Dillenia bracteata
Wight, Icon. 2: 4, t. 358. 1840; Hook. f. & Thomson in Fl. Brit.
India 1: 37. 1872. Wormia bracteata (Wight) Hook. f. & Thomson, Fl. Ind. 68. 1855.
Kan.: Betta-kanigala; Mal.: Kattu-punna; Nep.: Tantare, Tantri; Tam.: Kolikkay; Tel.:
Sirutekku.
Trees, 10 - 20 m tall, with tomentose young shoots; branches with leaf scars clasping branches for half the circumference. Leaves elliptic to obovate, cuneate at base, acute or obtuse at apex, entire or serrate along margins, 15 - 45 x 5 - 20 cm, hirsute, especially on nerves beneath, glabrescent at maturity; lateral nerves 16 - 20 pairs, appressed hirsute on nerves beneath; petioles 1 - 5 cm long. Flowers yellow, 2.5 - 3 cm across, in racemes or in 2 - 7-flowered c1usters on round projections on older branches; pedicels thickened at apex, 4 - 10 mm long; bracts sessile, lanceolate or spathulate, acute, 8 - 12 x 3 - 4 mm, hirsute, early caducous; bracteoles 1 - 2 or absent, lanceolate, ca 5 x 2 mm. Sepals ovate, acute or obtuse, 8 - 12 x 5 - 9 mm, coriaceous, reddish, silky pubescent. Petals obovate, rounded at apex, 15 - 20 x 5 - 10 mm, yellow. Stamens ca 9 mm long, in 2 series, the outer numerous, inwardly curved, the inner outwardly reflexed; anthers linear, rounded or slightly emarginate at apex, opening by small slits, pinkish blue. Carpels 5, arranged around narrow conical receptacle, each with 30 ovules in two rows; styles ca 9 mm long. Pseudocarps orange, subglobose, enclosed within sepals, 2.5 - 3 cm across; fruiting carpels ca 8 x 5 mm, each 1 - 2-seeded. Seeds ovoid, 5 x 4.5 mm, dark reddish brown to black, arillate, glabrous.
Fl. & Fr. Dec. - June.
Distrib. India: Western Ghats, tropical and subtropical evergreen or semievergreen forests, up to 1000 m. Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
Endemic.
Notes. Timber reddish brown, valuable for construction work.
Trees, 10 - 20 m tall, with tomentose young shoots; branches with leaf scars clasping branches for half the circumference. Leaves elliptic to obovate, cuneate at base, acute or obtuse at apex, entire or serrate along margins, 15 - 45 x 5 - 20 cm, hirsute, especially on nerves beneath, glabrescent at maturity; lateral nerves 16 - 20 pairs, appressed hirsute on nerves beneath; petioles 1 - 5 cm long. Flowers yellow, 2.5 - 3 cm across, in racemes or in 2 - 7-flowered c1usters on round projections on older branches; pedicels thickened at apex, 4 - 10 mm long; bracts sessile, lanceolate or spathulate, acute, 8 - 12 x 3 - 4 mm, hirsute, early caducous; bracteoles 1 - 2 or absent, lanceolate, ca 5 x 2 mm. Sepals ovate, acute or obtuse, 8 - 12 x 5 - 9 mm, coriaceous, reddish, silky pubescent. Petals obovate, rounded at apex, 15 - 20 x 5 - 10 mm, yellow. Stamens ca 9 mm long, in 2 series, the outer numerous, inwardly curved, the inner outwardly reflexed; anthers linear, rounded or slightly emarginate at apex, opening by small slits, pinkish blue. Carpels 5, arranged around narrow conical receptacle, each with 30 ovules in two rows; styles ca 9 mm long. Pseudocarps orange, subglobose, enclosed within sepals, 2.5 - 3 cm across; fruiting carpels ca 8 x 5 mm, each 1 - 2-seeded. Seeds ovoid, 5 x 4.5 mm, dark reddish brown to black, arillate, glabrous.
Fl. & Fr. Dec. - June.
Distrib. India: Western Ghats, tropical and subtropical evergreen or semievergreen forests, up to 1000 m. Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
Endemic.
Notes. Timber reddish brown, valuable for construction work.
