Xylopia

Xylopia is a genus of plants in the Annonaceae family, order Magnoliales. There are 160 species distributed in Asia, Africa, and the Americas.

Description

They are shrubs or trees with chartaceous to subcoriaceous leaves, the main vein flat or printed on the upper side; canaliculate petioles. Solitary flowers or inflorescences with few flowers, axillary or arranged in the old branches; sepals valvate, connate only at the base or fused into a dome; petals 6, valvate, subequal, fleshy, linear to ovate; stamens numerous, anthers with enlarged, discoid or elongated connectives; carpels few to numerous, ovaries included in androecium, ovules 2–10. Fruit a fascicle of short-stipitated monocarps, cylindrical to subglobose or clavate, dehiscent by means of a suture opposite the carpellar suture; black seeds with white aril.

Taxonomy

The genus was described by Carlos Linnaeus and published in Systema Naturae, Editio Decima 2: 1241, 1250, 1378. 1759. The type species is: Xylopia muricata L.

Species

• Complete list of species