Genipa
Encyclopedia
The genip-trees are a genus
of flowering plant
s in the family
Rubiaceae
. This genus is closely allied to Gardenia
; several Gardenia species
were originally placed in Genipa. It is not to be confused with genip (Melicoccus bijugatus), a completely unrelated eudicot. The name is derived from genipapo, the Guiana
n name for G. americana
(commonly known as Huito). The genus is also commonly called jagua, xagua or xaqua.
Most authors today restrict Genipa to the New World
species, transferring the Old World species to other genera. The ten species from Madagascar, originally described by Drake, are referred to as Genipa sensu Drake. They do not belong to the Rubiaceae tribe
Gardenieae like the New World Genipa species and their Australasian relatives, but in the tribe Octotropideae. The Genipa species sensu Drake are better placed in the otherwise South Africa
n genus Hyperacanthus
. Other species are now in Randia
, and a number of additional genera. Altogether, a mere 3 species are nowadays included in Genipa; even of the Neotropical taxa, many are now included in the widespread and variable G. americana.
s and medium-sized (up to 18 m tall) tree
s, native to tropical regions of the Americas
.
The bark
is mostly smooth and gray. The dense foliage consists of opposite leaves
that are sessile or with short peduncles. They are mostly clustered at the tips of the branches. The leathery leaves have an oblanceolate, elliptic or obovate shape. The ovate and acuminate stipule
s are interpetiolar, fused at base.
The inflorescence
is axillary or terminal. The flower
s are solitary or few in a cyme. They are at first white or creamy-white, but turn yellow later on. The flowers are sexually dimorphic; they can be bisexual or functionally unisexual. The male flowers ripen before the female flowers. The short, tubular calyx has five or six small lobes. The bell-shaped corolla consists of five symmetrical left-contorted oblong petals, rounded at their apex. The stamen
s lie between the corolla lobes, exserting for half their length. The style projects beyond the corolla. The inferior ovary
is 2-locular, with many ovule
s per locule. The fruit
is a succulent berry
with a thick rind, the size of a small lime
.
The fruits of these culturally significant plants are edible. The wood is used in handicraft
.
, Hyperacanthus
and Randia
, former members of Genipa are:
Genipa vaginata Baill. from New Caledonia
is of unclear affiliation, but almost certainly does not actually belong in the present genus.
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of flowering plant
Flowering plant
The flowering plants , also known as Angiospermae or Magnoliophyta, are the most diverse group of land plants. Angiosperms are seed-producing plants like the gymnosperms and can be distinguished from the gymnosperms by a series of synapomorphies...
s in the family
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
Rubiaceae
Rubiaceae
The Rubiaceae is a family of flowering plants, variously called the coffee family, madder family, or bedstraw family. The group contains many commonly known plants, including the economically important coffee , quinine , and gambier , and the horticulturally valuable madder , west indian jasmine ,...
. This genus is closely allied to Gardenia
Gardenia
Gardenia is a genus of 142 species of flowering plants in the coffee family, Rubiaceae, native to the tropical and subtropical regions of Africa, southern Asia, Australasia and Oceania....
; several Gardenia species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
were originally placed in Genipa. It is not to be confused with genip (Melicoccus bijugatus), a completely unrelated eudicot. The name is derived from genipapo, the Guiana
Guiana
The Guiana Shield is one of the three cratons of the South American Plate. It is a 1.7 billion year old Precambrian geological formation in northeast South America that forms a portion of the northern coast. The higher elevations on the shield are called the Guiana Highlands, which is where the...
n name for G. americana
Genipa americana
Genipa americana is a species of Genipa, native to northern South America , the Caribbean and southern Mexico, growing in rainforests. It is commonly called Genipapo or Huito; the alternate name Jagua may refer to other species of Genipa as well. To the Inca, it was known as hawa or wituq...
(commonly known as Huito). The genus is also commonly called jagua, xagua or xaqua.
