Cleistanthus balakrishnanii Chakrab. in J. Econ. Taxon. Bot. 5: 951. 1984; Chakrab. & N.P.Balakr. in J. Econ. Taxon. Bot. Addit. Ser. 9: 46. 1992.

Shrubs or trees, 2 - 8 m tall; branchlets villous when young, glabrescent in age. Leaves narrowly elliptic to lanceolate or narrowly oblong-elliptic, acute or sometimes obtuse to rounded at base, entire, caudate-acuminate at apex, 6 - 19 x 2 - 5 cm, chartaceous to subcoriaceous, glabrous (except midrib); lateral nerves 7 - 10 pairs; petioles 4 - 9 mm long; stipules subulateacicular, 5 - 8 mm long, subpersistent. Inflorescences many-flowered, bisexual, borne on special small-leaved branchlets (elongating later on). Male flowers: pedicels ca 2 mm long; calyx 2.5 - 3.5 x 3 - 4 mm; tube tomentellous; sepals triangular, 1.5 - 2 x 1 - 1.5 mm; petals unguiculateflabellate, 0.7 - 1 mm long, glabrous; disc shortly cupular; stamens 2.5 - 3.5 mm long; column 1.5 - 2.5 mm long; anthers broadly oblong or ovoid, ca 1 mm long; pistillode ca 1 mm long. Female flowers: pedicels ca 1 mm long; calyx 3 - 4 x ca 3 mm; tube tomentellous; sepals triangular or oblong, 1.5 - 2.5 x 1 - 1.8 mm; petals unguiculate-flabellate, ca 1 mm long; disc cupular; ovary trigonous-globose, ca 2 mm in diam., densely sericeous; styles ca 1 mm long, simple, almost free, spreading. Fruits somewhat depressed, ca 10 mm in diam., prominently 3-lobed, scattered ochraceous puberulous, green.

Fl. & Fr. April - Sept.

Distrib. India: Scrubs along the edges of inland forests on clayey or rocky soil, at about 20 m altitude. Rare. Nicobar Islands (Great Nicobar).

Endemic.