swingle: chaetospermum 101 



species, stating that he beUeved this to be the type of a new 

 genus ''-Typum novi generis certe format, ex ordine forsan 

 excludendi."^ 



In view of Roemer's conviction that the plant constitutes a 

 new genus it seems fitting to raise his subgenus to generic rank. 



Chaetospermum (Roem.) n. gen. 



Chaetospermum Roemer, M. J., 1846, Synop. Monogr. 1: 39, as 

 subgenus of Linionia. 



Type species Limonia glutinosa, Blanco, M., 1837, Flora de Filipinas, 

 p. 358. 



A genus related to Belou, from which it differs in having persistent 

 leaves with small rounded sessile lateral leaflets, fewer stamens (twice 

 as many as the petals), fewer ovarial cells (8 to 10), an oblong ribbed 

 fruit with a thick leathery rind and cells lined with a spongy tissue 

 containing many large cavities or vacuoles (see fig. 1). 



Leaves persistent, trifoliate, lateral leaflets small, sessile, usually less 

 than one-third as long as the median, more or less blunt at the base 

 or even rounded. Terminal leaflet gradually narrowed at the base. 

 Petioles narrowly winged with a joint at the point of attachment of 

 the leaflets. Spines slender, straight, sharp, in pairs at the axils or 

 else one of the spines is replaced by a branch. Inflorescences axillary, 

 composed of from one to several flowers on rather long, slender pedicels. 

 Flowers perfect, 5-merous; calyx 5-lobed, petals 5, stamens 10, free. 

 Pistil with a well developed style and a thick rounded stigma. Ovary 

 with 8 to 10 cells, each containing numerous ovules. Fruit, oblong, 

 longitudinally ribbed, with a very thick leathery rind, and with cells 

 (filled with gum?) surrounded with watery tissue containing large 

 cavities or vacuoles. Seeds numerous in the long narrow cells, flattened 

 ovate, hairy. Germination — Cotyledons aerial, not increasing in size; 

 first foliage leaves opposite, broadly ovate, subseriate, sessile, abruptly 

 narrowed at base. 



A small tree native to the Island of Luzon, Philippine Ai-chipelago. 



Chaetospermum resembles Belou in having trifoliate leaves, a 

 many-celled ovary, and hairy seeds, but differs in many essential 

 characters as noted above. 



It agrees with Feronia in having aerial cotyledons which do 

 not, however, show any increase in size during germination as 

 in this latter genus. It agrees with Aeglopsis in having fruits 

 with a leathery rather than a woody cortex, altho there are 

 woody elements in the rind of an Aeglopsis fruit which seem to 

 be lacking in Chaetospermum. 



'Roemer, M. J., 1846, Syn. monogr. Fasc. 1: 39. 



