Orophea Blume

Erect shrubs or small trees. Leaves membranous, pellucid-dotted. Flowers bisexual, axillary or supra-axillary, solitary or a few together in cymes or 2-seriate in racemes. Sepals 3, valvate. Petals 6 (3 + 3), larger than sepals; outer petals shorter than inner ones, ovate, free; inner ones clawed, cohering by the margins of limb into a mitriform cap, vaulted over the sexual organs. Stamens 3 - 9 (-12), alternating with staminodes or not, miliusoid; connectives slightly produced at top or not. Carpels 3 - 15, hairy; ovules 1 - 4; style short or absent; stigma sessile. Ripe carpels elongate-cylindric or globose, fleshy, red. Seeds 1 - 4.

India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Myanmar, S. China, Thailand, Cambodia to Malesia and New Guinea; ca 60 species, 10 species in India.

Literature. KEBLER, P. J. A. (1988) Revision der Gattung Orophea Blume (Annonaceae). Blumea 33: 1 - 80, ff. 1 - 12.

KEY TO THE SPECIES

1a. Inner petals revolute

2

b. Inner petals not revolute

3

2a. Leaves 6 - 9 cm long; stamens 6, uniseriate; ripe carpels globose

4. Orophea monosperma

b. Leaves 10 - 14 cm long; stamens 12, biseriate; ripe carpels torulose

8. Orophea torulosa

3a. Stamens 6, all fertile

4

b. Stamens 8-12, some imperfect

6

4a. Pedicels ca 5 mm long

6. Orophea salacifolia

b. Pedicels 10 - 20 mm long

5

5a. Leaves ovate-elliptic or lanceolate; main lateral nerves ca 10 pairs

5. Orophea polycarpa

b. Leaves ovate-oblong; main lateral nerves 4 - 7 pairs

10. Orophea zeylanica

6a. Inner petals 10 - 15 mm long

3. Orophea katschallica

b. Inner petals 5 - 7 mm long

7

7a. Ripe carpels oblong

8

b. Ripe carpels globose

9

8a. Flowers and pedicels densely brown tomentose; ripe carpels not curved

1. Orophea erythrocarpa

b. Flowers and pedicels pubescent; carpels curved at tip

2. Orophea hexandra

9a. Flowers 2 - 3 together; ripe carpels not apiculate at apex

7. Orophea thomsonii

b. Flowers solitary; ripe carpels apiculate at apex

9. Orophea uniflora

List of Lower Taxa