Parkia R.Br.

First published in Narr. Travels Africa, App. XXII: 234 (1826)
This genus is accepted
The native range of this genus is Tropical Africa, Madagascar, Tropical Asia to W. Pacific, Central & S. Tropical America.

Descriptions

M. Thulin et al. Flora of Somalia, Vol. 1-4 [updated 2008] https://plants.jstor.org/collection/FLOS

Morphology General Habit
Trees, unarmed
Morphology Leaves
Leaves bipinnate
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Flowers in club-shaped, globose or biglobose, stalked heads, those in apical part of heads bisexual, those in basal part male or neuter
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx with 4–5 imbricate lobes
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals 5, free or ± united
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens 5 or 10, free or connate at base and adnate to corolla
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Pod elongate, compressed, ± thick and often woody, dehiscent or not.
Distribution
Some 40 species in the tropics, about seven species in Africa, the rest in Asia and America.
[FSOM]

Timothy M. A. Utteridge and Laura V. S. Jennings (2022). Trees of New Guinea. Kew Publishing. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Distribution
A pantropical genus of about 35 species, with the highest diversity in the Neotropics, 12 species in Asia. Two species in New Guinea: Parkia timoriana (DC.) Merr. and P. versteeghii Merr. & L.M.Perry.
Morphology General Habit
Tree to 35 m tall, unarmed, twigs and inflorescence axes often with prominent lenticels
Morphology Leaves Stipules
Stipules minute, triangular, fugaceous and very rarely seen in mature foliage
Morphology Leaves
Leaves bipinnate, elliptic gland(s) present at base of petiole (in New Guinea), leaflets sessile, opposite
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescences sparsely branched, peduncles stout and flexible many times the length of the inflorescence rachis, each bearing a condensed head of flowers, rounded at apex, constricted in centre or at base
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers bisexual and fertile at apex of inflorescence, male or neuter in lower, constricted part, 5-merous; calyx tubular, lobes unequal, imbricate; petals linear-oblong joined to the staminal tube towards the base (in New Guinea); stamens 10, filaments fused at base into a tube; ovary shortly stipitate
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits Infructescences
Infructescence pendent, receptacle swollen, bearing several pods, rhomboidal scars below. Seeds in a single row, ellipsoid, with a pleurogram.
Ecology
In New Guinea, Parkia occurs in primary or tall secondary rain forest on both well-drained and swampy soils, at elevations up to 125 m. It has a scattered distribution and is apparently rare.
Recognition
The genus can be recognised by the numerous sessile leaflets (2–3 mm long), the exceptionally long peduncles, the distinctive shape of the inflorescence, which is condensed into a rounded or constricted head with bisexual flowers in the upper (distal) part and male and neuter flowers lower down (proximal); the flowers of P. versteeghii are described as cream-coloured or yellowish. In fruit the receptacle becomes enlarged and the pods are clustered together.
[TONG]

Leguminosae, J. B. Gillett, R. M. Polhill & B. Verdcourt. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1971

Morphology General Habit
Trees, without spines or prickles
Morphology Leaves
Leaves bipinnate; leaflets ± numerous; petiole usually glandular on its upper side
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescences capitate, shortly claviform (with a globose apical part abruptly narrowed into a ± short cylindrical neck) or (but not in the African species) globose or constricted in the middle; heads stalked, solitary or paniculate
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers in upper part of heads hermaphrodite, in lower part ♂ or neuter
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx infundibuliform or long-tubular, gamosepalous, with 4–5 imbricate segments, 2 larger and 2–3 smaller, the mouth of the calyx being thus irregular
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Corolla with 5 petals, which are free, or ± united, not much exceeding the calyx
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens 10, all fertile, their filaments connate below into a tube, to which the petals may be also adnate; anthers eglandular
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary
Ovary usually stipitate
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Pods oblong to linear, straight or curved, dehiscent or not, usually ± thick and often woody, or somewhat fleshy when living
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds ellipsoid to ellipsoid-oblong, ± compressed or flattened.
[FTEA]

Legumes of the World. Edited by G. Lewis, B. Schrire, B. MacKinder & M. Lock. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. (2005)

Note

The tribe Mimoseae (sensu Bentham, 1875) is retained here simply as a matter of convenience. All recent phylogenetic analyses indicate that Ingeae and Acacieae are derived from within Mimoseae (Chappill & Maslin, 1995; Käss & Wink, 1996; Luckow et al., 2000; Bruneau et al., 2001; Luckow et al., 2003; Herendeen et al., 2003a), making it a paraphyletic group at best. The most recent studies indicate that it may not even be monophyletic with respect to the Caesalpinioideae (Luckow et al., 2000; Bruneau et al., 2001; Luckow et al., 2003).

Although the outline of a new tribal classification of the mimosoids is emerging, we await better-supported phylogenies (based on more extensive data) before formalising new stable and useful groups. Some parts of the classification proposed here are better supported than others. Notably, the basal branches in Fig. 24 are poorly supported in most analyses and the relationships among the groups are likely to change as we acquire more data. As presently indicated (Luckow et al., 2003), the type genus Mimosa falls within the derived Piptadenia group which is in turn sister, and basally branching, to elements of Acacia and Ingeae (Fig. 24). A more narrowly circumscribed Mimoseae sens. strict. will thus leave the bulk of Mimoseae sens. lat. (i.e., as treated here) in need of new tribal allocation. The most conspicuous difference between the classification presented here and that of Lewis & Elias (1981) is the inclusion of tribe Parkieae within Mimoseae. The former was circumscribed based on imbricate aestivation of the calyx, and was considered the basal tribe within the Mimosoideae (Elias, 1981a). Recent phylogenetic analyses (Chappill & Maslin, 1995; Luckow et al., 2000; Bruneau et al., 2001; Luckow et al., 2003; Herendeen et al., 2003a), indicate that the two genera in the Parkieae, Parkia and Pentaclethra, are not sister taxa (Fig. 24). Pentaclethra is nested within Mimoseae in Luckow et al. (2000), but is either sister to caesalpinioid taxa in Bruneau et al. (2001) and Herendeen et al. (2003a), or part of a basal polytomy with Mimoseae and caesalpinioid taxa (Luckow et al., 2003). Both Parkia and Pentaclethra are included in the tribe Mimoseae pending additional data and tribal recircumscription.

