Botanical Survey of India | Flora of India

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Ailanthus Desf., nom. cons.


Trees, tall, fast-growing, sometimes deciduous; young parts brownish-hairy; ranches thick, pithy. Leaves large, long-petioled, imparipinnate, usually crowded at ends of branches; leaflets opposite to subopposite, petiolulate, oblique, entire or toothed, acuminate, usually glandular beneath. Flowers in axillary or terminal branched panicles, usually unisexual; male flowers foetid during anthesis. Calyx small, 5-lobed. Petals 5, oblong, concave, longer than calyx. Disk 10-lobed, thick, flat. Stamens 10 in male flowers; filaments subulate, reduced or absent in female flowers. Carpels 2 - 5, free, flat, rudimentary or absent in male flowers; styles free or connate; stigma peltate. Fruits 1 - 5, linear or oblong-lanceolate samaras; wing membranous; seed, orbicular or obovate, flat.

Tropical and subtropical areas of Asia and Australia with 5 species; 4 species in India.



KEY TO THE SPECIES


1a. Leaflets usually entire 2
b. Leaflets usually toothed 3
2a. Leaves with large glands on lower surface near base; petals puberulous 3. Ailanthus integrifolia
b. Leaves with amall hairy glands on lower surface near margins; petals glabrous 4. Ailanthus triphysa
3a. Petiolules less than 1 cm long; petals woolly 1. Ailanthus altissima
b. Petiolules more than 1.5 cm long; petals glabrous 2. Ailanthus excelsa


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