Xylopia L.

Shrubs or trees. Leaves coriaceous. Flowers bisexual, axillary, solitary, fascicled or cymose; buds triquetrous or conical; bracts many, ovate, uppermost the largest. Sepals 3, valvate in buds, connate at base or free. Petals 6 (3 + 3), valvate in buds, free, thick, linear, sometimes ovate, flat, concave at the base; inner triquetrous, as long as the outer, shorter. Torus flat or hollow, enclosing the carpels. Stamens numerous, closely arranged, linear or oblong; connectives obtusely or acutely produced; anther-locules remote or contiguous, usually transversely septate with large macroscopic pollen grains in tetrads. Carpels 1 or more; style filiform; stigma clavate; ovules 2 - 6 or more, 1 - 2 seriate. Ripe carpels solitary or few, cylindric or ovoid, sometimes moniliform, semidehiscent. Seeds several, 1 - 2-seriate.

India, Sri Lanka, Indo-china, Malaysia, Philippines, New Guinea, Tropical Africa, Central America and West Indies; about 160 species, one in India.

List of Lower Taxa