Jellyfish tree
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| Medusagyne oppositifolia Baker |
The jellyfish tree (Medusagyne oppositifolia), the only species of the family Medusagynaceae, is a very rare and unusual tree uniquely found on the island of Mahé, of the Seychelles. The plant was thought to be extinct until a few of them were discovered in the 1970s.
The stigmas of the flower resemble tentacles of a jellyfish, hence the common name and the generic name of the plant.
The genus Medusagyne is often included in the family Ochnaceae, e.g. in the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group classification. The small tropical American family Quiinaceae is also included in this broad concept of Ochnaceae.
[edit] References
- Nature Protection Trust of Seychelles (1998). Medusagyne oppositifolia. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 09 May 2006. Listed as Critically Endangered (CR A2be, D v2.3)
- Fay, M. F., Swensen, S. M. & Chase, M. W. (1997). Taxonomic affinities of Medusagyne oppositifolia. Kew Bulletin 52: 111-120.
