Polyalthia cauliflora Hook. f. & Thomson var. desmantha (Hook. f. & Thomson) Sinclair in Gard. Bull. Sing. 15: 295. 1955; Sanjappa & Chatterjee in J. Econ. Tax. Bot. 7: 457, f. 2. 1985. Unona desmantha Hook. f. & Thomson in Fl. Brit. India 1: 61. 1872; King in Ann. R. Bot. Gard. Calc. 4: 60, t. 83. 1893.

Small trees, 3 - 5 m tall; trunk 8 - 10 cm in diam., lenticellate; young twigs densely brown tomentose. Leaves elliptic-lanceolate, rounded at base, acutely acuminate at apex, 20 - 23 x 5.5 - 6.5 cm, coriaceous, glabrous, except for the midrib above and midrib and lateral nerves beneath; lateral nerves up to 12 pairs, curving and forming series of arches near margin, depressed above, prominent beneath; petioles ca 5 mm long, densely brown tomentose. Flowers arising from woody tubercles on the trunk and in axils of fallen leaves; pedicels 1.5 - 2 cm long, slender, appressed pubescent, becoming woody in fruits. Sepals 3, triangular or ovate-triangular, ca 5 mm long, slightly recurved, finely pubescent outside and on margins. Petals 6 (3 + 3), chocolate brown, strap-shaped; outer ones 4 - 5 x 1 - 1.2 cm; inner ones curving inwards, 4.5 - 5.5 x 0.5 - 0.6 cm, fleshy, minutely pubescent. Stamens many, ca 1.5 mm long; connectives angular, flat-topped. Carpels many, compact, angular, ca 1.5 mm long, pubescent; stigma sessile, subglobose, pubescent. Ripe carpels many, 1 - 1.2 cm long, 8 - 10 mm across, constricted between seeds, wrinkled when dry, dark brown, glabrous, 1 - 2-seeded.

Fl. May - July; Fr. July onwards.

Distrib. India: Tropical evergreen hill forests. Andaman & Nicobar Islands (Great Nicobar Island).

Thailand and Indonesia.

Notes. Reported from India for the first time by Sanjappa & Chatterjee (l.c.)