Scolopia spinosa
(Roxb.) Warb. in Engler & Prantl, pflanzenfam. 3, 62: 29. 1893;
Thothathri in Bull. Bot. Surv. India 2: 344. 1960. Ludia spinosa Roxb., Fl. Ind. 2: 507.
1832. Phoberos roxburghii Bennett in Bennett & Br., Fl. Jav. Rar. 192. 1840, nom. illegit.
(based on Ludia spinosa Roxb.). S. roxburghii (Bennett) Clos in Ann. Sci. Nat. 4, 8: 250.
1857, nom. illegit.; Hook. f. & Thomson in Fl. Brit. India 1: 190. 1832.
Trees, 3 - 10 (-20) m tall; main stem armed with simple and branched spines up to 7 cm long, unarmed and sometimes buttressed when old; branchlets of older stems unarmed; sucker shoots and their branches armed with simple spines. Leaves elliptic, ovate-elliptic, lanceolate or oblong-lanceolate, cuneate or rounded at base, obtusely short or long acuminate, sometimes even broadly obtuse at apex, subentire to remotely crenate with a basal pair of glands, 10 - 20 (-28) x 3.5 - 8 (-14.5) cm, rose-coloured when young, turns glossy dark green, glabrous; secondary veins 4 - 6, more prominent beneath; petioles 6 - 12 mm long, puberulous when young. Flowers ca 7 mm across, pale pinkish white, fragrant, in sparsely to densely pubescent lax racemes, 2.5 - 4.5 cm long; pedicels 6 - 18 mm long, pubescent. Sepals 4 - 6, shortly connate at base, ovate, ca 2.5 mm long, softly pubescent outside, ciliolate along margins. Petals similar to sepals, but usually narrower, ovate-oblong. Disc glands absent. Receptacle pubescent. Stamens numerous; anther-connectives hairy. Ovary glabrous; styles 4 - 6 mm long; stigma minute. Berry subglobose to ovoid, 15 - 20 cm across, green, black when dry.
Fl. Jan. - April (Nov.); reported to flower in flashes throughout the year in Malesia; Fr. old fruits (March, May, Aug.).
Distrib. India: Inland low forests. Andaman & Nicobar Islands (Car Nicobar Is.).
Myanmar, Thailand, Indo-China and Malesia.
Notes. The leaves turn characteristically reddish brown especially beneath on drying; the primary and secondary veins are somewhat impressed above and prominently raised like ribs beneath.
Fl. Jan. - April (Nov.); reported to flower in flashes throughout the year in Malesia; Fr. old fruits (March, May, Aug.).
Distrib. India: Inland low forests. Andaman & Nicobar Islands (Car Nicobar Is.).
Myanmar, Thailand, Indo-China and Malesia.
Notes. The leaves turn characteristically reddish brown especially beneath on drying; the primary and secondary veins are somewhat impressed above and prominently raised like ribs beneath.
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