Cratoxylum Blume

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

List of Lower Taxa