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Dichapetalum
Dichapetalum gelonioides
ジカペタラム（属の代表種）
A woody climber distributed in Southeast Asia, recorded very rarely in the Ryukyu Islands (around Iriomote Island) in Japan. Known for seeds containing fluoroacetic acid (a potent toxin), making it a taxonomically and ecologically intriguing family.
Identification Points
- ✓Climbing woody plant growing in forest understory
- ✓Simple glossy leaves
- ✓Small white flowers in cymose inflorescences
Habitat
Evergreen forests of the Ryukyu Islands (Iriomote Island, etc.) (extremely rare)
Season
Year-round (evergreen)
Morphological TraitsAI-estimated, needs verification
Growth form
Vine
Evergreen/Deciduous
Evergreen
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Venation
Pinnate
Leaf margin
Entire
Petal count
Many
Petal fusion
Fused
Stipules
Present
Leaf dissection
Undivided
Flower symmetry
Actinomorphic
Stamen count
3-4
Phylogenetic Positionカイナンボク科 →
Phylogenetic Position
Angiosperms > Eudicots > Core eudicots > Malpighiales > Dichapetalaceae
Divergence Era
Paleogene (approx. 50 million years ago)
Evolution Notes
Dichapetalaceae is a small tropical family in Malpighiales, with some species known to contain fluoroacetic acid, a highly cytotoxic compound. Extremely rare in Japan.
View on evolution timeline →Sources & References
AI-generated, needs verification