| Lepiderema | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Lepiderema pulchella | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Sapindales |
| Family: | Sapindaceae |
| Subfamily: | Sapindoideae |
| Tribe: | Cupanieae |
| Genus: | Lepiderema Radlk.[1] |
| Type species | |
| Lepiderema papuana Radlk.[1] | |
| Species | |
See text | |
Lepiderema is a genus of eight species of trees in the lychee familySapindaceae native to New Guinea (2 species) and eastern Australia (6 species), plus one more from Queensland that is yet to be formally described. Thetype species isLepiderema papuana.[1][2][3][4]
Plants in this genus are shrubs or small trees that are usuallymonoecious, i.e. flowers are either male or female, but both will be produced by an individual plant. The leaves are alternate andcompound, with an even number of opposite or sub-opposite leaflets that may have smooth or toothed edges. The petiolules (the stalks of the leaflets) are usually short andpulvinate. Inflorescences may beracemes orpanicles, produced in theleaf axils or from the branches on old wood. Flowers are regular and5-merous with 6–8 stamens, ovaries are3-locular with one ovule per locule. The fruit are 3-locularcapsules, glabrous, dehiscent, becoming woody. Seeds ellipsoid, one per locule, either fully or partly enclosed in anaril.[4][5][6]
The genus was erected in 1879 by the Bavarian botanistLudwig Adolph Timotheus Radlkofer to accommodate the newly described plantLepiderema papuana. The genus nameLepidorema is from the Ancient Greek wordslepís meaning a scale or flake, anderêmos meaning "bereft of" or without. It refers to the scale-less petals.[3]
Plants in this genus inhabit rainforest of New Guinea and eastern Australia. The type speciesP. papuana is known from a single collection inWestern New Guinea, likewiseP. melanorrhachis is known from only one collection inPapua New Guinea. All other species are found inQueensland, with one –P. pulchella –extending into the northeastern part ofNew South Wales.[3][4]
As of 24 April 2024[update], there are 8 species formally recognised, as follows:[1][2][3][6]
In addition to the above, the following name is awaiting formal publication:[1][3]
