Introduction - Species Plantarum Programme

16
SPECIES PLANTARUM — FLORA OF THE WORLD (1999)
hypogynous, pedicellate, bracteate. Sepals and petals 5, free, imbricate. Stamens 5, opposite
petals and adnate to them at base; anthers dorsifixed, bilocular, introrse by longitudinal slits;
staminodes 5, alternate with stamens, petaloid, each with a basal depressed-globular nectary.
Ovary superior, 1-locular; ovule 1 on apical placenta, anatropous; styles 1 or 2; stigma
capitate. Fruit a drupe. Seeds without endosperm; embryo straight. [103 words]
A single genus Corynocarpus with c. 6 species, native to eastern Australia, New Guinea,
New Caledonia, New Zealand and Vanuatu.
W.B.Hemsley, On the genus Corynocarpus Forst., with descriptions of two new species,
Ann. Bot. 17: 743–760, t. 36 (1903); C.G.G.J.van Steenis, Corynocarpaceae, Fl. Males. ser.
I, 4: 262–264 (1951); J.Krause, Corynocarpaceae, Nat. Pflanzenfam. 2nd edn, 20b: 22–35
(1960); D.B.Foreman, Corynocarpaceae, Handb. Fl. Papua New Guinea 1: 111–113 (1978).
CORYNOCARPUS
Corynocarpus J.R.Forst. & G.Forst., Char. Gen. Pl. 31, t. 16 (1776).
Type: C. laevigatus J.R.Forst. & G.Forst.
Leaves not aristate, juveniles with entire margins; petals shortly spathulate,
entire; staminodes irregularly lobed 1. C. cribbianus
Leaves aristate, juveniles with spinose margins; petals oblong-spathulate,
minutely fimbriate at apex; staminodes denticulate 2. C. rupestris
(partial key only)
Key to genera
Amended from Fl. Australia 22: 214 (1984)
Next follows the key to genera which is titled as such. Where infrafamilial taxa are
recognised and described, genera in each may be keyed separately. Where no infrafamilial
ranks are used, or where it is more convenient to do so, the key to genera may follow directly
after the family treatment. The key to genera is intended primarily as an aid in identification
and therefore should be as simple as possible. In the Solanaceae (Fl. Australia 29: 3–5,
1982), note that many of the leads are of only one or two lines of text. It is quite acceptable
for variable taxa to be keyed out in more than one place, as for example Nicotiana in this
key.
In constructing the key the most important consideration is workability. It should be tested
with as many species as possible, in particular to ensure that the user does not finish up at a
dead end or have to choose for or against a character that has already been chosen against.
As far as possible, especially in large keys, the early couplets should be used to divide the
major parts of a key into more or less equal-sized groups of taxa. This prevents a key
becoming indented too far to the right.
Sometimes it will be valuable to have more than one key to genera, as for example if the
included species are dioecious. The Cucurbitaceae are such a case, with separate keys based
on male and female plants.
KEY TO GENERA BASED ON MALE FLOWERS
1 Male flowers in panicles, rarely racemes; stamens 5, free, inserted on
disc 1. NEOALSOMITRA
1: Male flowers not in panicles (rarely in dichotomous racemes appearing
paniculate); stamens 3, free, coherent or fused, not inserted on disc