Sechium
IUCN
NCBI
EOL Text
Monoecious climber, with a tuberous root, bearing tendrils. Flowers cream or greenish-white. Male inflorescence a raceme of numerous flowers. Female inflorescence axillary, consisting of 1-2 flowers. Fruit large, thick, often ± pear-shaped, sometimes spiny.
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| Rights holder/Author | Mark Hyde, Bart Wursten, Petra Ballings, Flora of Zimbabwe |
| Source | http://www.zimbabweflora.co.zw/cult/genus.php?genus_id=2128 |
Sechium
Bejucos herbáceos, monoicos, trepadores mediante zarcillos axilares, 3-5-fidos; sin látex; tallo tuberoso en la base. Hojas alternas, pecioladas; láminas simples, palmatilobadas; estípulas ausentes. Flores unisexuales, actinomorfas; cáliz campanulado, con 5 lóbulos diminutos; corola campanulada o rotácea, con los lóbulos profundos. Flores estaminadas en racimos o panículas axilares con pedúnculos alargados; estambres 5, los filamentos unidos entre sí para formar una columna central, las anteras sigmoides; pistilodios ausentes. Flores pistiladas solitarias o en pares, menores que las estaminadas, axilares a la inflorescencia estaminada; ovario ínfero, obovoide, unicarpelar, con un óvulo péndulo, solitario, el estilo terminal, simple, corto, el estigma subgloboso. Fruto indehiscente, carnoso, piriforme, sulcado, espinuloso; semilla única, grande, comprimida, germinando dentro del fruto. Género nativo de Centroamérica, con alrededor de 5 especies.
Sechium
Herbaceous vines, monoecious, climbing by axillary tendrils, 3-5-fid; without latex; stem tuberous at the base. Leaves alternate, petiolate; blades simple, palmatilobed; stipules absent. Flowers unisexual, actinomorphic; calyx campanulate, with 5 minute lobes; corolla campanulate or rotate, the lobes deep. Staminate flowers in axillary racemes or panicles with elongate peduncles; stamens 5, the filaments united to one another to form a central column, the anthers sigmoid; pistillodes absent. Pistillate flowers solitary or in pairs, smaller than the staminate flowers, axillary to the staminate inflorescence; ovary inferior, obovoid, unicarpellate, with a pendulous ovule, solitary, the style terminal, simple, short, the stigma subglobose. Fruit indehiscent, fleshy, pyriform, sulcate, spinulose; seed one, large, compressed, germinating inside the fruit. A genus native to Central America, of about 5 species.
Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLD) Stats
Specimen Records:15
Specimens with Sequences:15
Specimens with Barcodes:5
Species:5
Species With Barcodes:5
Public Records:13
Public Species:5
Public BINs:0
Sechium is a genus in subtribe Sicyinea of the tribe Sicyeae of the gourd family Cucurbitaceae. Its best known member is the edible and widely cultivated Chayote.
Main species[edit]
- Sechium compositum (Donn. Sm.) C. Jeffrey
- Sechium edule (Jacq.) Sw. The chayote or christophine
- Sechium hintonii (Paul G. Wilson) C. Jeffrey
- Sechium jamaicense J. St.-Hil.
- Sechium tacaco (Pittier) C. Jeffrey
References[edit]
- ^ Rafael Lira Saade (1996). Chayote: Sechium edule (Jacq.) Sw.. International Plant Genetic Resources Institute.
- ^ "USDA GRIN Taxonomy".
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| Source | http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sechium&oldid=626320823 |