Picrasma javanica
Blume, Bijdr. 5: 248.1825; A.W. Bennett in Hook.f., Fl. Brit. India 1: 520. 1875, incl. var. mishmiensis A.W. Bennett. P. nepalensis J. J. Bennett, Pl.
Java Rar. 201. 1844. P. andamanica Kurz ex A.W. Bennett, l.c. 520.
Asm.: Bonposhla, Nimtitta, Tita-sasi; Nag.: Aeo; Nep.: Teju,
Trees, 6 - 20 m high; bark thin, dark brown or black and more or less smooth, fissured, very bitter. Leaves 8 - 25 cm long; petioles 2 -7 cm long; leaflets 3 - 7, opposite, oblong-ovate or elliptic or obovate-olong, cuneate at base, abruptly acuminate at apex, entire or wavy or wrinkled at margins, 5 - 15 x 1 - 6 cm; glabrous; lateral nerves 3 - 8 pairs; petiolules 1 - 5 mm long; stipules broadly ovate-orbicular, rounded at apex, acute at base, 1 - 1.5 cm long. Inflorescence axillary cymose panicles, 6 - 20 cm long; bracts obovate, caducous. Flowers 4-merous, dull-white; pedicels 8 - 13 mm long, villous, elongating in fruits. Sepals ca 1 mm long, glabrous to puberulous, triangular to ovate, acute. Petals ovate-oblong, or oblong, 2 - 3 x l - 1.5 mm (male), 3 - 6 x 3 - 4 mm (female). Disk 4-lobed, hairy. Stamens 4,2 - 5 mm long; filaments short, subulate, hairy. Carpels 4; styles ca 2 mm long. Drupes 1 - 4, ovoid-subglobose, shining, black when ripe, seated on cushion-like disk and supported by accrescent coriaceous petals and sepals.
Fl. & Fr. Throughout the year.
Distrib. India: Orissa, W. Bengal, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Tripura and Meghalaya.
Nepal, Bangladesh.
Uses. Bark contains bitter principles allied to quassin and is used as febrifuge.
Notes. P. nepalensis Bennett differs from P. javanica Blume in being smaller trees With slender panicles and usually narrower leaflets having more elongated apices. But these characters are not constant and following King (in J. Asiat. Soc. Bengal pt. 2, Nat. Hist. 62: 228. 1893), the former is reduced to synonym of P. javanica. P. andamanica Kurz ex A. W. Bennett can hardly be distinguished from P. javanica (King l.c.).
Trees, 6 - 20 m high; bark thin, dark brown or black and more or less smooth, fissured, very bitter. Leaves 8 - 25 cm long; petioles 2 -7 cm long; leaflets 3 - 7, opposite, oblong-ovate or elliptic or obovate-olong, cuneate at base, abruptly acuminate at apex, entire or wavy or wrinkled at margins, 5 - 15 x 1 - 6 cm; glabrous; lateral nerves 3 - 8 pairs; petiolules 1 - 5 mm long; stipules broadly ovate-orbicular, rounded at apex, acute at base, 1 - 1.5 cm long. Inflorescence axillary cymose panicles, 6 - 20 cm long; bracts obovate, caducous. Flowers 4-merous, dull-white; pedicels 8 - 13 mm long, villous, elongating in fruits. Sepals ca 1 mm long, glabrous to puberulous, triangular to ovate, acute. Petals ovate-oblong, or oblong, 2 - 3 x l - 1.5 mm (male), 3 - 6 x 3 - 4 mm (female). Disk 4-lobed, hairy. Stamens 4,2 - 5 mm long; filaments short, subulate, hairy. Carpels 4; styles ca 2 mm long. Drupes 1 - 4, ovoid-subglobose, shining, black when ripe, seated on cushion-like disk and supported by accrescent coriaceous petals and sepals.
Fl. & Fr. Throughout the year.
Distrib. India: Orissa, W. Bengal, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Tripura and Meghalaya.
Nepal, Bangladesh.
Uses. Bark contains bitter principles allied to quassin and is used as febrifuge.
Notes. P. nepalensis Bennett differs from P. javanica Blume in being smaller trees With slender panicles and usually narrower leaflets having more elongated apices. But these characters are not constant and following King (in J. Asiat. Soc. Bengal pt. 2, Nat. Hist. 62: 228. 1893), the former is reduced to synonym of P. javanica. P. andamanica Kurz ex A. W. Bennett can hardly be distinguished from P. javanica (King l.c.).
