Amborella
| Amborella | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Order: |
Amborellales Melikyan, A.V.Bobrov, & Zaytzeva |
| Family: |
Amborellaceae Pichon |
| Genus: |
Amborella Baill. |
| Species: | A. trichopoda |
| Binomial name | |
|
Amborella trichopoda Baill. |
|
Amborella is a monotypic genus of understory shrubs or small trees endemic to the main island, Grande Terre, of New Caledonia. The genus is the only member of the family Amborellaceae and the order Amborellales and contains a single species, Amborella trichopoda. The family Amborellaceae is therefore endemic to New Caledonia (along with Oncothecaceae and Phellinaceae), as well as the order Amborellales. Amborella is of great interest to plant systematists because molecular phylogenetic analyses consistently place the genus at or near the base of the flowering plant lineage.
Amborella is a sprawling shrub or small tree up to 8 m high. It bears alternate or decussate, simple evergreen leaves without stipules. The leaves are two-ranked, with distinctly serrated or rippled margins, and about 8 to 10 cm long.
Amborella has xylem tissue that differs from that of most other flowering plants. The xylem of Amborella contains only tracheids; vessel elements are absent. Xylem of this form has long been regarded as a "primitive" feature of flowering plants.
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