Cleistanthus patulus (Roxb.) Müll.Arg. in DC., Prodr. 15(2): 505. 1866; Hook.f., Fl. Brit. India 5: 279. 1887. Clutia patula Roxb., Pl. Coromandel 2: 37, t. 170. 1802 (as Cluytia). Amanoa indica Wight, Icon. Pl. Ind. Orient. 5: 30, t. 1911. 1852. A. patula (Roxb.) Thwaites, Enum. Pl. Zeyl. 280. 1861, p. p.

Trees, up to 5 m tall; branchlets initially velutinous, afterwards glabrous. Leaves oblongelliptic to oblong-lanceolate or ovate-lanceolate, acute, obtuse to rounded at base, entire along margins, acuminate or caudate and apiculate at apex, 3.5 - 13 x 1 - 5.5 cm, chartaceous to thinly coriaceous, often glossy, sometimes glaucous beneath, glabrous or sparsely puberulous on midrib (towards base) above, glabrous or sparsely pilose on midrib beneath; lateral nerves 4 - 12 pairs; petioles 2 – 5 mm long, 0.7 - 1.5 mm thick. Inflorescences few-flowered, borne or special small-leaved or leafless branchlets (2 - 8 cm long) or rarely on main leafy branches. Male flowers: not seen (reported to be sessile with triangular, puberulous sepals and broad, puberulous petals). Female flowers: sessile to subsessile, 4 - 5 x 3 - 6 mm; calyx-tube cupular, ca 1.2 x 2 mm; sepals triangular, oblong-ovate or lanceolate, 2 - 3 x 1 - 1.5 mm; petals suborbicular, ca 1 x 1 mm; disc cupular, covering half of the ovary; ovary globose, ca 1.5 mm in diam., tomentose; styles 1.5 - 2 mm long, free, bifid up to half way. Fruits sessile, subglobose, somewhat depressed, deeply 3-lobed, usually 3-locular, 5 - 12 x 10 - 15 mm, finely and evanescently appressed golden brown pilose; seeds subglobose, ca 5 mm.

Fl. & Fr. Apr. - Oct.

Distrib. India: Dry deciduous or evergreen forests, up to 1200 m altitude, common. Odissa, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

Sri Lanka.

Notes. Reports indicate the presence of tetralocular fruits in this species (Kumari in Bull. Bot. Surv. India 14: 152 - 153. 1972).