Recent work (Luckow et al., submitted a) also indicates that the monospecific tribe Mimozygantheae should be subsumed in the Mimoseae near Piptadeniopsis and Prosopidastrum, currently in the Prosopis group. Otherwise, the informal groups within the Mimoseae recognised by Lewis & Elias (1981) are relatively well-supported by current phylogenies and only a few departures have been made from their system. Where relationships are either poorly supported or unresolved, the classification of Lewis & Elias (1981) is retained. The Xylia group is dismantled and the Adenanthera group recircumscribed to include Calpocalyx and Xylia . Desmanthus has been removed from the Dichrostachys group, as has Neptunia, in agreement with recent molecular and morphological phylogenetic studies (Harris et al., 1994; Hughes, 1998; Luckow, 1995, 1997). A new group is erected to accommodate Piptadeniastrum which is well separated from Newtonia in the most recent phylogeny (Luckow et al., 2000; 2003), and another to accommodate Cylicodiscus, which is more closely related to the clade containing the Prosopis, Leucaena, Dichrostachys, and Piptadenia groups than it is to the Newtonia group. Neptunia is well supported as sister to Prosopidastrum in recent analyses (Luckow et al., 2003) and is included in the Prosopis group here. Relationships of genera in the Prosopis group are not resolved, but the group is retained here as there is no evidence that it is not monophyletic. Genera newly described since 1981 include Alantsilodendron, Calliandropsis, Kanaloa, and Lemurodendron. Alantsilodendron and Calliandropsis are placed in the Dichrostachys group, and Kanaloa in the Leucaena group based on phylogenetic analyses (Hughes, 1998; Luckow, 1997; Luckow et al., 2000). Lemurodendron is tentatively included in the Newtonia group as suggested by Villiers & Guinet (1989). As treated here the Mimoseae comprises 40 genera and from (859)– 869–(879) species.

Of the three sections in Parkia only section Parkia is pantropical, the other two being restricted to the Neotropics. All recent phylogenetic analyses indicate that Parkia is most closely related to members of the Piptadenia group, and is not a basally branching genus in the Mimosoideae
Habit
Trees
Ecology
Tropical lowland rain forest (riparian, swamp and non-inundated), hill forest, seasonally dry forest, woodland (cerrado), wooded grassland and coastal dune forest (restinga)
Distribution
pantropical, but with three disjunct centres of diversity in S America, Africa-Madagascar and the Indopacific region; 18 spp. centred in Amazonia (but extending from Honduras in the north to SE coastal Brazil in the south); 3 spp. in WC to SE Africa and 1 sp. in Madagascar; c. 12 spp. in Asia from NE India (1 sp.), Indo-China and China (1 sp.), Malesia (c. 5 spp., some extending to Indo-China), Papuasia (1 sp.), Micronesia (2 spp.) and Fiji (1 sp.); 1 sp. widespread in SE Asia
[LOWO]

Leguminosae, J.P.M. Brenan. Flora Zambesiaca 3:1. 1970

Morphology General Habit
Trees without spines or prickles.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves 2-pinnate; leaflets ± numerous; petiole usually glandular on its upper side.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence capitate, shortly claviform (with a globose apical part abruptly narrowed into a ± short cylindric neck) or (but not in the African species) globose or constricted in the middle; heads stalked, solitary or paniculate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers in upper part of heads hermaphrodite, in lower part male or neuter.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx infundibuliform or long-tubular, gamosepalous, with 4-5 imbricate segments, 2 larger and 2-3 smaller, the mouth of the calyx being thus irregular.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Corolla with 5 petals, which are free or ± united, not much exceeding the calyx.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens 10, all fertile, their filaments connate below into a tube, to which the petals may be adnate; anthers eglandular.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary
Ovary usually stipitate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Pods oblong to linear, straight or curved, dehiscent or not, usually ± thick and often woody, or somewhat fleshy when living.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds ellipsoid to ellipsoid-oblong, ± compressed or flattened.
Morphology Roots
Root-nodules not yet recorded.
[FZ]

Uses

Use
Parkia speciosa Hassk. is used as human food in SE Asia; mature and slightly immature green seeds are eaten as a vegetable (petai, sataw bean, chou dou) , sold fresh as bunches of strap-shaped pods in markets and as pods or loose seeds, eaten fresh or tinned, from supermarkets; seeds are also fermented and the pulpy endocarp makes a refreshing drink; other species are used extensively as food in W Africa (e.g., P. biglobosa (Jacq.) G.Don, or néré, African locust bean ); also used as cattle fodder, cordage, shade trees, medicine and the timber in plywood manufacture, construction, utensils and as firewood
[LOWO]

Sources

  • Flora Zambesiaca

    • Flora Zambesiaca
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0
  • Flora of Somalia

    • Flora of Somalia
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0
  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    • Flora of Tropical East Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0
  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0
  • Legumes of the World Online

    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0
  • Trees of New Guinea

    • Trees of New Guinea
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0
  • World Checklist of Vascular plants (WCVP)

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0