Statut biogéographique : Espèce originaire d'Asie du sud-est, découverte récemment en Guyane française et connue de deux observations, l'une dans une belle savane à butte à Macouria (www.inaturalist.org, observation n°
200285576), l'autre dans un abattis sur le plateau des Mines (https://portal.wiktrop.org, observation n°
15160 [et initialement identifiée comme
Paramollugo nudicaulis (Lam.) Thulin 2016]).
Taxonomie : D'après Thulin
et al. (
2016) "The mainly Asian [
Trigastrotheca
]
pentaphylla
is usually widely circumscribed to include [
T.]
stricta
L. (e.g., Fosberg, 1995). However, Sivarajan & Usha (1983) argued that [
T.]
pentaphylla
should be restricted to some of the material from India and Sri Lanka, whereas the name [
T.]
stricta
should be reinstated for the widespread taxon. Our molecular phylogeny, with two samples from India and Sri Lanka as strongly supported sister to the rest, agrees with this view, and we therefore suggest that [
T.]
stricta
be treated as a distinct species. [...]
Trigastrotheca pentaphylla
is known from India and Sri Lanka. [...]
Trigastrotheca stricta
is widespread in tropical and subtropical Asia and Australia, and also occurs as an occasional introduction in Africa and South America. In India and Sri Lanka, where both
T. stricta
and
T. pentaphylla
occur, the two species can mostly be easily separated by the leaf-shape as indicated in the key. Sivarajan & Usha (1983) also mentioned differences in tepal and seed morphology, but these do not seem to hold true in a larger sample."
