Shrubs [trees or rarely vines], evergreen; usually glabrous, rarely puberulent (trichomes multicellular, tufted, stellate, stellulate, or unbranched). Stems erect. Leaves ± distichous (stipules supra-axillary glands, serially arranged in leaf axils just distal to petioles on branchlets, increasing in size distally); petiole relatively long or short, nectaries present; blade obovate, oblong, or broadly to narrowly elliptic, margins entire. Inflorescences terminal or axillary, racemes. Flowers: sepals [equal] 2 unequal pairs (distal pair smaller), each often subtending a nectary; stamens [28–]120–150[–ca. 250]; filaments inserted on a discoid or conical receptacle (androgynophore); anthers ellipsoid; gynophore slender, elongating in fruit. Capsules [berries] dehiscent [indehiscent], linear-cylindric, ± fleshy. Seeds [1–]10–30[–many], usually reniform, arillate, (embryo green). x = 8, 10.

Distribution

se United States, Mexico, West Indies, Central America, n South America.

Discussion

Species ca. 20 (1 in the flora).

Cynophalla is a clearcut, unique entity; its species lack the distinctive lepidote indumentum of the vegetative parts that characterizes the other woody caper genus, Quadrella, which also occurs in southern Florida and the Caribbean region. Plants of Cynophalla are usually glabrous; if pubescent, hairs are minute, stellate or simple on branches, inflorescences, or abaxially on new leaves. Some authors would place Cynophalla in the unigeneric subfamily Cynophalloideae. It is a taxonomically difficult group of species, but well-circumscribed by distinctive characteristics, such as a biseriate calyx with distal sepals smaller, and supra-axillary glands (1–3 per axil) on young shoots.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

Cynophalla flexuosa