Hymenaea

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Hymenaea

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Description

Trees. Leaves bifoliolate, petiolate. Stipules caducous. Inflorescences terminal, paniculate or corymbose-paniculate; bracts and bracteoles caducous. Flowers pedicelled, all parts pellucid-punctate. Petals 5, subequal, slightly zygomorphic, imbricate. Stamens 10, free, exserted; filaments folded in bud, more or less equal in length; anthers dorsifixed and versatile, longitudinally dehiscent. Ovary stipitate, excentric with adnate stipe, 3-15- (or more-)ovuled. Seeds non-arillate, exalbuminous.

Distribution

Africa: Seychelles (Seychelles present), Asia-Tropical, E tropical Africa present, Madagascar present, Mauritius present, Northern America, Southern America, tropical South America present
A genus consisting of 14 species (including their varieties) (fide Lee & Langenheim, l.c.): 13 in Mexico, West Indies, and tropical South America; only one of them occurring in E tropical Africa, Madagascar, Mauritius, and the Seychelles.. The following two species are cultivated in Malesia.

Uses

Producing commercially valuable gum-resins or copals and to a limited extent for medicinal purposes. The resin is also used in varnishes. The pulpy (endocarp) tissue surrounding the seeds is edible. See

Citation

Hutch. 1964 – In: Gen. Pl.: 243
Lee & Langenheim 1975 – In: Univ. Calif. Publ. Bot.: 51
Cowan & Polhill 1981 – In: Polhill & Raven, Adv. Leg. Syst. 1: 130
Watson & Dallwitz 1983 – In: Gen. Leg.- Caesalp.: 34.
Brenan 1967 – In: Fl. Trop. E Afr.: 132.