Cnestis palala
(Lour.) Merr. ssp. palala in J. As. Soc. Str. Br. no. 85:
201. 1922. Thysanus palala Lour., Fl. Cochinch. 284. 1790. Cnestis ramiflora
Griffith, Notul. 4: 432. 1854; Hook.f., Fl. Brit. India 2: 54. 1876. p.p.
Climbing shrubs; branches stout, woody; branch lets, petioles, rachises,
petiolules and the inflorescences mostly crispately tomentose. Leaves odd pinnate,
16 - 30 cm long, petioles slender; leaflets in 8 pairs, all elliptical to lanceolate,
sharply or bluntly acuminate at the apex, rounded or somewhat cordate at
the base and oblique; middle leaflets 3 - 9.5 x 0.4 - 2.5 cm; lower leaflets smaller, thin chartaceous, upper surface pilose to glabrous, shining, lower surface
tomentose, dull; nerves 6 - 8 pairs. Inflorescence in axillary fascicles of 5 or
more, many-flowered peduncles, generally 3 of them 4 - 6 cm long, the others
shorter, up to 1.5 - 2.5 cm long. Sepals oblong to lanceolate, ca 4 mm long,
outer surface densely pilose, inside sparsely appressed hairy. Petals elliptic
to lanceolate, ca 5 mm long, rounded or obtuse at the top, membranaceous,
mostly pilose. Stamens all equal, glabrous, 1 - 1.2 mm long. Pistils 5, all equal,
0.75 - 1.75 (-2.25) mm long with profuse tuft of hairs at the base forming cushions,
either entire carpel or only the ovary embedded within the tuft of hairs. Fruits
1 (-4) per flower, ca 4 x 1.5 cm, straight, distinctly beaked, pilose. Seeds
with a black seed coat and basal sarcotesta.
KEY TO THE VARIETIES
| 1a. Styles more than 1 mm long; about half of the carpel exposed above the tuft of hairs; pollen grains spheroidal to oblate spheroidal with reticulate exine ornamentation; P/E ratio 0.95 - 1.27 | 1.2. palala |
| b. Styles up to 1 mm long (0.75 - 1 mm), whole carpel immersed within the tuft of profuse stiff hairs; pollen grains oblate with rugulo-reticulate exine ornamentation; P/E ratio 0.91 - 0.95 | 1.1. brevistylis |
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