| Eupomatia | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 1855 illustration of Eupomatia bennettii | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Magnoliids |
| Order: | Magnoliales |
| Family: | Eupomatiaceae |
| Genus: | Eupomatia R.Br.[1] |
| Type species | |
| Eupomatia laurina | |
| Species | |
Eupomatia is agenus of three species of plants in the ancient familyEupomatiaceae, and is the sole genus in the family. Eupomatiaceae is recognised by most taxonomists and classified in the plant orderMagnoliales. The three described species are shrubs or small trees, native to therainforests and humideucalypt forests of easternAustralia andNew Guinea. Thetype speciesEupomatia laurina was described in 1814 byRobert Brown.
Plants of this family are evergreen shrubs or small trees. The leaves aresimple andalternate, without hairs orstipules, and may bedistichous or spirally arranged. Leaf blades are somewhat leathery, with pinnate venation (with a midrib and pairs of veins branching off on either side) and entire (not toothed) margins. Tertiary venation is reticulate, i.e. net-like.[2][3]
The flowers are fragrant, bisexual,axillary orterminal, usually single but occasionally in clusters of 2 or 3. They are initially fully covered by a cap known as acalyptra. Theperianth (i.e. petals and sepals) is absent. Female parts mature before the males parts.Stamens andstaminodes are numerous and petal-like, arranged in a spiral following theFibonacci sequence,[4] and detaching as a whole after maturity. The ovary isinferior,locules are numerous,style is absent and thestigma sessile.[2][3]
The fleshy fruit is anaggregate and berry-like with numerous seeds. Theendosperm is ruminate (i.e. grooved or wrinkled).[2][3]
TheAPG IV system of 2016 places this family in the orderMagnoliales under the clademagnoliids,[5] where it has been through the history of theAngiosperm Phylogeny Group. It is most closely related to the familyAnnonaceae. TheAngiosperm Phylogeny Website also considers Eupomatiaceae a sister group of the family Annonaceae in the terminal clade in the order's evolution.[6]
As of 9 November 2023[update], Eupomatia contains the following three species.[1]
The species occur in tropical and subtropicalrainforests
Protogynous and autocompatible flowers, with a reduction in selfing throughherkogamy, diurnal synchronization ofanthesis and the tendency of the same plant to not flower on two consecutive days.Anthesis lasts one or two days, at the height the flower behaves functionally as a female, showing itsgynoecium and with openstaminodes, while the stamens remain below the flower. The flower later behaves as a male with the intrastaminal staminodes folded inwards hiding the gynoecium and with erect stamens. The staminodes secrete an oily exudate and emit a fruity smell that attracts beetles, particularly of the genusElleschodes (Curculionidae), that visit the flowers in both phases, in addition the synandria fall to the ground (cantharophilypollination).[7] The fruit is sweet and aromatic and it is dispersed by birds and mammals (zoochory). The fruit is also eaten by humans.
Plants contain unusuallignans andalkaloids (sampangine, eupolauridine, eupomatidine-1, liriodenine and lanuginosine, antimicrobials and antifungals) such asproanthocyanidins,cyanidin andflavonoids, in particularvelutin.Iridoids,flavonols andellagic acid are absent.Cyanogenesis absent.[citation needed]
