Michelia kisopa
Buch.-Ham. ex DC., Syst. Nat. 1: 448. 1818; Hook. f. & Thomson
in Fl. Brit. India 1: 44. 1872.
Nep.: Cholsi.
Deciduous trees, 10 - 20 m tall, glabrous, except for grey sericeous buds; bark plain, grey; branchlets lenticelled. Leaves ovate-elliptic, abruptly cuneate or rarely rounded at base, acute to gradually acuminate at apex, 12 - 23 x 3 - 10 cm, thinly coriaceous, glabrous on both surfaces, shiny above, dull beneath, turning yellow before falling; lateral nerves 10 - 15 pairs, slightly arched; reticulations fine and close; petioles 2 - 4 cm long; stipules oblong, ca 1.5 cm long, grey or rusty pubescent outside; stipular scars 1 - 2.5 cm long. Flowers axillary, short stalked, pale yellow, rarely white, 3 - 4 cm across, sweet-scented; buds ca 1.2 cm long; bracts 2, fleshy, grey pubescent outside. Perianth parts 12 - 15, obovate or oblanceolate, 2 - 3 x 0.7 cm, glabrous. Stamens shorter than gynoecium. Carpels silky hairy; styles recurved. Fruiting receptacles 5 - 10 cm long; ripe carpels sessile, ellipsoid, compressed, 8 - 10 x 7 - 8 mm, closely lenticellate. Seeds 3 - 4, large.
Fl. July - Sept.; Fr. Oct. - Jan.
Distrib. India: Subtropical forests, 1400 - 1800 m. Uttar Pradesh and Sikkim.
Nepal.
Deciduous trees, 10 - 20 m tall, glabrous, except for grey sericeous buds; bark plain, grey; branchlets lenticelled. Leaves ovate-elliptic, abruptly cuneate or rarely rounded at base, acute to gradually acuminate at apex, 12 - 23 x 3 - 10 cm, thinly coriaceous, glabrous on both surfaces, shiny above, dull beneath, turning yellow before falling; lateral nerves 10 - 15 pairs, slightly arched; reticulations fine and close; petioles 2 - 4 cm long; stipules oblong, ca 1.5 cm long, grey or rusty pubescent outside; stipular scars 1 - 2.5 cm long. Flowers axillary, short stalked, pale yellow, rarely white, 3 - 4 cm across, sweet-scented; buds ca 1.2 cm long; bracts 2, fleshy, grey pubescent outside. Perianth parts 12 - 15, obovate or oblanceolate, 2 - 3 x 0.7 cm, glabrous. Stamens shorter than gynoecium. Carpels silky hairy; styles recurved. Fruiting receptacles 5 - 10 cm long; ripe carpels sessile, ellipsoid, compressed, 8 - 10 x 7 - 8 mm, closely lenticellate. Seeds 3 - 4, large.
Fl. July - Sept.; Fr. Oct. - Jan.
Distrib. India: Subtropical forests, 1400 - 1800 m. Uttar Pradesh and Sikkim.
Nepal.
