Crudia

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Crudia

Description

Trees or shrubs, rarely scramblers. Leaves spiral, imparipinnate or seemingly paripinnate (sometimes with a prolonged tip of rachis beyond the apical leaflet, often deciducous), l-9(-13)-foliolate, petioled. Stipules usually intrapetiolar, small or rarely large, often connate (at the basal parts), sometimes interpetiolar and free, caducous or persistent. Inflorescences racemose, axillary or terminal, very rarely cauline (C. cauliflora), solitary or fasciculate; bracts entire or lobed (sometimes 3-lobed with the central lobe redivided), often caducous, sometimes persistent; bracteoles 2, (subopposite or alternate, often minute or small, or relatively large and enclosing the young flower buds, often caducous, sometimes persistent; pedicels rather short, articulated. Flowers bisexual. Stamens 10 or fewer, often caducous; filaments united at their basal parts, sometimes seemingly free, ± equal or slightly unequal in length; anthers small, ovoid, ellipsoid, or oblong, dorsifixed, longitudinally dehiscing. Seeds suborbicular or subreniform, compressed, cotyledons concave, exarillate, exalbuminous.

Distribution

Africa present, America present, Asia present, Asia-Tropical
A tropical genus consisting of c. 50 species, distributed in America, Africa, and Asia; in Malesia 30 species, including 2 doubtful ones.

Taxonomy

The important, main reference for Malesian Crudia is the comprehensive revision published by De Wit (l.c.: 407-434).

Citation

Cowan & Polhill 1981 – In: Polhill & Raven, Adv. Leg. Syst. 1: 131
Watson & Dallwitz 1983: Gen. Leg.-Caesalp.: 21.
de Wit 1950 – In: Bull. Bot. Gard. Buitenzorg: 411