Cecarria

Cecarria is a monotypic genus in the family Loranthaceae. The sole species is Cecarria obtusifolia, a hemiparasitic aerial shrub.[1]

Cecarria
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Santalales
Family: Loranthaceae
Genus: Cecarria
Barlow
Species:
C. obtusifolia
Binomial name
Cecarria obtusifolia
Occurrence data from GBIF
Synonyms[1]

Description

Cecarria obtusifolia is an aerial, stem-parasitic shrub, and like species in the genus Muellerina, it has epicortical runners.[3] It is glabrous throughout.[4] The obovate or broadly obovate[3] leaves are opposite, curvinerved, and rounded at the apex.[3] The leaf blades are 30–55 mm long and 20–45 mm wide, and attenuate into an obscure petiole 2–6 mm long.[5] The inflorescence is axillary, with and a two-flowered umbel or a four-flowered raceme or spike; there are nearly orbicular bracts[5] beneath each flower.[3] The flower has six free petals. The stamens are nearly equal, and the anthers are dorsifixed and versatile,[3] having a short sterile tip with the free part of the filament about 2 mm long.[5]

The peduncle is 6–9 mm long and up to 20 mm when the inflorescence is a raceme. The flowers are sessile or on pedicels up to 3 mm long. The calyx is entire and 0.5–1 mm long. The ivory-white corolla in mature bud is 10–14 mm long and slightly club-shaped. The fruit is almost spherical and about 8 mm long.[5]

Distribution and habitat

Cecarria obtusifolia occurs in the Philippines, New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, and in Cape York Peninsula, Queensland, Australia,[3] and also in the Lesser Sunda Islands and Bougainville (New Guinea).[6] The genus is thought to be a relictual Gondwanan entity.[3]

In Australia it occurs in the McIlwraith Range area in Queensland, growing in rainforest. Recorded hosts include plants in the genera: Calophyllum, Casuarina,[7] and Syzygium, and Xanthostemon.[5][7]

Taxonomy

The species was first described by Elmer Drew Merrill as Phrygilanthus obtusifolius in 1906.[5][4] In 1973, Bryan Barlow redescribed it, assigning it to the new genus, Cecarria, and the name thus became C. obtusifolia.[1][2] The current accepted description is that of Barlow in 1984.[1][8]

The genus Cecarria is named for Cedric Errol Carr (1892–1936).[3] The leaves, which are blunt and rounded at the apex (tip), gave rise to the latin-derived name, obtusifolia, meaning "obtuse-leaved".[9]

Conservation

It is considered to be "Not Threatened" (NT) in Queensland under the Nature Conservation Act 1992 of Queensland.[10]

References
  1. "Cecarria obtusifolia". Australian Plant Name Index (APNI), IBIS database. Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research, Australian Government. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
  2. Barlow, B. A.; Wiens, D. (1973). "The Classification of the Generic Segregates of Phrygilanthus (=Notanthera of the Loranthaceae". Brittonia. 25 (1): 26. doi:10.2307/2805488. ISSN 0007-196X.
  3. Barlow, B.A. (1984) Cecarria . Flora of Australia Online. Department of the Environment and Heritage, Australian Government. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
  4. Merrill, E.D. (1906), Philippine Journal of Science 1 (Suppl.): 189
  5. Barlow, B.A. (1984) "Cecarria obtusifolia(Merr.) Barlow". Flora of Australia Online. Department of the Environment and Heritage, Australian Government.
  6. Cecarria obtusifolia GBIF.org (28 December 2018) GBIF Occurrence Download https://doi.org/10.15468/dl.dbpsoy
  7. Nickrent, D. The Parasitic Plant Connection: Cecarria obtusifolia. Department of Plant Biology, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
  8. Barlow, B.A. (1984) in George, A.S. (ed) Loranthaceae, Flora of Australia Volume 22 Rhizophorales to Celastrales (pp.90-91, Fig. 23E-F, Map 103). Commonwealth of Australia, Canberra.
  9. Stearn, W.T. (1992) Botanical Latin (4th ed) p.414, p.455. Timber Press, Oregon. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
  10. Rare or threatened plants of Queensland Queensland Government, Department of Environment and Science. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
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