Cleistanthus malabaricus
(Müll.Arg.) Müll.Arg. in DC., Prodr. 15(2): 508. 1866; Hook.f.,
Fl. Brit. India 5: 276. 1887; Gamble, Fl. Madras 2(7): 1283. 1925 (repr. ed. 2: 898. 1957). Lebidiera
malabarica Müll.Arg. in Linnaea 32: 81. 1863.
Kan.: Yettimara.
Shrubs or small trees; branchlets villous, becoming glabrous in age. Leaves narrowly oblong-obovate to oblanceolate, narrowed and acute or rounded at base, entire along margins, apiculate to caudate or acuminate at apex, (3 -) 5 - 15 x (1 -) 2 - 4.5 cm, chartaceous or occasionally thinly coriaceous, glabrous or hirsute on midrib and often on lateral nerves above, scattered pilose or hirsute on major nerves (midrib often densely ochraceous villous) beneath, glaucous beneath; lateral nerves 5 - 10 pairs; petioles 1.5 -5 mm long; stipules linear to filiform, 5 - 10 mm long. Inflorescences borne on main and lateral leafy branches, few-flowered. Male flowers: pedicels ca 4 mm long, sparsely puberulous; calyx ca 7 mm in diam.; sepals narrowly subulateacuminate, ca 4 x 1 mm; petals narrowly spathulate-obovate, ca 2 x 0.8 mm; disc shortly cupuliform; staminal column ca 1 mm long; filaments ca 0.5 mm long; anthers ellipsoid, ca 0.8 mm long; pistillode trifid. Female flowers: pedicels 0.5 - 1 mm long; calyx ca 4 x 5 mm, glabrous; sepals triangular or ovate-oblong, ca 3 x 1.5 mm; petals spathulate, ca 2 x 1 mm; disc cupular; ovary subglobose, 1 - 2 mm in diam., densely and evanescently villous; styles ca 1 mm long, free, erect, shortly bifid above. Fruits somewhat depressed, 3-lobed, 4 - 5 x 8 - 9 mm, glabrous.
Fl. Dec. - May; Fr. Feb. - Oct.
Distrib. India: Evergreen forests of Western Ghats, between 300 to 1000 m altitudes, scarce. Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
Shrubs or small trees; branchlets villous, becoming glabrous in age. Leaves narrowly oblong-obovate to oblanceolate, narrowed and acute or rounded at base, entire along margins, apiculate to caudate or acuminate at apex, (3 -) 5 - 15 x (1 -) 2 - 4.5 cm, chartaceous or occasionally thinly coriaceous, glabrous or hirsute on midrib and often on lateral nerves above, scattered pilose or hirsute on major nerves (midrib often densely ochraceous villous) beneath, glaucous beneath; lateral nerves 5 - 10 pairs; petioles 1.5 -5 mm long; stipules linear to filiform, 5 - 10 mm long. Inflorescences borne on main and lateral leafy branches, few-flowered. Male flowers: pedicels ca 4 mm long, sparsely puberulous; calyx ca 7 mm in diam.; sepals narrowly subulateacuminate, ca 4 x 1 mm; petals narrowly spathulate-obovate, ca 2 x 0.8 mm; disc shortly cupuliform; staminal column ca 1 mm long; filaments ca 0.5 mm long; anthers ellipsoid, ca 0.8 mm long; pistillode trifid. Female flowers: pedicels 0.5 - 1 mm long; calyx ca 4 x 5 mm, glabrous; sepals triangular or ovate-oblong, ca 3 x 1.5 mm; petals spathulate, ca 2 x 1 mm; disc cupular; ovary subglobose, 1 - 2 mm in diam., densely and evanescently villous; styles ca 1 mm long, free, erect, shortly bifid above. Fruits somewhat depressed, 3-lobed, 4 - 5 x 8 - 9 mm, glabrous.
Fl. Dec. - May; Fr. Feb. - Oct.
Distrib. India: Evergreen forests of Western Ghats, between 300 to 1000 m altitudes, scarce. Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
