Eriobotrya bengalensis
Content
Description
Trees up to 27 m, sometimes shrubs, rarely buttressed, with spreading branches having flat foliage ('terminalian' branching), bark rough and lenticellate, white or grey.
Leaves oblong to oblong-lanceolate, 6-17 by 2-6.5 cm, base gradually tapering, margin shallowly serrate, apex acute to shortly acuminate, coriaceous, with 7-10 pairs of nerves, each often with one stronger side-nerve, those and the primary nerves terminating in the marginal teeth, venation transverse, almost glabrous when mature but with a woolly indumentum on midrib and nerves when young, red when young and also when old.
Stipules caducous, triangular, up to c. 4 by 1 mm, free, ciliolate, sometimes large and semi-foliaceous, up to 14 by 4 mm.
Inflorescence a terminal compound raceme with up to 12 laterals, the lowermost of those in the axils of (reduced) leaves, upper ones in axils of bracts, the panicle up to 14 cm long, peduncle very short, lower laterals up to 12 cm, pedicels 2-3(-5) mm long, densely hairy as are all other axes in the panicle.
Flowers fragrant.
Sepals triangular, 2-2.5 by 1-1.5 mm, patent to reflexed during anthesis, densely hairy outside.
Petals ovate to broadly obovate, 4-4.5 by 2-4.5 mm, reflexed in anthesis, with hairs at base inside, otherwise glabrous, white.
Stamens c. 20, filaments up to 3 mm, glabrous, anthers 0.6-0.8 mm long.
Ovary inferior when young, later semi-inferior, 2(-3)-celled (see Note), long and densely hairy on top, styles shortly connate at base, 2-2.5 mm long, hairy in the lower part.
Fruits globular, 10-15 by 9-15 mm (in dry state), exocarp more or less hairy, grey-green when young, reddish when ripe, mesocarp hard and gritty, endocarps firm-membranous.
Seeds 1 or 2 per fruit, with thin papery testa.
Distribution
Asia-Tropical: Borneo present; Sumatera (Sumatera present); Vietnam (Vietnam present), Bangka? present, Eastern part of Himalayas present, Malaya incl. offshore islands present, SE Asia present, West Malesia present
SE Asia from Eastern part of Himalayas to Vietnam and West Malesia (Sumatra, Malaya incl. offshore islands, Bangka?, Borneo).