Cansjera Juss.

Scientific Description

Family Opiliaceae.

Habit and leaf form. Trees, or shrubs, or lianas (Australian species); evergreen (mostly), or deciduous. Partially parasitic. On roots of the host. Leaves cauline. Stem internodes solid. Self supporting, or climbing. Mesophytic. Leaves alternate; distichous; petiolate (hairy); non-sheathing; simple. Leaf blades entire (turning a characteristic yellow-green on drying); narrowly elliptic to ovate; pinnately veined; cross-venulate; attenuate at the base (to shortly attentuate). Leaves without stipules. Leaf blade margins entire. Leaf anatomy. Hairs present, or absent. Extra-floral nectaries absent. Stem anatomy. Secondary thickening developing from a conventional cambial ring.

Reproductive type, pollination. Fertile flowers hermaphrodite. Unisexual flowers absent. Plants hermaphrodite.

Inflorescence and flower features. Flowers aggregated in ‘inflorescences’; in spikes. Inflorescences axillary. Flowers sessile; bracteate (subtending each flower, small, lanceolate, rachis and bracts densely hairy, persistent, caducous). Bracts persistent, or deciduous. Flowers ebracteolate; small; fragrant; regular; 4 merous, or 5 merous; cyclic; tetracyclic. Free hypanthium present (B). Hypogynous disk present; of separate members (alternating with the stamens). Perianth with distinct calyx and corolla; 4(–5); 2 -whorled; isomerous. Calyx present; 4, or 5; 1 -whorled; gamosepalous; lobulate, or blunt-lobed; open in bud; cupuliform; regular; persistent; non-accrescent. Corolla present; 4; 1 -whorled; gamopetalous; valvate; urceolate; regular; greenish white, or yellow. Androecial members definite in number. Androecium 4–5. Androecial members free of the perianth, or adnate; all equal; free of one another (more or less adherent at the base); 1 -whorled. Androecium exclusively of fertile stamens. Stamens 4(–5); all more or less similar in shape; isomerous with the perianth; opposite perianth segments. Anthers dehiscing via longitudinal slits; tetrasporangiate. Gynoecium 2–5 carpelled. The pistil 1 celled. Carpels reduced in number relative to the perianth to isomerous with the perianth. Gynoecium syncarpous; eu-syncarpous; superior. Ovary unilocular; 1 locular; sessile. Gynoecium stylate. Styles 1; attenuate from the ovary; apical; shorter than the ovary at anthesis. Stigmas 1; capitate. Placentation basal, or free central. Ovules in the single cavity 1; pendulous, or ascending; non-arillate; anatropous.

Fruit and seed features. Fruit fleshy; indehiscent; a drupe; 1 celled; 1 locular; 1 seeded. Seeds endospermic. Endosperm oily. Seeds without a testa. Embryo well differentiated. Cotyledons (2–)3, or 4. Testa lacking.

Etymology. Derived from a Malabar name, Tsjerou-Cansjeram.