Ancistrocladus Wallich, nom. cons.

Smooth climbing shrubs with short, circinate woody hooks. Leaves usually in terminal tufts, coriaceous, entire, reticulately feather-veined. Inflorescences dichotomously branched, terminal or lateral panicles. Flowers bisexual, regular, bracteate. Sepals 5, persistent. Petals 5, free. Stamens 5 - 10, filaments dilated; anthers 2-loculed, basifixed. Ovary half inferior, unilocular with a basal, erect ovule; styles 3, free; stigmas flattened. Fruit a nut.

Tropical W. Africa, S.E. Asia and S. China, ca 12 species; 4 in India.

KEY TO THE SPECIES

1a. Leaves 40 - 60 cm long

2

b. Leaves 15 - 20 cm long

3

2a. Panicles repeatedly dichotomous with ultimate branches recurved; bracts deltoid

1. Ancistrocladus attenuatus

b. Panicles repeatedly dichotomous with ultimate branches not curved; bracts ovoid

4. Ancistrocladus wallichii

3a. Calyx tube as long as flat topped fruit, not furrowed, lobes slightly decurrent

3. Ancistrocladus tectorius

b. Calyx tube longer than conical apex of the fruit, furrowed; lobes not decurrent

2. Ancistroeiadus heyneanus

List of Lower Taxa