Rinorea
Content
Description
Small shrubs to small trees;
Leaf blade more or less distinctly acuminate, domatia occasionally present in the primary vein axils, the margin shallowly incised to subentire, surfaces generally dull.
Leaves distichous, rarely in a spiral.
Stipules caducous to long-persistent, sometimes quite conspicuous, often striate lengthwise.
Inflorescences lateral, the flowers mostly in bundles, sometimes distichous along a short rachis, sometimes in a corymb or panicle on a short peduncle, rarely in a raceme or on brachyblasts;
Flowers bisexual, rarely dioecious by reduction, actinomorphic, calyx quincuncial, covering the bud halfway to completely, corolla generally contorted in the same direction as the third sepal.
The sepals (almost) equal, fimbriate.
Petals in Malesia (sub)equal, free, sessile, thin in texture, to 9 mm long.
Fruit capsular, approximately globose before dehiscence, ¾-4 cm ø, generally subtended by the dried up calyx (which rarely expands), corolla, and androecium, the valves leathery, when large two-layered with reinforced apex, mostly smooth and glabrous, rarely enveloped in a mass of appendages, or hairy.
Seeds sessile, 3-6, rarely 1 or 9, ellipsoid, glabrous, with leathery testa and often clearly defined hilum and raphe.
Distribution
Africa present, Asia-Temperate: Hainan (Hainan present), Asia-Tropical: Assam (Assam present), Burma present, Carolines present, Ceylon present, Indo-Malesia present, Madagascar present, Melanesia present, N. Australia present, New World present, Pantropical present, S. India present
Pantropical, richest in Africa with c. 107 spp. on the mainland and 25 spp. in Madagascar; in the New World with 50-60 spp.; in Indo-Malesia 12-13 spp., altogether extending from S. India/ Ceylon, Assam, Burma, Hainan, to N. Australia, Melanesia, the Carolines; estimated total about 200 spp. .
Taxonomy
A satisfactory subdivision of the entire genus has not yet been made. The one in the Flora of British India is good for the present area, but is to be reconsidered when the neotropical and African species will have been comprehensively studied. Alsodeia is there subdivided into 3 sections, viz. I. Doryctandra (HASSK., genus, actually Dioryktandra) HOOK.f. & TH. with stamens “exserted” (not thus found by me), filaments slender (not a character), anthers cohering in a cone (notably by peculiar inter-tangling hairs). Contains R. heteroclita. II. Unnamed, with stamens included, anthers free, disk cupular (our filamental tube). Contains most of our species, and the former genera Pentaloba and Prosthesia. III. Scyphellandra (THW., genus) HOOK.f. & TH., with stamens included, anthers free, disk reduced to 5 scales, one at the base of each anther (and, we may add, dioecious). Contains our R. virgata.
gave another subdivision of Alsodeia; on page 400, Sect. I, Prosthesia (Bl.) KING, with 7 spp.; on page 404, Sect. II, Pentaloba (WALL.) KING, with 6 spp.; on page 407, Sect. Ill, unnamed, with 1 sp. Various “species” placed by KING in different sections have in the present revision been merged.
gave another subdivision of Alsodeia; on page 400, Sect. I, Prosthesia (Bl.) KING, with 7 spp.; on page 404, Sect. II, Pentaloba (WALL.) KING, with 6 spp.; on page 407, Sect. Ill, unnamed, with 1 sp. Various “species” placed by KING in different sections have in the present revision been merged.
Notes
The taxa in Rinorea east of the Indus have all been worked up in the same way, but the data have been sorted out for publication between the Flora Malesiana and its precursor in . The precursor accounts for all names of all taxa, with their first references and their type specimens, but gives descriptions, distribution and ecology only of non-Malesian taxa. The Flora Malesiana accounts for Malesia as far as names and literature are concerned, later references included, but the descriptions cover the taxa found in Malesia over their full range, and the same holds for distribution and ecology. The key in the Flora Malesiana is also complete for all taxa.
Six species belonging to other families have been ascribed to Rinorea; see under Excluded.
Six species belonging to other families have been ascribed to Rinorea; see under Excluded.