Vatica

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Vatica

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Description

Small to medium-sized, rarely large, trees; Bark surface usually grey mottled, smooth and hoop-marked, in large trees becoming patchily flaked, occasionally scroll-marked. Leaves variable; Inflorescences irregularly branched, racemose or sometimes partially cymose, short, rarely spreading. Petals narrowly oblong, usually pale cream-white, not connate at base, falling separately. Stamens 15 in 3 verticils, single stamens alternating with pairs, short, the inner row slightly longer than the outer row; Ovary ± broadly ovoid, conical, superior or semi-inferior, shortly densely pubescent, without distinct stylopodium;

Distribution

Asia-Temperate: Hainan (Hainan present), Asia-Tropical: Thailand (Thailand present), Burma present, Ceylon present, Lesser Sunda Is absent, S. China present, southern and eastern India present
About 65 spp. in Ceylon and southern and eastern India, Burma, Thailand, Indochina, S. China (Hainan), and c. 55 spp. throughout Malesia excepting the Lesser Sunda Is..

Uses

A hard semi-durable timber is obtained, but the trees are small; used locally for house posts and other minor construction.

Notes

A genus clearly circumscribed by its extraordinary constancy of floral structure and also wood anatomy; its closest affinity is with Cotylelobium (q.v.). The two main forms of fruit calyx appear to have evolved only once and, judged by the wide geographical distribution of the two sections, would seem to mark an ancient dichotomy in the genus.

Citation

Burck 1887 – In: Ann. Jard. Bot. Btzg: 223
DC. 1868 – In: Prod.: 517
Linne 1968: Man. Dipt. Brun.: 25
B.&H. 1862 – In: Gen. Pl.: 192
Smitinand 1980 – In: Thai For. Bull. (Bot.): 81
Linne 1964: Man. Dipt. Brun.: 61
Dyer 1874 – In: Fl. Br. Ind.: 301
Sym. 1943: p. 211. – In: Mal. For. Rec.: f. 105
Gilg 1925 – In: E. & P., Pfl. Fam., ed. 2, 21: 266
Heim 1892: Rech. Dipt.: 99
Ashton 1963 – In: Gard. Bull. Sing.: 243
cf. Jacobs 1967 – In: Blumea: 138
Brandis 1895 – In: J. Linn. Soc. Bot.: 116
Meijer & Wood 1964 – In: Sabah For. Rec.: 301
Sloot. 1927 – In: Bull. Jard. Bot. Btzg: 67
Foxw. 1938 – In: Philip. J. Sc.: 319
Brandis & Gilg 1895 – In: E. & P., Pfl. Fam., ed. 1, 3: 268