Most authors today restrict Genipa to the New World
New World
The New World is one of the names used for the Western Hemisphere, specifically America and sometimes Oceania . The term originated in the late 15th century, when America had been recently discovered by European explorers, expanding the geographical horizon of the people of the European middle...
species, transferring the Old World species to other genera. The ten species from Madagascar, originally described by Drake, are referred to as Genipa sensu Drake. They do not belong to the Rubiaceae tribe
Tribe (biology)
In biology, a tribe is a taxonomic rank between family and genus. It is sometimes subdivided into subtribes.Some examples include the tribes: Canini, Acalypheae, Hominini, Bombini, and Antidesmeae.-See also:* Biological classification* Rank...
Gardenieae like the New World Genipa species and their Australasian relatives, but in the tribe Octotropideae. The Genipa species sensu Drake are better placed in the otherwise South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
n genus Hyperacanthus
Hyperacanthus
Hyperacanthus is a flowering plant genus in the family Rubiaceae, occurring on Madagascar and nearby southern Africa, approximately from Mozambique to the southernmost parts of the continent....
. Other species are now in Randia
Randia (plant)
Randia, commonly known as indigoberry, is a mostly neotropical genus of shrubs or small trees in the Rubiaceae. The International Plant Names Index lists a total of 738 names for the genus, synonyms included. Several Australian species have been reassigned to the genus Atractocarpus. These include...
, and a number of additional genera. Altogether, a mere 3 species are nowadays included in Genipa; even of the Neotropical taxa, many are now included in the widespread and variable G. americana.
Description
Genip trees are shrubShrub
A shrub or bush is distinguished from a tree by its multiple stems and shorter height, usually under 5–6 m tall. A large number of plants may become either shrubs or trees, depending on the growing conditions they experience...
s and medium-sized (up to 18 m tall) tree
Tree
A tree is a perennial woody plant. It is most often defined as a woody plant that has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground on a single main stem or trunk with clear apical dominance. A minimum height specification at maturity is cited by some authors, varying from 3 m to...
s, native to tropical regions of the Americas
Americas
The Americas, or America , are lands in the Western hemisphere, also known as the New World. In English, the plural form the Americas is often used to refer to the landmasses of North America and South America with their associated islands and regions, while the singular form America is primarily...
.
The bark
Bark
Bark is the outermost layers of stems and roots of woody plants. Plants with bark include trees, woody vines and shrubs. Bark refers to all the tissues outside of the vascular cambium and is a nontechnical term. It overlays the wood and consists of the inner bark and the outer bark. The inner...
is mostly smooth and gray. The dense foliage consists of opposite leaves
Leaf
A leaf is an organ of a vascular plant, as defined in botanical terms, and in particular in plant morphology. Foliage is a mass noun that refers to leaves as a feature of plants....
that are sessile or with short peduncles. They are mostly clustered at the tips of the branches. The leathery leaves have an oblanceolate, elliptic or obovate shape. The ovate and acuminate stipule
Stipule
In botany, stipule is a term coined by Linnaeus which refers to outgrowths borne on either side of the base of a leafstalk...
s are interpetiolar, fused at base.
The inflorescence
Inflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
is axillary or terminal. The flower
Flower
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to effect reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism for the union of sperm with eggs...
s are solitary or few in a cyme. They are at first white or creamy-white, but turn yellow later on. The flowers are sexually dimorphic; they can be bisexual or functionally unisexual. The male flowers ripen before the female flowers. The short, tubular calyx has five or six small lobes. The bell-shaped corolla consists of five symmetrical left-contorted oblong petals, rounded at their apex. The stamen
Stamen
The stamen is the pollen producing reproductive organ of a flower...
s lie between the corolla lobes, exserting for half their length. The style projects beyond the corolla. The inferior ovary
Ovary (plants)
In the flowering plants, an ovary is a part of the female reproductive organ of the flower or gynoecium. Specifically, it is the part of the pistil which holds the ovule and is located above or below or at the point of connection with the base of the petals and sepals...
is 2-locular, with many ovule
Ovule
Ovule means "small egg". In seed plants, the ovule is the structure that gives rise to and contains the female reproductive cells. It consists of three parts: The integument forming its outer layer, the nucellus , and the megaspore-derived female gametophyte in its center...
s per locule. The fruit
Fruit
In broad terms, a fruit is a structure of a plant that contains its seeds.The term has different meanings dependent on context. In non-technical usage, such as food preparation, fruit normally means the fleshy seed-associated structures of certain plants that are sweet and edible in the raw state,...
