Desmos praecox
(Hook. f. & Thomson) Safford in Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 39: 507.
1912. Unona praecox Hook. f. & Thomson, Fl. Ind. 136. 1855 & Fl. Brit. India 1: 60.
1872.
Asm.: Parteng-phang.
Trees. Leaves narrowly ovate, elliptic to broadly lanceolate, cuneate at base, acuminate at apex, 8 - 15 x 3 - 5.5 cm, glabrous above, puberulous beneath; petioles 5 - 10 mm long. Flowers solitary, extra-axillary, precocious, appearing with young leaves from the base of the fallen leaves, pendulous, sweet-scented; pedicels 2 - 3 cm long, ebracteate. Sepals 3, linear-oblong to ovate-lanceolate, acute, 7 - 10 x ca 2 mm, reflexed, thin, slightly pubescent outside, glabrous inside. Petals 6 (3 + 3), pale green, narrowly elliptic to linear, thin, glabrous; inner petals larger,5 - 9 x 0.4 - 0.7 cm; outer smaller. Stamens numerous, ca 1.5 mm long, truncate; connectives subglobose to flat at top. Carpels many, ca 1.5 mm long; style oblong, with flat stigma. Ripe carpels many, moniliform.
Fl. & Fr. Feb. - May; Fr. Sep. - Dec.
Distrib. India: Subtropical forests, 500 - 1200 m. West Bengal, Sikkim and Assam.
Bhutan.
Trees. Leaves narrowly ovate, elliptic to broadly lanceolate, cuneate at base, acuminate at apex, 8 - 15 x 3 - 5.5 cm, glabrous above, puberulous beneath; petioles 5 - 10 mm long. Flowers solitary, extra-axillary, precocious, appearing with young leaves from the base of the fallen leaves, pendulous, sweet-scented; pedicels 2 - 3 cm long, ebracteate. Sepals 3, linear-oblong to ovate-lanceolate, acute, 7 - 10 x ca 2 mm, reflexed, thin, slightly pubescent outside, glabrous inside. Petals 6 (3 + 3), pale green, narrowly elliptic to linear, thin, glabrous; inner petals larger,5 - 9 x 0.4 - 0.7 cm; outer smaller. Stamens numerous, ca 1.5 mm long, truncate; connectives subglobose to flat at top. Carpels many, ca 1.5 mm long; style oblong, with flat stigma. Ripe carpels many, moniliform.
Fl. & Fr. Feb. - May; Fr. Sep. - Dec.
Distrib. India: Subtropical forests, 500 - 1200 m. West Bengal, Sikkim and Assam.
Bhutan.
