Cotyledon

Linnaeus

Sp. Pl. 1: 429. 1753.

,

Gen. Pl. ed. 5., 196. 1754, name conserved ,.

Etymology: Greek kotyledon, a cup-shaped hollow, alluding to leaf form of a plant now placed in Umbilicus
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 8. Treatment on page 156. Mentioned on page 148, 149, 172.
 TaxonIllustrator 
FNA8 P19 Crassula aquatica.jpegCrassula aquatica
Cotyledon
Cotyledon orbiculata
Cotyledon orbiculata var. oblonga
Yevonn Wilson-Ramsey
Yevonn Wilson-Ramsey
Yevonn Wilson-Ramsey
Yevonn Wilson-Ramsey

Shrubs, not viviparous, to 8 dm, glabrous [pubescent]. Stems erect, branching, fleshy but somewhat woody. Leaves persistent, cauline, opposite, sessile, not connate basally; blade obovate, laminar, 5–18 cm, fleshy, base not spurred, margins entire; veins not conspicuous. Inflorescences terminal cymes, ultimate branches uniparous. Pedicels present. Flowers pendulous, 5-merous; sepals connate basally, all alike; petals basally erect, distally spreading, connate into 5-gonal tube, orange [red or yellow]; calyx and corolla circumscissile at base in fruit; nectaries adnate to pistils forming cup; stamens 10; filaments adnate to corolla; pistils erect; ovary base rounded; styles longer than or equaling ovary. Fruits erect. Seeds ellipsoid, few-ribbed, finely cross-ribbed. x = 9.

Distribution

Introduced; Calif., Asia (sw Arabia), s, e Africa

Discussion

Species 11 (1 in the flora).

A. P. de Candolle (1828) narrowed Cotyledon to a natural group of African plants, for which C. H. Uhl (1948) found a distinctive karyotype, with x = 9 rather large chromosomes. H. R. Toelken (1985) further recognized two segregates, Adromischus Lemaire and Tylocodon Toelken, not in the flora area.

Selected References

None.

... more about "Cotyledon"
perigynous +  and hypogynous +
Reid V. Moran +
Linnaeus +
lobed +  and toothed +
obovate +
5 cm50 mm <br />0.05 m <br /> (18 cm180 mm <br />0.18 m <br />) +
circumscissile +
circumscissile +
Calif. +, Asia (sw Arabia) +, s +  and e Africa +
Greek kotyledon, a cup-shaped hollow, alluding to leaf form of a plant now placed in Umbilicus +
axillary +  and terminal +
persistent +
semi-inferior +  and superior +
tenuinucellate +, crassinucellate +  and bitegmic +
perigynous +  and hypogynous +
spreading +  and erect +
(3-)4-5(-12)[-30+]-carpellate +
connate +, nearly +  and distinct +
Sp. Pl. +  and Gen. Pl. ed. +
cross-ribbed +  and few-ribbed +
ellipsoid +
1 +  and many +
adnate +  and free +
antipetalous +
woody +  and fleshy +
distinct +
Cotyledon +
Crassulaceae +
5-gonal +
not conspicuous +
perennial +, biennial +  and annual +