Botanical Survey of India | Flora of India

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Drypetes sumatrana (Miq.) Pax & K.Hoffm. in Engl., Pflanzenr. IV.147.xv (heft 81): 270. 1922; Chakrab. & Vasudeva Rao in J. Econ. Taxon. Bot. 6: 475. 1985. Anaua sumatrana Miq., Fl. Ned. Ind., Eerste Bijv.168, 410. 1860. Hemicyclia lanceolata Thwaites, Enum. Pl. Zeyl. 387. 1861; Hook.f., Fl. Brit. India 5: 338. 1887. H. sumatrana (Miq.) Müll.Arg. in DC., Prodr. 15(2): 487. 1866; Hook.f., l. c. 338. 1887, p. p. Drypetes lanceolata (Thwaites) Pax & K.Hoffm., l. c. 269. 1922.


Trees, 6 - 30 m tall; branchlets initially puberulous, soon glabrous. Leaves narrowly oblong-elliptic to lanceolate, unequal at base, crenate-serrate or shallowly sinuate-denticulate along margins, caudate or acuminate at apex, (2 -) 4 - 5 x 1 - 4 cm, thinly chartaceous to subcoriaceous, usually glossy, glabrous (except midrib) or sparsely appressed puberulous beneath; lateral nerves very slender, 5 - 17 pairs; petioles 2 - 7 (- 10) mm long. Inflorescences axillary. Male flowers: pedicels 2 - 4.5 mm long; sepals 4, orbicular or obovate , 3 - 3.5 x 2 - 3 mm, softly puberulous; stamens 10 - 21, 2 - 3 mm long; anthers oblong, 1 - 1.3 mm long; disc flat, often slightly crenate. Female flowers: pedicels 4 - 6 mm long; sepals 4, obovate, 3 - 4 x 2.5 - 3.5 mm; disc annular, fleshy; ovary oblong or ovoid, 2 - 2.5 x 1.5 - 2 mm, glabrous, 1-locular; style minute, often subterminal; stigma flabellate, ca 1 mm across. Fruits obovoid, oblong-ellipsoid to ovoid, flattened, (13 -) 15 - 17 x (8 -) 9 - 10 mm, usually longitudinally sulcate on ventral surface, glabrous, red when ripe, black-brown when dry, 1-locular; endocarp characteristically sculptured with strong spiniform outgrowths; pedicels 4 - 9 mm long.

Fl. Sept. - Dec.; Fr. Jan. - May.

Distrib. India: Inland forests, at sea level, common. Nicobar Islands.

Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Cambodia, Thailand and Sumatra.

Uses. The tree yields timber of good quality.




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