 ] • 1894; A. Glaziou 22041; P [ MNHN-P-P04513276 ].

BOLIVIA • 1993; R. Quevedo 927; P [ MNHN-P-P04513320 ].

Description

FRUIT. Black when dry, globose. Epicarp glabrous. Calyx persistent. Length 10–15 mm, width 10– 15 mm, thickness 15–18 mm.

ENDOCARP. Cream, bilaterally symmetrical, trilocular, three-seeded, globose in lateral view and transverse section, flattened in the apex-base axis, length ca 10.4 mm, width ca 14.9 mm, thickness ca 15 mm. Keel surrounding the endocarp on dorsal side only. Apex and base flattened in lateral view. Outer surface of the endocarp rugose with long and brittle rugosities. Endocarp wall of two parts: the outer part, ca 400 µm thick (930–1230 µm with rugosities), surrounds the three inner locule walls (350–390 µm thick), which surround the seeds. The outer surface of the endocarp with circular pores piercing the wall, ca 110 µm in diameter. Endocarp wall with sclerotic, isodiametric and homogeneous cells (inner and outer walls), 59.4–111.9 µm in diameter. Cells pitted and with spikes inside.

Remarks

The pores piercing the outer part of the wall might offer a means of gas exchange between the outer and inner parts of the locules. The significance of the spikes inside the endocarp cells is currently unclear.