Fruit

Bongcheewin, B. & Paton, A., 2023, A taxonomic revision of Glossocarya (Lamiaceae: Ajugoideae) in Thailand, Blumea 68 (1), pp. 52-62 : 56

Fruit

The fruit is hard, elongate and undivided when immature, sepa- rating at maturity into four one-seeded mericarps. Mericarps originate from a bicarpellate ovary, in which each carpel is subsequently partitioned by a false septum ( Fig. 4 ). Based on the fruit morphology, Glossocarya may be classified into two artificial groups, i.e., 1) carpophore present, which is a central column in which the mericarps are inserted and mericarps are basally winged (see Fig. 4 , 5c ); 2) carpophore absent with mericarps slightly flattened basally ( Fig. 5a, 5d ) or unflattened ( Fig. 5b, 5e ). The first group includes species with a carpophore: the seed and a false septum are much shorter than the pericarp due to the present of the carpophore, and therefore the mericarps are basally winged. Four species in this group are distributed mainly in Northern Australia and the Malesia, i.e., G. calcicola , G. coriacea , G. hemiderma and G. mollis . Glossocarya mollis is the only species of this group in continental South East Asia, and is found from Northern Myanmar in the north to Papua New Guinea in the south. The second group has no carpophore or a very short stalk, with seeds and false septa as long as the mericarps. This group includes five species: G. crenata , G. longiflora , G. premnoides , G. scandens and G. siamensis . This group is found mainly in continental South East Asia, except G. scandens which has a disjunct distribution in Sri Lanka and Papua New Guinea ( Bramley & Davies 2019). The upper half of mericarps, which are exserted from the calyx, usually have hairs. The mericarp of G. mollis is pilose with long patent hairs ( Fig. 2c , 4 , 5c ) on the upper and glabrous on the lower half, which is included in the calyx. Glossocarya premnoides has short adpressed hairs ( Fig. 4f–g , 5d ). The indu- mentum on the mericarp is rather fluffy or subadpressed in G. crenata ( Fig. 1c , 5a ), G. longiflora ( Fig. 5b ) and G. siamensis ( Fig. 5e ).

Figures

Fig. 4 A schematic insertion of mericarps of Glossocarya mollis on a carpophore indicated by one-headed arrows. i–ii, iii–iv are formed from the two carpels indicated by two-headed arrows; c. carpophore (side view), f. fruit with persistent calyx, fs. false septum, i–iv. mericarps, s. seed (i–iv: Bongcheewin 1129, PBM; f: Maxwell 73­694, BK).

Fig. 5 Fruit morphology of Glossocarya showing fruits and mericarps. a. G. crenata H.R.Fletcher; b. G. longiflora H.R.Fletcher; c. G. mollis Wall. ex Griff. with carpophores showing front view (left), side view (right); d. G. premnoides Ridl.; e. G. siamensis Craib (a: Tangthong 1121, BKF; b: Lakshnakara 284, BK; c: Bongcheewin 1129, PBM; d. Maxwell 87­234, BK; e. Kerr 4502, BK). — Scale bars: 5 mm.

Fig. 2 Glossocarya mollis Wall. ex Griff. a. Habit; b. inflorescence; c. infructescence. — Photos: Bhanubong Bongcheewin.

Fig. 1 Glossocarya crenata H.R.Fletcher. a. Habit, indicated by red arrows; b–c. inflorescence; d. infructescence. — Photos: a, c. Bhanubong Bongcheewin, b, d. Jakrapong Thangthong.