Bridelia retusa
(L.) A.Juss., Euphorb. Gen. 109, t. 7, f. 22. 1824; Dressler in Blumea 41.
289. 1996; Chakrab. et al. in J. Econ. Taxon. Bot. 26: 320. 2002; N.P.Balakr. & Chakrab., Fam.
Euphorb. India 319. 2007. Clutia retusa L., Sp. Pl. 1042. 1753 & ed. 2, 1475. 1763; Willd., Sp. Pl.
ed. 4, 4(2): 883. 1806. Bridelia retusa (L.) Spreng., Syst. Veg. 3: 48. 1826, pro comb. nov.; Bedd.,Fl. Sylv. S. India t. 260. 1872; Hook.f., Fl. Brit. India 5: 268. 1887. Cluytia squamosa Lam., Encycl.
2: 54. 1786. C. spinosa Roxb., Pl. Coromandel 2: 38, t. 172. 1802. Bridelia spinosa (Roxb.) Willd.,
Sp. Pl. ed. 4, 4: 979. 1806, p. p., excl. specim. in B-WILLD No. 18957, non Hort. ex DC., 1833, nec
Wight, 1852: Roxb., Fl. Ind., ed. Carey 3: 735. 1832. B. crenulata Roxb., Fl. Ind., ed. Carey 3: 734.
1832; N.P. Balakr. in Bull. Bot. Surv. India 3: 39. 1961. B. amoena Wall. ex Baill., Etude Euporb.
584. 1858; M?ll.Arg. in DC., Prodr. 15(2): 493. 1866. B. hamiltoniana Wall. ex Müll.Arg. var.
glabra M?ll.Arg. in Linnaea 34: 77. 1865 & in DC., Prodr. 15(2): 501. 1866. B. retusa (L.) A. Juss.
var. squamosa (Lam.) Müll.Arg., l. c. 493. 1866; Hook.f., l. c. 268. 1887. B. retusa (L.) A. Juss. var.
roxburghiana M?ll.Arg. in DC., Prodr. 15(2): 493. 1866, nom. superfl.; Hook.f., l. c. 268. 1887. B.
retusa (L.) A.Juss. var. glabra Gehrm. in Bot. Jahrb. Syst. Syst. 41, Beibl. 95: 30. 1908. B.
squamosa (Lam.) Gehrm., l. c. 30. 1908; Jabl., l. c. 70. 1915; Haines in J. Bot. 59: 190. 1921. B.
roxburghiana (Müll.Arg.) Gerhm., l. c. 30. 1908, nom. superfl.; Voigt, l. c. 155. 1845; Hook.f., l. c.
268. 1887. B. cinerescens Gehrm., l. c. 30. 1908; Gamble, l. c. 1280. 1925. B. retusa (L.) A.Juss. var.
stipulata Gerhm., l. c. 30. 1908. B. retusa (L.) A.Juss. var. pubescens Gerhm., l. c. 30. 1908. B.
squamosa var. meeboldii Gerhm., l. c. 30. 1908. B. airy-shawii P.T. Li in Acta Phytotax. Sin. 20:
117. 1982, nom. superfl.
Asm.: Kunhir, Kuhir; Burm.: Seikuhi, Leik-gyi, Tseip-che; Cach.: Thijigrey-phang;
Hindi: Ekdania, Gondui, Kaj, Karghatia, Kasal, Kassi, Khaja; Kan.: Asana; Kh.: Diengrishan;
Mal.: Komathi, Mukkayini, Mulluvenga; Mar.: Asana; Mik.: Tuntung-arong; Nep.:
Gaayo, Kuhin; Or.: Kosi; Tam.: Moarivegai, Mullu-maruthu; Tel.: Bontha-yepi, Koramaddi,
Verri karaka; Urdu: Kosi.
