Acronychia J.R. & G. Forst. nom. cons.

Trees or erect or scandent shrubs. Leaves opposite, uni-or trifoliolate; leaflets entire. Inflorescences axillary, corymbose, paniculate cymes. Flowers bisexual. Sepals free or connate basally, imbricate, persistent or caducous. Petals valvate, semipersistent or caducous. Stamens double the number of petals, alternately long and short; filaments ciliate at base, pilose at about middle adaxially, gland-dotted; anthers ovoid or ellipsoid, obtuse or apiculate. 'Disk pulvinate, deeply 8-lobed, persistent or not in fruits. Ovary with or without septicidal fissures, 4-carpellate, 4-locular, ovules 2 per locule, superposed; style terminal, twice as long as ovary; stigma 4-lobed. Fruit a 4-locular drupe or a 4-locular capsule, with or without septicidal fissures, exocarp semifleshy, spongy, crustaceous or woody when dry, with or without mesocarp, endocarp cartilaginous to pergamentaceous. Seeds 2 or occasionally 1 per locule, ellipsoid to subpyriform, shiny or dull, smooth or finely tuberculate to rugose; embryo straight; cotyledons flat.

Tropics and subtropics of the Old World, Asia, Australia and New Caledonia, probably originated in eastern Australia-New Caledonia regions (Hartley, 1974 a: 469); 42 species, one in India.

Literature. HARTLEY, T.G. (19748) A revision of the genus Acronychia (Rutaceae). J . Arn. Arb. 55: 469-567. HARTLEY, T.G. (1974b) A proposal to conserve the generic name Acronychia (Rutacea.) . Taxon 23: 435 - 437.

List of Lower Taxa