Cleistanthus travancorensis
Jabl. in Engl., Pflanzenr. IV.147.viii (Heft 65): 21. 1915;
Gamble, Fl. Madras 2(7): 1283. 1925 (repr. ed. 2: 898. 1957).
Trees, 4 - 5 m tall; branchlets initially velutinous or tomentellous, finally glabrous. Leaves
lanceolate-elliptic to lanceolate-oblong or narrowly oblong-elliptic to obovate-elliptic, acute,
obtuse to rounded at base, entire, attenuate or acuminate at apex, 5 - 12 x 1.5 - 6 cm, chartaceous
to thinly coriaceous, glabrous above, glabrous or sparsely pilose on midrib (towards base)
beneath; lateral nerves 5 - 11 pairs; petioles 2 - 3 mm long; stipules filiform, 1 - 5 mm long,
puberulous. Inflorescences arising on main and lateral 2 - 5 cm long leafy branches, fewflowered.
Male flowers: not seen (reported to be ca 3.5 mm long in bud, glabrous or sparsely
pilose outside; petals orbicular-ovate; pistillode trifid). Female flowers: subsessile, ca 5 mm in
diam.; calyx-tube obconic, ca 1 x 2 mm; sepals triangular, 2 - 2.5 x 1 - 1.4 mm; petals spathulate or
flabellate, 1 - 1.5 mm long; disc annular; ovary subglobose, ca 2 mm in diam., villous or glabrous;
styles 1 - 1.5 mm long, free, shortly bifid above. Fruits subglobose, 3-lobed, 3 - 5 x 4 - 6 mm,
smooth, glabrous, pinkish green when fresh, brown or black when dry; persistent column 2 - 3
mm long; pedicels 1.5 - 2 mm long.
KEY TO THE VARIETIES
| 1 a. Stipules 1 – 3 mm long; ovary glabrous | 7.1. sankunnianus |
| b. Stipules 3 – 5 mm long; ovary villous | 7.2. travancorensis |
