Tetrathylacium Explained

Tetrathylacium is a genus of two species of shrubs and small trees in the family Salicaceae native to southern Central America and northern South America. Previously it was treated in the family Flacourtiaceae^[1] but was moved along with its close relatives to the Salicaceae based on analyses of DNA data.^[2] Tetrathylacium is rather unique in the Samydaceae in having tightly arranged panicles of spikes, four sepals and stamens, and non-arillate seeds.^[3] The stems are often inhabited by ants, and T. macrophyllum is suspected to have locust pollination.^[4]

Notes and References

1. Lemke . David . A synopsis of Flacourtiaceae . Aliso . 1988 . 12 . 29–43. 10.5642/aliso.19881201.05 . free .
2. 10.2307/4110825 . Mark W. . Chase . Sue Zmarzty . M. Dolores Lledó . Kenneth J. Wurdack . Susan M. Swensen . Michael F. Fay . 2002 . When in doubt, put it in Flacourtiaceae: a molecular phylogenetic analysis based on plastid rbcL DNA sequences . 4110825 . Kew Bulletin . 57 . 1 . 141–181. 2002KewBu..57..141C .
3. Sleumer . Hermann . Flacourtiaceae . Flora Neotropica . 1980 . 22 . 1–499.
4. Schmelz . V. . Weber . A. . Tetrathylacium macrophyllum (Flacourtiaceae/Salicaceae) – the first case of locust pollination? . Beitr. Naturkunde Oberösterr. [abstract] . 2006 . 16 . 577.