Turpinia Venetant, nom. cons

Glabrous trees or shrubs; branches smooth, terete. Leaves opposite, imparipinnate, stipulate; leaflets opposite, serrate or serrulate, herbacious to subcoriaceous. Flowers regular, bisexual, bracteate, up to 0.5 cm across, in axillary and terminal, mostly glabrous panicles. Sepals S, free, persistent, fleshy, ciliate at margins; outer ones somewhat wider, imbricate. Petals 5, free, membranous, imbricate, equal sized, longer than the sepals, usually ciliate at margin, caducous. Disc lobed or crenulate. Stamens 5, episepalous, equal sized, glabrous, inserted outside but near the disc; anthers rounded, ovate or apiculate. Ovary sessile, broadly ovoid, 3-lobed, 3-loculed; ovules 2, collateral, or several in 2 vertical rows. Fruit a subglobose berry. Seeds angular, shining, dark brown.

Central and tropical S. America and Sri Lanka to S.E. Asia; ca 40 species, 4 in India.

Literature. MERRIL, E.D. & L.M. PERRY (1941) Observations on the old world species of Turpinia Venetant. J. Arn. Arb. 22: 543 - 555

KEY TO THE SPECIES

1a. Pericarp about 1 mm in thickness, scarcely fleshy; ovules 2 in each locule; fruit 8 - 10 mm in diam.

2

b. Pericarp 5 mm thick, somewhat fleshy; ovules 6 in each locule; fruit 2.5 cm in diam.

3

2a. Leaflets coriaceous, caudate-acuminate; nerves arched; ovules 2-3

1. Turpinia cochinchinensis

b. Leaflets thin and herbaceous, acumbtate; nerves straight, connected to intramarginal vein; ovules constantly 2

3. Turpinia montana

3a. Flowers 3-5, mm long; filaments glabrous; anthers oblong-ovate

4. Turpinia pomifera

b. Flowers 2-3 mm long; filaments hairy; anthers more or less round

2. Turpinia malabarica

List of Lower Taxa