Catalogue of Organisms: The Cordia Clade

The tropics are dwelling to a large range of plant species, lots of them belonging to teams much less acquainted in cooler areas of the world. Outstanding amongst these are family members Cordiaceae, a bunch of about 350 identified species of principally bushes and shrubs. The Cordiaceae (alternatively handled because the subfamily Cordioideae of the household Boraginaceae) are a nicely distinguished clade each molecularly and morphologically. Most members of the clade have flowers with the stigma divided between 4 lobes, fruits with an undivided endocarp, and plicate cotyledons (Miller & Gottschling 2007).

Seashore cordia Cordia subcordata, copyright Tauʻolunga.

Traditionally, most members of the clade have been assigned to a single genus, Cordia. This association was revised by Miller & Gottschling (2007) who recognised the separate genus Varronia for about 100 species of multi-stemmed shrubs native to the New World. The remaining 250 or so species, most of them single-trunked bushes, remained within the pantropical Cordia. The 2 genera additionally usually differ of their leaves (most Varronia have leaves with serrate margins whereas Cordia have whole margins) and inflorescences (most Cordia have broad cymose inflorescences whereas Varronia have smaller, extra compact inflorescences). Few species of Cordiaceae will not be assigned to both Cordia or Varronia. Three beforehand recognised small genera, Auxemma, Patagonula and Saccellium, are actually synonymised with Cordia. The small African genus Hoplestigma and the prostrate annual herb Coldenia procumbens are positioned in Cordiaceae totally on the idea of molecular information (Miller & Gottschling 2007; Weigend et al. 2014).

Black sage Varronia curassavica, copyright Mauricio Mercadante.

Various Cordia species are grown for his or her wooden, with South American species offering timbers generally known as bocote, freijo (C. alliodora), and ziricote (C. dodecandra). These are solely reasonably robust woods however strikingly patterned and are extra typically used for aesthetic somewhat than structural functions (akin to cupboard veneers and musical devices). Cordia alliodora has develop into an invasive in areas the place it has been planted outdoors its native vary akin to Africa and Vanuatu. Varied species are additionally grown for his or her edible fruits, such because the Assyrian plum C. myxa and the aromatic manjack C. dichotoma. These fruits are decidedly gooey when ripe and are sometimes given names reflecting this truth akin to glue berries, clammy cherries or, right here in Australia, snotty gobbles (although this title is extra broadly used for fruits of the unrelated genus Persoonia). Pulp from unripe fruits of C. myxa can supposedly even be used as a sort of glue. Your workplace studies is probably not informative however they may not less than be tasty!

REFERENCES

Miller, J. S., & M. Gottschling. 2007. Generic classification within the Cordiaceae (Boraginales): resurrection of the genus Varronia P. Br. Taxon 56 (1): 163–169.

Weigend, M., F. Luebert, M. Gottschling, T. L. P. Couvreur, H. H. Hilger & J. S. Miller. 2014. From capsules to nutlets—phylogenetic relationships within the Boraginales. Cladistics 30: 508–518.