Botanical Survey of India | Flora of India

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Deciduous to evergreen trees or shrubs. Leaves simple, sessile to petioled, opposite, entire, thin. Flowers axillary or terminal in panicles or fascicled in axils of fallen leaves, heterodistylous or heterotristylous; bracteoles minute, caducous. Sepals 5, persistent, coriaceous, mostly accrescent. Petals 5, caducous to subpersistent, alternise-palous, deep crimson to pink or white. Staminal fascicles or bundles 3 or 5, stalked, unequal; anthers subpersistent, dorsifixed, introrse; hypogynous scales 3, fleshy, alternate with staminal fascicles or bundles. Ovary 3-locular; ovules 4 - many in each locule, anatropous on axile placentation. Styles free; stigmas punctiform, truncate or thickened, papillose to capitate. Capsules ovoid-ellipsoid to ellipsoid-oblong, loculicidally dehiscent into 3-valves; valves septiferous; columella like placenta in the base of capsule, persistent and woody. Seeds either oblong and winged all around or oblong to obovate, winged unilaterally (as in Indian spp.); embryo erect, oblong.

Tropical Asia, ca 6 species; 3 in India.

Literature. GOGELEIN, A.J.F. (1967). A revision of the genus Cratoxylum Bl. (Guttiferae). Blumea 15: 453 - 475.



KEY TO THE SPECIES


1a. Intramarginal veins present in leaves; petals with distinct scales; inflorescences always axillary 2. Cratoxylum formosum
b. Intramarginal veins absent in leaves; petals without scales; inflorescences axillary and terminal 2
2a. Leaves 2.5 - 16 x 1 - 4.2 cm, glaucous beneath; petioles 2 - 4.5 mm long; inflorescences 1 - 3-flowered, axillary and terminal; pedicels 1 - 2 mm long, accrescent, 1.8 - 4 mm long in fruit 1. Cratoxylum cochinchinense
b. Leaves 4 - 19 x 2 - 2.5 cm, never glaucous beneath; petioles up to 15 mm long; inflorescences many-flowered, terminal; pedicels 1.5 - 5 mm long, accrescent, 3.5 - 5.5 mm long in fruit 3. Cratoxylum sumatranum


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