Sageraea Dalz.

Elegant trees. Leaves glabrous, glossy above. Flowers uni- or bisexual, small, globular in bud, solitary, axillary or fascicled, often on woody tubercles on old branches. Sepals 3, imbricate, orbicular or ovate, ciliate. Petals 6 (3 + 3), usually orbicular, subequal, concave, imbricate, free. Stamens 6 - 28 in 2 or more series, 1 - 2 mm thick; anther-thecae dorsal, oblong; connectives produced, not hiding the anthers. Torus flat or convex. Carpels 3 - 6; style short; stigma obtuse or capitate; ovules 1 or 6 - 14, biseriate on ventral suture. Ripe carpels solitary or few together, globose, thin-walled, nearly sessile or stalked.

Sri Lanka, India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam and Malesia; ca 9 species, 5 in India.

KEY TO THE SPECIES

1a. Flowers unisexual

2. Sageraea elliptica

b. Flowers bisexual

2

2a. Flowers sessile, usually solitary

5. Sageraea listeri

b. Flowers distinctly pedicelled; pedicels 1 - 3 cm long, usually fascicled

3

3a. Leaves elliptic; inner petals smaller; stamens 25 - 28

1. Sageraea dalzelli

b. Leaves oblong or lanceolate; inner petals larger or equalling the outer set; stamens 12

4

4a. Leaves 25- 35 cm long; pedicels 2.5 - 3 cm long

3. Sageraea grandiflora

b. Leaves 10 - 20 cm long; pedicels 1 - 1.5 cm long

4. Sageraea laurifolia

List of Lower Taxa