{{Short description|Genus of legumes}} {{For|the mollusc genus|Plathymenia (mollusc)}} {{Speciesbox | image = Plathymenia foliolosa.jpg | image_caption = Mature tree | image2 = Plathymenia reticulata.jpg | image2_caption = Seed pods | status = LC | status_system = IUCN3.1 | status_ref = <ref name="iucn status 17 November 2021">{{cite iucn |author=Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI). |author2=IUCN SSC Global Tree Specialist Group |date=2019 |title=''Plathymenia reticulata'' |volume=2019 |article-number=e.T62027353A149012494 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-2.RLTS.T62027353A149012494.en |access-date=17 November 2021}}</ref> | genus = Plathymenia (plant) | parent_authority = Benth. (1840), nom. cons. | species = reticulata | authority = Benth. (1841) | synonyms = * ''Chrysoxylon'' {{small|Casar. (1843)}} * ''Echyrospermum'' <small>Schott (1823), ''nom. rej.''</small> * ''Pirottantha'' <small>Speg. (1916)</small> * ''Chrysoxylon vinhatico'' {{small|Casar. (1843)}} * ''Pirottantha modesta'' {{small|Speg. (1916)}} * ''Plathymenia foliolosa'' {{small|Benth. (1841)}} * ''Plathymenia foliolosa'' var. ''paraguariensis'' {{small|Chodat & Hassl. (1904)}} * ''Plathymenia modesta'' {{small|(Speg.) Burkart (1939)}} | synonyms_ref = <ref name="Barneby"/><ref>[https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:328383-2 ''Plathymenia'' Benth.] ''Plants of the World Online''. Retrieved 15 September 2023.</ref><ref>[https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:328385-2 ''Plathymenia reticulata'' Benth.] ''Plants of the World Online''. Retrieved 15 September 2023.</ref> }}
'''''Plathymenia reticulata''''' ({{langx|pt|vinhático}}) is a species of legume native to much of eastern South America. It is placed in its own genus, '''''Platyhymenia''''', although other species have previously been recognised in that genus. It grows up to {{convert|30|m|abbr=on}} tall, and has distinctive flattened seed pods. Its wood is rot-resistant, and is widely used as a structural timber.
==Description== ''Plathymenia reticulata'' grows up to {{convert|30|m|-2}} tall, with a diameter at breast height (d.b.h.) of up to {{convert|1.5|m|ft|abbr=on}}; in cerrado or savannah habitats, it is smaller, reaching a height of only {{convert|5|m|abbr=on}} and a d.b.h. of {{convert|30|cm|abbr=on}}.<ref name="Embrapa"/> The leaves are alternately arranged, {{convert|15|-|20|cm|0|abbr=on}} long, and bipinnate.<ref name="Embrapa"/> The hermaphroditic flowers are held in cymes on short peduncles among the foliage; each flower is {{convert|5|-|7|mm|abbr=on}} long, with five tiny white petals and numerous stamens.<ref name="Embrapa"/> The seed pod is flat, {{convert|10|-|25|cm|abbr=on}} long and {{convert|1.5|-|4.5|cm|1|abbr=on}} wide, and contains 7–12 seeds,<ref name="Embrapa"/> each of which is surrounded by a winged papery envelope.<ref name="Barneby">{{cite journal |author=R. C. Barneby |year=1983 |title=(711)-(712) Proposals to conserve ''Plathymenia'' against ''Echyrospermum'' and ''Peltogyne'' against ''Orectospermum'' (Leguminosae) |journal=Taxon |volume=32 |issue=3 |pages=488–490 |jstor=1221525|doi=10.2307/1221525 }}</ref>
