Trochocarpa is a genus of about 16 species of flowering plants in the family Ericaceae[2] native to Australia, New Guinea, Borneo and Malesia. Plants in the genus Trochocarpa are shrubs or small trees, the leaves with more or less parallel veins, flowers in small clusters, each with 5 sepals, petals joined to form a cylindrical or bell-shaped tube, and the fruit a more or less spherical drupe.
| Trochocarpa | |
|---|---|
| |
| Trochocarpa laurina | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Ericales |
| Family: | Ericaceae |
| Subfamily: | Epacridoideae |
| Tribe: | Styphelieae |
| Genus: | Trochocarpa R.Br.[1] |
Description
editPlants in the genus Trochocarpa are shrubs or small trees. The leaves are a paler shade on the lower surface and have a few branching, more or less parallel veins visible on the lower surface, and a short petiole. The flowers are borne in small spikes in leaf axils or on the ends of branches on older wood, the flowers sessile with a small bract and 2 bracteoles at the base of the 5 egg-shaped sepals. The petals are joined at the base to form a cylindrical or bell-shaped tube. The stamens protrude from the end of the petal tube with their filaments attached to the tube. The ovary is glabrous with 8 to 11 locules, each locule with one ovule. The fruit is a drupe with a pulpy mesocarp and a hard endocarp.[2][3]
Taxonomy
editThe genus Trochocarpa was first formally described in 1810 by Robert Brown in his Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae et Insulae Van Diemen, and the first species he described (the type species) was Trochocarpa laurina.[4][5] The genus name (Trochocarpa) is from Ancient Greek trochos meaning "wheel", and carpos meaning "fruit".[6]
Species
editThe following is a list of Trochocarpa species accepted by Plants of the World Online as at May 2024:[7]
- Trochocarpa arfakensis (Kaneh. & Hatus.) Sleumer – New Guinea
- Trochocarpa celebica (J.J.Sm.) Steenis – Borneo, Sulawesi
- Trochocarpa clarkei (F.Muell.) F.Muell. – Victoria Australia
- Trochocarpa cunninghamii (DC.) W.M.Curtis (1963) – Tasmania, Australia
- Trochocarpa dekockii (J.J.Sm.) H.J.Lam – New Guinea
- Trochocarpa dispersa Sleumer – New Guinea
- Trochocarpa disticha (Labill.) Spreng. – Tasmania
- Trochocarpa gjelleruppi (J.J.Sm.) H.J.Lam – New Guinea
- Trochocarpa gunnii (Hook.f.) Benth. – Tasmania
- Trochocarpa laurina (Rudge) R.Br. – NSW, Qld, New Guinea
- Trochocarpa montana J.B.Williams & J.T.Hunter – N.S.W.
- Trochocarpa novae-zealandiae Colenso
- Trochocarpa nubicola (Wernham) Sleumer – New Guinea
- Trochocarpa nutans (J.J.Sm.) H.J.Lam – New Guinea
- Trochocarpa papuana (C.H.Wright) Sleumer – New Guinea
- Trochocarpa thymifolia (R.Br.) Spreng. – Tasmania
References
edit- ^ "Trochocarpa". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
- ^ a b Wiecek, Barbara. "Trochocarpa". Royal Botanic Garden, Sydney. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
- ^ Albrecht, David E. "Trochocarpa". Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
- ^ "Trochocarpa". Australian Plant Name Index. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
- ^ Brown, Robert (1810). Prodromus florae Novae Hollandiae et insulae Van-Diemen, exhibens characteres plantarum quas annis 1802-1805. London. p. 548. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
- ^ Wapstra, Mark (2010). Tasmanian plant names unravelled. Launceston, Tasmania: Fullers Bookshop Pty Ltd. p. 126. ISBN 9780980472028.
- ^ "Trochocarpa". Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 29 May 2024.