Cylicomorpha

Cylicomorpha
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Brassicales
Family: Caricaceae
Genus: Cylicomorpha
Urb., 1901
Species

Cylicomorpha is a plant genus consisting of two species that are native to the African tropics. They are the only African representatives of the Caricaceae, and are consequently related to the papaya.

Habit and appearance

They have the habit of bottle trees, and their soft, dilated trunks are armed with short conical spines. The leaves are digitately lobed. They are strictly dioecious, and like all Caricaceae, produce abundant milky sap when damaged. The inflorescences are axillary. The male panicles hold many flowers, while the female flowers are solitary or borne in small numbers on short racemes.

Species

ImageScientific nameDistribution
C. parviflora Urb.eastern Kenya, Tanzania
C. solmsii (Urb.) Urb.Cameroon

Range and occurrence

They occur as tall-growing, pioneer plants in moist submontane habitats, where they are local but gregarious. The western species, C. solmsii is locally threatened by clearance for agriculture and wood, and may be extinct at Mount Cameroon and at Barombi, Kumba.

Species interactions

The fruit of both species are eaten by birds and primates.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Cylicomorpha". e-Monograph of Caricaceae. Department of Plant Sciences, University of Oxford. Archived from the original on 4 March 2014. Retrieved 19 February 2014.
  2. 1 2 Aguirre, A.; et al. (2008). "Morphological variation in the flowers of Jacaratia mexicana A. DC. (Caricaceae), a subdioecious tree" (PDF). Plant Biology. 11 (3): 417–424. doi:10.1111/j.1438-8677.2008.00154.x. PMID 19470112. Retrieved 19 February 2014.
  3. 1 2 3 Cheek, M. (2004). "Cylicomorpha solmsii". IUCN red list of threatened species. IUCN. Retrieved 19 February 2014.
  4. ↑ "Cylicomorpha Urb. [family CARICACEAE]". Global Plants. Kew Royal Botanic Gardens, jstor. Retrieved 19 February 2014.