==Distribution and ecology== ''Plathymenia reticulata'' is a widespread tree in the cerrado and Atlantic Forest biomes of South America, but is not found in the more xeric caatinga biome.<ref>{{cite journal |author=Renan Milagres Lage Novaes, José Pires de Lemos Filho, Renata Acácio Ribeiro & Maria Bernadete Lovato |year=2010 |title=Phylogeography of ''Plathymenia reticulata'' (Leguminosae) reveals patterns of recent range expansion towards northeastern Brazil and southern Cerrados in Eastern Tropical South America |journal=Molecular Ecology |volume=19 |issue=5 |pages=985–998 |doi=10.1111/j.1365-294X.2010.04530.x|pmid=20149092 |bibcode=2010MolEc..19..985N |s2cid=24293098 }}</ref> It occurs in Suriname, Bolivia, Paraguay, the Misiones Province of Argentina and 14 states of Brazil,<ref>{{GRIN | ''Plathymenia reticulata'' | 28807 | accessdate = October 8, 2013}}</ref> at altitudes of {{convert|30|-|1300|m|-2}}.<ref name="Embrapa">{{cite web |author=Paulo Ernani Ramalho Carvalho |title=Vinhático, ''Plathymenia reticulata'' |work=Comunicado Técnico 231 |publisher=Embrapa |url=http://www.cnpf.embrapa.br/publica/comuntec/edicoes/CT231.pdf |language=Portuguese }}{{dead link|date=March 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
The phenology of ''P. reticulata'' varies across its range; in São Paulo state, flowering occurs from July to October, but elsewhere it is can start as late as November, and end as late as December.<ref name="Embrapa"/> Similarly, the time of fruiting varies from August–September to October–January.<ref name="Embrapa"/> The pollinators are bees and other small insects, and the seeds are dispersed by the wind (anemochory).<ref name="Embrapa"/>
==Taxonomy== When he erected the genus in 1841, George Bentham originally described two species in ''Plathymenia'' – ''Plathymenia foliolosa'' and ''Plathymenia reticulata''. Following work by Warwick and Lewis published in 2003, these are now considered synonymous, and ''Plathymenia'' is considered to contain a single species.<ref>{{cite journal |author1=M. C. Warwick |author2=G. P. Lewis |name-list-style=amp |year=2003 |title=Revision of ''Plathymenia'' (''Leduminosae''–''Mimosoideae'') |journal=Edinburgh Journal of Botany |volume=60 |issue=2 |pages=111–119 |doi=10.1017/S0960428603000106|doi-access=free }}</ref> The name ''Plathymenia'' derives from the Ancient Greek roots {{lang|grc|πλατύς}} (''{{lang|grc|platys}}'', meaning "flat") and {{lang|grc|ὑμήν}} (''{{lang|grc|hymen}}'', meaning "membrane"), in reference to the winged seeds.<ref name="Barneby"/><ref name="Embrapa"/> The specific epithet ''{{lang|la|reticulata}}'' refers to the reticulate (net-like) leaf venation.<ref name="Embrapa"/>
The name ''Echyrospermum'', published by Heinrich Wilhelm Schott in 1822, is an earlier name for the same genus, but has been rejected under the ''International Code of Botanical Nomenclature''.<ref name="Barneby"/>
==Uses== ''Plathymenia reticulata'' is known by many different common names throughout its wide range, but it is generally referred to as ''{{lang|pt|vinhático}}''.<ref name="Embrapa"/> The timber of ''P. reticulata'' contains terpenes that preserve the wood from termite attack and from rotting, even when exposed to the weather.<ref name="Embrapa"/> It is the preferred timber for constructing dugout canoes in Brazil,<ref>{{cite book |author=Harvey Green |year=2007 |title=Wood: Craft, Culture, History |publisher=Penguin |isbn=978-1-101-20185-5 |page=166 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bQzZri48QvcC&pg=PT166}}</ref> and is widely used for anchors, fence-posts and for many other structural uses.<ref name="Embrapa"/> The production of nectar and pollen for the pollinators make ''Plathymenia'' useful for apiculture.<ref name="Embrapa"/>
==References== {{Reflist|32em}}
==External links== *{{Commons category-inline|Plathymenia}}
{{Taxonbar|from1=Q5462303|from2=Q15541573}}
Category:Mimosoideae Category:Monotypic Fabaceae genera Category:Trees of South America Category:Taxonomy articles created by Polbot Category:Flora of Bolivia Category:Flora of Brazil Category:Flora of Paraguay Category:Flora of Suriname