Comparative Petiole Chatateristics of C. Albidum, C. Cainito and C. Subnudum (Sapotaceae)

Abstract

The family sapotaceae has Chrysophyllum as one of its genus, this family sapotaceae belongs to Order Ericales. According to Benson (1957)  was of the opinion that the family is distributed widely through tropical and warm areas. The family comprises trees and shrubs with about 70 genera and 800 species with milky latex (Gill, 1988), David and Heywood (1963).

Chrysophylum is derived from Greek, meaning “Golden leaf” from the colour of the hairs of some species. It is a tropical tree growing rapidly up to 10-20cm or more in height. Chrysophyllum has about 70-800 species, with seven (7) species occurring in Nigeria (Keay, 1989). The fruits of the genus Chrysophyllum are largely berry containing five large flattered seed.

In West Africa, 23 genera and more than 300 species are recorded. The genera includes; Manikara, Mimusops, Kanton, Breviea, Delipdora, Chrysophyllum, Pachytela. (Hutschson and Daniel 1963; Gill, 1988) 15 genera are recorded in Nigeria among which is Chrysophyllum. They are evergreen trees; the trees are usually long and straight but often low branching, deeply fluted, sometimes with small buttresses at the base. (Keay,1989).

Members of this family are often characterised by the presence of reddish hairs on the abaxial leaf surface. The leaves are simple alternate or rarely opposite, usually entire and coriaceous.

Stipulates are sometimes present but normally fall often extremely easy and are in practical terms only seen in few species.

The flowers are regular and usually bisexual and actinomorphic, only in a few species are they bisexually. They nearly always occur in clusters in the leaf-axial or on the order twigs behind the leaves or very rarely on the main trunk itself (Gill, 1988, Keay, 1989).

The latex found in Chrysophyllum wood is utilized as an adulterant of gutta-percha and chewing gum. The seeds of

C. albidum stung together as girdle and can be used as rattle during dancing (Okigbo, 1995).

Medicinally, a ripe fruit of C. Cainito because of its mucilaginous character is eaten to soak inflammation in laryngitis and pneumonia. It is given as a treatment of diabetes mellitus and as a decoction in gargled to relieve angina. A decoction of the tannia-rich, astringent bunk is drunk as a tonic and stimulant and is taken to halt diarrhoea, dysentery and as Haemorrhages in the treatment of gonorrhoea and catarrh of the bladder.

Due to close morphological resemblance of C. albidum and

C. subnudum, some researchers have placed C. subnudum as a variety of C. albidum, hence necessitating this study to agree or disagree with this placement. Furthermore, limited taxonomic work has been carried out on the genus Chrysophyllum in Nigeria despite the economic importance of the genus. Hence,  the need to carry out this research work with the objectives of carrying out comparative petiole characteristics of C. albidum, C. cainito and C. albidum in the family sapotaceae so as to conform their inter specie relationships and form a systematic description of each of the species.

To use the result to establish if there is a relationship between these three species (C. albidum, C. cainito and C. subnudum).

To strengthen the reliability of the petiole characteristics in the systematic concentration of the plants.

To ascertain if the outcome of the comparative petiole characteristics will help to elucidate the problem of the morphological resemblance between C. albidum and C. subnudum.