Semecarpus
Content
Description
Trees, sometimes treelets or shrubs, rarely unbranched (S. magnificus, rarely in S. curtisii, S. bunburyanus).
Leaves simple, spiral or alternate, sometimes subverti-cillate, entire, often papillose on the lower surface, petioled.
Inflorescences terminal and/or axillary, rarely cauliflorous, paniculate, rarely raceme-like;
Flowers unisexual or rarely bisexual (plants dioecious or rarely polygamous), ♀ ones usually larger than the ♂.
Petals 5 (or 4), imbricate, or rarely valvate.
Stamens 5 (or 4);
Ovary superior, 1-celled, usually densely hairy, glabrescent, rarely glabrous;
Seed with testa free from the endocarp;
Distribution
Asia-Tropical: India present; Thailand (Thailand present), Australasia, Burma present, Ceylon present, Indo-Malesia present, Micronesia present, New Caledonia present, Pacific: Fiji (Fiji present), Solomon Islands present, Southern America: Argentina Northeast (Formosa present)
A genus with c. 60 spp., chiefly in Indo-Malesia, distributed in India, Ceylon, Burma, Thailand, Indo-China, Formosa, throughout Malesia, to Australia, Micronesia, the Solomon Islands, New Caledonia, and Fiji, .
Notes
Taxonomically this is a very difficult genus, for which there are two main reasons. The species are mostly dioecious, rarely polygamous, and flowering takes place simultaneous, so that herbarium specimens only represent one stage, and one has almost never flowers and fruit together. Furthermore both flowers and leaves are rather 'monotonous' and do not offer a great deal of 'characters'. A second cause is the fact that several species are fairly variable geographically.
For these reasons the framing of an overall key for the whole of Malesia based freely on flower and fruit characters appeared not very practical for identification. Instead I have provided keys for partial areas, sometimes for each area one for fruiting and another for flowering material.
In addition these keys are preceded by a short synopsis of characteristic ('spotting') characters which are diagnostic for a limited number of species.
Size of fruit in descriptions is always derived from dried specimens unless stated otherwise.
For these reasons the framing of an overall key for the whole of Malesia based freely on flower and fruit characters appeared not very practical for identification. Instead I have provided keys for partial areas, sometimes for each area one for fruiting and another for flowering material.
In addition these keys are preceded by a short synopsis of characteristic ('spotting') characters which are diagnostic for a limited number of species.
Size of fruit in descriptions is always derived from dried specimens unless stated otherwise.