Shrubs or trees, 2 - 15 (- 25) m tall; branchlets glabrescent in age. Leaves narrowly to broadly oblong, elliptic to obovate, rounded, subcordate, obtuse to acute at base, entire to shallowly crenate along margins, rounded, retuse, obtuse or acute at apex, 5 - 28 x 2 - 11 cm, thinly to stiffly coriaceous, often glossy above and glaucous beneath, glabrous or sparsely puberulous on midrib above; lateral nerves 12 - 24 pairs, terminating at the margins; petioles 5 - 15 mm long; stipules lanceolate to linear-lanceolate, 5 - 15 x 2 - 4 mm. Inflorescences on terminal leafless panicles (up to 35 cm long) or lateral leafless branches or on main leafy branches, mostly unisexual, 7 - 10 mm in diam. Male flowers: pedicels 1.5 - 2 mm long; calyx 3.5 - 6 mm in diam., sepals triangular, 1.5 - 2.5 x 1 - 1.6 mm; petals suborbicular, toothed or lobed, ca 1 x 1 mm; disc flat, ca 2 mm in diam., entire; staminal column ca 1.5 mm long; filaments ca 1 mm long; anthers ovoid, ca 0.8 mm long; pistillode conic, ca 1 mm long. Female flowers: pedicels 0.5 - 2 mm long, scattered pilose to glabrous; calyx 4 - 5.5 mm in diam.; sepals narrowly triangular-acuminate, ca 2 x 1 - 1.5 mm; petals suborbicular or oblong, undulate, 1 - 2 mm across; outer disc disciform, up to 2.5 mm in diam., inner disc conical-cupular; ovary ovoid, depressed, 1.5 - 2 mm in diam., 2- locular; styles 0.8 - 1.5 mm long, shortly connate below and shortly bifid above. Fruits subglobose, slightly depressed, 5 - 8 x 6 - 9 mm, short beaked at apex, shallowly 2-lobed, glabrous, 2-locular; seeds 2; pedicels 2 - 4 mm long; fruiting calyx up to 7 mm in diam.
Fl. & Fr. Jan. - Dec.
Distrib. India: The commonest Indian species of Bridelia, in deciduous forests, mixed forests, dry forests, riverbanks, rocky places, scrub, subtropical forests, up to 2000 m in S. India, 600 m in Central & E. India, 1600 m on Himalayas and 1000 m in NE. India. Throughout the country except in Andaman & Nicobar Islands.
Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, S. China, Indo-China, Thailand and Sumatra.
Uses. Wood dull red, used for construction, agricultural implements and fuel.
Shrubs or trees, 2 - 15 (- 25) m tall; branchlets glabrescent in age. Leaves narrowly to broadly oblong, elliptic to obovate, rounded, subcordate, obtuse to acute at base, entire to shallowly crenate along margins, rounded, retuse, obtuse or acute at apex, 5 - 28 x 2 - 11 cm, thinly to stiffly coriaceous, often glossy above and glaucous beneath, glabrous or sparsely puberulous on midrib above; lateral nerves 12 - 24 pairs, terminating at the margins; petioles 5 - 15 mm long; stipules lanceolate to linear-lanceolate, 5 - 15 x 2 - 4 mm. Inflorescences on terminal leafless panicles (up to 35 cm long) or lateral leafless branches or on main leafy branches, mostly unisexual, 7 - 10 mm in diam. Male flowers: pedicels 1.5 - 2 mm long; calyx 3.5 - 6 mm in diam., sepals triangular, 1.5 - 2.5 x 1 - 1.6 mm; petals suborbicular, toothed or lobed, ca 1 x 1 mm; disc flat, ca 2 mm in diam., entire; staminal column ca 1.5 mm long; filaments ca 1 mm long; anthers ovoid, ca 0.8 mm long; pistillode conic, ca 1 mm long. Female flowers: pedicels 0.5 - 2 mm long, scattered pilose to glabrous; calyx 4 - 5.5 mm in diam.; sepals narrowly triangular-acuminate, ca 2 x 1 - 1.5 mm; petals suborbicular or oblong, undulate, 1 - 2 mm across; outer disc disciform, up to 2.5 mm in diam., inner disc conical-cupular; ovary ovoid, depressed, 1.5 - 2 mm in diam., 2- locular; styles 0.8 - 1.5 mm long, shortly connate below and shortly bifid above. Fruits subglobose, slightly depressed, 5 - 8 x 6 - 9 mm, short beaked at apex, shallowly 2-lobed, glabrous, 2-locular; seeds 2; pedicels 2 - 4 mm long; fruiting calyx up to 7 mm in diam.
Fl. & Fr. Jan. - Dec.
Distrib. India: The commonest Indian species of Bridelia, in deciduous forests, mixed forests, dry forests, riverbanks, rocky places, scrub, subtropical forests, up to 2000 m in S. India, 600 m in Central & E. India, 1600 m on Himalayas and 1000 m in NE. India. Throughout the country except in Andaman & Nicobar Islands.
Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, S. China, Indo-China, Thailand and Sumatra.
Uses. Wood dull red, used for construction, agricultural implements and fuel.
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