Melicope lunuankenda
(Gaertner) T. Hartley in Sandakania 4: 61. 1994. Fagara lunuankenda Gaertner, Fruct. Sem. Pl. 334. t, 68. f. 9. 1778. Euodia lunuankenda(Gaertner) Merr., Philipp. J. Sci. 7: 378. 1912. Zanthoxylum roxburghianum Cham. in
Linnaea 5: 58. 1830. Fagara triphylla sensu Roxb., Fl. Ind. ed. 2 (Carey) 1: 416. 1832,
excl. syn., non Lam. 1788. Zanthoxylum triphyllum Wight, Ic. Pl. Ind. Or. t. 204. 1839.
Euodia roxhurghiana (Cham.) Benth., Fl. Hongk. 59. 1861; Hook. f., Fl. Brit. India 1: 487.
1875. Euodia lunuankenda (Gaertner) Merr. var. tirunelvelica Henry & Chandrab. in
Bull. Bot. Surv. India 15: 144. 1973, syn. nov.
Asm.: Midaum a-baphang; Mal.: Kaneli.
Trees, up to 20 m high; branches cylindric, glabrate to shortly pubescent; bark grey, smooth or slightly and reticulately fissured, lenticellate. Leaves ca 23 cm long; petioles 4.5 - 10 cm long, slightly grooved adaxially, cylindric, glabrate; leaflets ovate, elliptic-oblong or lanceolate, grading to obovate, cuneate and asymmetric at base, obtuse or acuminate at apex, entire along margins, coriaceous, glossy, dark green, glabrous; secondary nerves 10 - 18 pairs, slender, horizontal at base, arching upwards, ending indistinctly at margins. Inflorescence paniculate, 9 - 22 cm long, 10 - 19 cm broad, spreading; peduncle brachiate, branches appressedly pubescent to glabrous. Flowers functionally unisexual, in umbellate cymes; pedicels ca 2 mm long, pubescent. Male flowers ca 3 mm long: Sepals 4, connate at base, ovate-orbicular, obtuse, ca 0.5 mm long, greenish, pubescent abaxially, glabrous adaxially. Petals 4, 2 - 3 mm long, white, glabrous. Stamens 4; filaments 2 - 3 mm long, glabrous; anthers oblong, obtuse, ca 0.8 mm long. Disk annular, thick, 4-or more lobed, ca 1 mm high, densely pubescent. Pistillode of 4 rudimentary carpels. Female flowers: Sepals, petals as in male flowers. Disk ca 0.5 mm high, ca 1.5 mm wide. Staminodes 4, ca 1 mm long. Gynoecium 4-carpellate; ovary 4-lobed, 4-locular, subglobose, ca 1.5 mm wide, pubescent abaxially; style short; stigma capitate, 4-grooved. Fruits of 2 - 4 follicles, each 5 - 8 mm long, globose, pale greenish, glabrate; seeds one per follicle and attached to it by a funiculus, globose,4 - 5 mm long, black, shiny.
Fl. June - Aug.; Fr. Oct.- Dec.
Distrib. India: Evergreen or semievergreen forests from sea level to 2125 m; common In the W. Ghats, E. Ghats, E. Himalayas and N. E. India. Sikkim, Asssam, Meghalaya, Orissa, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala.
Java, Celebes, Philippines, Borneo and Sri Lanka.
Notes. Decoction of root or root bark boiled in oil is given to improve complexion. Leaf juice is applied for treatment of fever. Wood is used for making match sticks. Leaves are said to be used for flavouring curries.
Euodia lunuankenda var. tirunelvelica Henry & Chandrab. is a montane form which falls well within the range of variability of this polymorphic species.
Trees, up to 20 m high; branches cylindric, glabrate to shortly pubescent; bark grey, smooth or slightly and reticulately fissured, lenticellate. Leaves ca 23 cm long; petioles 4.5 - 10 cm long, slightly grooved adaxially, cylindric, glabrate; leaflets ovate, elliptic-oblong or lanceolate, grading to obovate, cuneate and asymmetric at base, obtuse or acuminate at apex, entire along margins, coriaceous, glossy, dark green, glabrous; secondary nerves 10 - 18 pairs, slender, horizontal at base, arching upwards, ending indistinctly at margins. Inflorescence paniculate, 9 - 22 cm long, 10 - 19 cm broad, spreading; peduncle brachiate, branches appressedly pubescent to glabrous. Flowers functionally unisexual, in umbellate cymes; pedicels ca 2 mm long, pubescent. Male flowers ca 3 mm long: Sepals 4, connate at base, ovate-orbicular, obtuse, ca 0.5 mm long, greenish, pubescent abaxially, glabrous adaxially. Petals 4, 2 - 3 mm long, white, glabrous. Stamens 4; filaments 2 - 3 mm long, glabrous; anthers oblong, obtuse, ca 0.8 mm long. Disk annular, thick, 4-or more lobed, ca 1 mm high, densely pubescent. Pistillode of 4 rudimentary carpels. Female flowers: Sepals, petals as in male flowers. Disk ca 0.5 mm high, ca 1.5 mm wide. Staminodes 4, ca 1 mm long. Gynoecium 4-carpellate; ovary 4-lobed, 4-locular, subglobose, ca 1.5 mm wide, pubescent abaxially; style short; stigma capitate, 4-grooved. Fruits of 2 - 4 follicles, each 5 - 8 mm long, globose, pale greenish, glabrate; seeds one per follicle and attached to it by a funiculus, globose,4 - 5 mm long, black, shiny.
Fl. June - Aug.; Fr. Oct.- Dec.
Distrib. India: Evergreen or semievergreen forests from sea level to 2125 m; common In the W. Ghats, E. Ghats, E. Himalayas and N. E. India. Sikkim, Asssam, Meghalaya, Orissa, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala.
Java, Celebes, Philippines, Borneo and Sri Lanka.
Notes. Decoction of root or root bark boiled in oil is given to improve complexion. Leaf juice is applied for treatment of fever. Wood is used for making match sticks. Leaves are said to be used for flavouring curries.
Euodia lunuankenda var. tirunelvelica Henry & Chandrab. is a montane form which falls well within the range of variability of this polymorphic species.