is a succulent berry
Berry
The botanical definition of a berry is a fleshy fruit produced from a single ovary. Grapes are an example. The berry is the most common type of fleshy fruit in which the entire ovary wall ripens into an edible pericarp. They may have one or more carpels with a thin covering and fleshy interiors....
with a thick rind, the size of a small lime
Lime (fruit)
Lime is a term referring to a number of different citrus fruits, both species and hybrids, which are typically round, green to yellow in color, 3–6 cm in diameter, and containing sour and acidic pulp. Limes are a good source of vitamin C. Limes are often used to accent the flavors of foods and...
.
The fruits of these culturally significant plants are edible. The wood is used in handicraft
Handicraft
Handicraft, more precisely expressed as artisanic handicraft, sometimes also called artisanry, is a type of work where useful and decorative devices are made completely by hand or by using only simple tools. It is a traditional main sector of craft. Usually the term is applied to traditional means...
.
List of species
The three remaining good species placed in Genipa are:- Genipa americanaGenipa americanaGenipa americana is a species of Genipa, native to northern South America , the Caribbean and southern Mexico, growing in rainforests. It is commonly called Genipapo or Huito; the alternate name Jagua may refer to other species of Genipa as well. To the Inca, it was known as hawa or wituq...
– Huito, genipapo, hawa or wituq (Quechua) - Genipa infundibuliformis Zappi & J.Semir
- Genipa spruceana Steyerm.
Formerly placed here
In addition to those species now in GardeniaGardenia
Gardenia is a genus of 142 species of flowering plants in the coffee family, Rubiaceae, native to the tropical and subtropical regions of Africa, southern Asia, Australasia and Oceania....
, Hyperacanthus
Hyperacanthus
Hyperacanthus is a flowering plant genus in the family Rubiaceae, occurring on Madagascar and nearby southern Africa, approximately from Mozambique to the southernmost parts of the continent....
and Randia
Randia (plant)
Randia, commonly known as indigoberry, is a mostly neotropical genus of shrubs or small trees in the Rubiaceae. The International Plant Names Index lists a total of 738 names for the genus, synonyms included. Several Australian species have been reassigned to the genus Atractocarpus. These include...
, former members of Genipa are:
- Agouticarpa curviflora, Agouticarpa williamsii
- Aidia vieillardii
- Alibertia edulis
- Bertiera spicata (as G. labiata)
- Burchellia bubalina (as G. capensis)
- Casasia calophylla, Casasia clusiifolia, Casasia nigrescens
- Catunaregam spinosa (as G. dumetorum)
- Ceriscoides campanulat
- Duroia eriopila, D. eriopila var. eriopila (as G. merianae)
- Fagerlindia esculenta
- Glossostipula concinna (as G. vulcanicola)
- Rothmannia capensisRothmannia capensisRothmannia capensis is a South African tree belonging to the Rubiaceae, usually about 5 m high in the open, but reaching 20 m under forest conditions. It occurs from the south-western Cape Province along the coastal regions and inland to the Waterberg and Soutpansberg in the Transvaal. It...
(as G. rothmannia), Rothmannia whitfieldii (as G. malleifera) - Rosenbergiodendron formosum (as G. mussaendae)
- Simira maxonii
- Sphinctanthus striiflorus (as G. striiflora)
- Tarenna asiatica (as G. pavetta)
- Tocoyena cubensis (as G. longiflora)
Genipa vaginata Baill. from New Caledonia
New Caledonia
New Caledonia is a special collectivity of France located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, east of Australia and about from Metropolitan France. The archipelago, part of the Melanesia subregion, includes the main island of Grande Terre, the Loyalty Islands, the Belep archipelago, the Isle of...
is of unclear affiliation, but almost certainly does not actually belong in the present genus.
External links
- HTMLized .pdf UNITED NATIONS CONFERENCE ON TRADE AND DEVELOPMENT - Market Brief in the European Union for selected natural ingredients derived from native species: Genipa americana, Jagua, huito (accessed 12 March 2006)
- .pdf version of above