''Costera'' is a genus in the
Ericaceae found in the
Malesian floristic region. It is a small genus of often
epiphytic
An epiphyte is an organism that grows on the surface of a plant and derives its moisture and nutrients from the air, rain, water (in marine environments) or from debris accumulating around it. The plants on which epiphytes grow are called phoroph ...
shrubs that grows in
tropical rainforests.
[
]
Description
''Costera'' is a small genus of shrubs with glabrous, leathery, unlobed leaves
A leaf (plural, : leaves) is any of the principal appendages of a vascular plant plant stem, stem, usually borne laterally aboveground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", wh ...
arranged in alternate phyllotaxy
In botany, phyllotaxis () or phyllotaxy is the arrangement of leaves on a plant stem. Phyllotactic spirals form a distinctive class of patterns in nature.
Leaf arrangement
The basic arrangements of leaves on a stem are opposite and alternat ...
. The inflorescences are axile and sessile; flowers emerge in bundles directly from the stem.[
The flowers are small and tetramerous or pentamerous. They are directly attached to the stem via a ]pedicel
Pedicle or pedicel may refer to:
Human anatomy
*Pedicle of vertebral arch, the segment between the transverse process and the vertebral body, and is often used as a radiographic marker and entry point in vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty procedures
...
with 2 basal bracts. The calyx
Calyx or calyce (plural "calyces"), from the Latin ''calix'' which itself comes from the Ancient Greek ''κάλυξ'' (''kálux'') meaning "husk" or "pod", may refer to:
Biology
* Calyx (anatomy), collective name for several cup-like structures ...
is mostly fused and forms 4 or 5 apical teeth, which are the unfused tips of the sepals. The 4 or 5 petals are also fused into a short tube, and the inner surface of the corolla
Corolla may refer to:
*Corolla (botany), the petals of a flower, considered as a unit
*Toyota Corolla, an automobile model name
* Corolla (headgear), an ancient headdress in the form of a circlet or crown
* ''Corolla'' (gastropod), a genus of moll ...
contains minute laciniate projections toward the base. The alternating stamens are lightly appressed to the corolla and have a short linear filament. The anthers are elongated, tubular, and erect. They face inward and release pollen
Pollen is a powdery substance produced by seed plants. It consists of pollen grains (highly reduced microgametophytes), which produce male gametes (sperm cells). Pollen grains have a hard coat made of sporopollenin that protects the gametophyt ...
through an apical pore. The ovary
The ovary is an organ in the female reproductive system that produces an ovum. When released, this travels down the fallopian tube into the uterus, where it may become fertilized by a sperm. There is an ovary () found on each side of the body. ...
is inferior and is divided into 4 or 5 locules with many ovules; the original description notes that the number of locules may vary by species. The style is straight, with a stigma that is minutely thickened. The nectary disc is ring-shaped and inconspicuous. The fruit is subspherical and is crowned by the calyx.[
Members of ''Costera'' may be confused with '' Vaccinium'', from which they can be distinguished by their glabrous leaves and lack of a line of articulation in the pedicel that is found in Bornean ''Vaccinium'' species. Their bundled, sessile inflorescences resemble those of '']Diplycosia
''Diplycosia'' is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Ericaceae.
Its native range is Indo-China to Papuasia
Papuasia is a Level 2 botanical region defined in the World Geographical Scheme for Recording Plant Distributions ( ...
''.[
]
Taxonomy and naming
''Costera'' was described in the fourth volume of the ''Icones Bogoriensis'' in 1914 by Johannes Jacobus Smith.Vaccinieae
Vaccinieae is a tribe of over 1000 species in the plant family Ericaceae. The tribe consists of morphologically diverse woody plants. Species within Vaccinieae can be found on all continents except Australia and Antarctica. Genetic analysis indic ...
, where it may be one of the most genetically divergent members.Karimata Islands
The Karimata Islands are a chain of small islands off the west coast of Indonesian Borneo, the largest of which is (Pulau) Karimata, being about across (east-west). It is part of Kayong Utara Regency of West Kalimantan province in Indonesia. Kar ...
.
As of February 2023, it consists of 10 accepted species:[
* '' Costera borneensis'' J.J.Sm.
* '' Costera cyclophylla'' (Airy Shaw) J.J.Sm. & Airy Shaw
* '' Costera endertii'' J.J.Sm.
* '' Costera lanaensis'' (Merr.) Airy Shaw & J.J.Sm.
* '' Costera loheri'' (Merr.) Airy Shaw & J.J.Sm.
* '' Costera lucida'' (Merr.) Airy Shaw & J.J.Sm.
* '' Costera macrantha'' Argent
* '' Costera ovalifolia'' J.J.Sm.
* '' Costera sumatrana'' J.J.Sm.
* '' Costera tetramera'' Sleumer
]
References
External links
*
{{Taxonbar, from=Q8351366
Vaccinioideae
Ericaceae genera