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Degeneria
Degeneria vitiensis
γγ²γγͺγ’
An evergreen tall tree endemic to Fiji, comprising only one genus with two species. Cultivated only in botanical gardens in Japan, it is an extremely important 'living fossil' for studying the early evolution of angiosperms.
Identification Points
- βPrimitive flower morphology with indistinct boundaries between petals, sepals, and stamens
- βPistils consist of folded, unsealed carpels rather than closed ones
- βEvergreen tall tree with large elliptical leaves
Habitat
Tropical rainforests of Fiji (botanical gardens in Japan)
Season
Year-round (tropical)
Morphological TraitsAI-estimated, needs verification
Growth form
Tree
Evergreen/Deciduous
Evergreen
Leaf shape
Round
Habitat
Cultivated
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf type
Simple
Venation
Pinnate
Leaf margin
Entire
Petal count
Many
Petal fusion
Free
Stipules
Absent
Leaf dissection
Undivided
Flower symmetry
Actinomorphic
Ovary position
Superior
Plant sex
Hermaphrodite
Aromatic
Aromatic
Stamen count
3-4
Phylogenetic Positionγγ²γγͺγ’η§ β
Phylogenetic Position
Angiosperms > Magnoliids > Magnoliales > Degeneriaceae
Divergence Era
Early Cretaceous (ca. 120 million years ago)
Evolution Notes
Degeneriaceae is a basal angiosperm closely related to Magnoliales. Its open carpels (unfused pistils) are a primitive trait of great importance in studying angiosperm origins.
View on evolution timeline βSources & References
AI-generated, needs verification