Callerya Endl.

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Introduction

The genus Callerya Endl. was separated from Millettia by Geesink (1984) and Schot (1994) based on its true paniculate inflorescence and diadelphous stamens, which united the formal genera Padbruggea Miq., Whitfordiodendron Elmer, and Millettia sections 'Eurybotryae' and 'Austromillettia'. There are some other genera in Millettieae that also have paniculate inflorescence, but they usually have their own distinguishing generic characters, e.g. the peculiar lomentating endocarp of Endosamara, the elongated funicle of Afgekia, the flat and indehiscent pod in Kunstleria, and the winged pod of Aganope (=Ostryocarpus) (Geesink 1984).

Schot (1994) recognized 19 Callerya species, sixteen of them are distributed in South Eastern Asia (7 in South China); the other three are only found in north eastern Australia and Papua New Guinea (C. australis, C. megasperma, and C. pilipes). However, the relationships within Callerya are still uncertain, and this genus might be para- or polyphyletic based on ITS sequence data. Among the 19 Callerya, 7 South China Callerya species recognized by Schot (1994) were lumped from 19 paniculate Millettia species described by Wei (1985a, b). Some species, like C. cinerea (Benth.) Schot, comprises 9 Millettia species which were consistently distinguishable according to Wei (1985a), is treated as one species by Schot (1994) due to the lack of habitat information from speciesmen. The morphological data might then not enough to distinguish Callerya from related genera. However, the so far tested Callerya all lacks the inverted repeat in chloroplast genome, and this loss of IR is also found in Wisteria and most of the temperate herbaceous legumes (Holo-Galegeae) but not other legumes. This putative relationships was confirmed by ITS sequence phylogeny (our preliminary data).

Some other Millettieae member might also be included in this Callerya clade, such as two other paniculate Millettia species, M. unijuga Gagnep. and M. bonatiana Pamp., possibly also belong to Callerya but they have some characters differed from generic delimitation of Callerya, e.g. monadelphous stamen in M. unijuga and panicles or racemes in M. bonatiana (Schot, 1994). Millettia japonica, on the other hand, also lack the IR in chloroplast genome might also be Callerya clade, but it was not treated as Callerya by Schot (1994) because it has non-compartmented pod and with constant presented bracteoles. We therefore suggest the molecular evidence may provide a further resolution for the relationship.

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Taxonomy

Species list:

Callerya atropurpurea

Callerya australis

Callerya cinerea

Callerya cochinchinensis

Callerya dasyphylla

Callerya eriantha

Callerya eurybotrya

Callerya fordii

Callerya kityana

Callerya megasperma

Callerya nieuwenhuisii

Callerya nitida

Callerya pilipes

Callerya reticulata

Callerya scandens

Callerya speciosa

Callerya strobilifera (picture)

Callerya sumatrana

Callerya vasta