Biology:Trilepisium
| Urnfigs | |
|---|---|
| |
| T. madagascariense | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Rosales |
| Family: | Moraceae |
| Tribe: | Dorstenieae |
| Genus: | Trilepisium Du Petit-Thouars, 1806 |
Trilepisium, the urnfigs or false-figs, is a small Afrotropical genus of plants in family Moraceae. They grow to medium-sized or large trees that occur in evergreen and semi-deciduous forests, flooded forests or forest patches and often along rivers and streams,[1] and at altitudes of up to 2,000 m[2] and over.[3]
Description
The bole may be 60 cm wide, and is often fluted at the base.[3] The smooth, grey bark is very lenticellate[4] and exudes a cream-coloured latex when damaged.[2] The yellowish to pinkish slash turns purple-red as it dries.[4] They usually branch high up to form a small and loosely pyramidal crown[3] with drooping twigs. Stipules of terminal buds eventually leave annular scars.[4]
The glossy and very dark elliptic leaves have a prominent driptip,[1] and measure up to 14 cm long.[2] They are glossy below, and have two small lobes at the base.[4]
The flowers appear in spring and are arranged in a whitish to mauve puff.[2] The puff is about 1 cm in diameter,[1] and consists of staminate male flowers and pistillate female flowers, without perianths,[2] which obscure the view of the receptacle.[5] The flowers protrude from the open apex of an urn-shaped receptacle which is about 1.5 cm long.[1]
The fig-like fruit, embedded in the fleshy receptacles, are some 2 cm long.[2] They are ellipsoidal in shape and hold a nutlet each.[1][4] Ripe fruit have the appearance of blue plums.[4]
Species
The two species are distinguished on floral characteristics:[6]
- Trilepisium gymnandrum (Baker) J.Gerlach – Silhouette Island, Seychelles
- Trilepisium madagascariense DC. – African mainland, Madagascar and Annobón island[3]
Uses and species associations
The wood of T. madagascariense is suitable for furniture, and the sap yields a red dye.[1] Its roasted seeds are eaten and it is sometimes cultivated.[3] A methanol extract, fractions and isoliquiritigenin from T. madagascariense stem bark has been shown to possess antidiarrheal activities,[7] and previously unknown trilepisflavan and trilepisuimic acid compounds were isolated from it in 2012.[8]
Trilepisium madagascariense is a larval foodplant for the butterfly Cyrestis camillus sublineata.[1] On the Seychelles the seeds are likely dispersed by frugivorous birds and fruit bats, but the pollinators are unknown.[6]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 Van Wyk, Braam (1997). Field Guide to Trees of Southern Africa. Cape Town: Struik. p. 82. ISBN 978-1-86825-922-9.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 Hyde, M.. "Trilepisium madagascariense DC.". http://www.zimbabweflora.co.zw/speciesdata/species.php?species_id=120200. Retrieved 19 November 2014.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 "Trilepisium madagascariense DC.". Conservatoire et Jardin botaniques & SANBI. 2012. http://www.ville-ge.ch/musinfo/bd/cjb/africa/details.php?langue=fr&id=24602. Retrieved 19 November 2014.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 Jongkind, C.. "Trilepisium madagascariense". http://www.liberianfaunaflora.org/FFI/Plant.aspx?p=30&ix=695&pid=3004&prcid=0&ppid=3004&family=&species=&habit=-1&fern=0&habitat=0&geog=-1&iucn=0. Retrieved 19 November 2014.
- ↑ Robertson, Hamish. "Trilepisium madagascariense (Urn-fig)". Iziko Museums. http://www.biodiversityexplorer.org/plants/moraceae/trilepisium_madagascariense.htm. Retrieved 19 November 2014.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Baguette, F.; Baboorun, T.; Harryba, S.; Senterre, B.; Beech, E. (2018). "Trilepisium gymnandrum". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2018: e.T44005A127865223. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T44005A127865223.en. https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/44005/127865223. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
- ↑ Kuiate, Jules-Roger; Kuete, Victor; Teponno, Remy Bertrand; Tapondjou, Leon Azefack; Vilarem, Gerard; Teke, Gerald Ngo (2010). "Antidiarrheal activity of extracts and compound from Trilepisium madagascariense stem bark". Indian Journal of Pharmacology 42 (3): 157–63. doi:10.4103/0253-7613.66839. PMID 20871767.
- ↑ Ango, Patrick Y.; Kapche, Deccaux W.F.G.; Kuete, Victor; Ngadjui, Bonaventure T.; Bezabih, Merhatibeb; Abegaz, Berhanu M. (September 2012). "Chemical constituents of Trilepisium madagascariense (Moraceae) and their antimicrobial activity". Phytochemistry Letters 5 (3): 524–528. doi:10.1016/j.phytol.2012.05.006. Bibcode: 2012PChL....5..524A.
Wikidata ☰ Q1324075 entry
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