Saraca monadelpha

Primary tabs

Saraca monadelpha

Description

Tree 15 m tall and 19 cm in diam., or treelet 3-6 m tall. Leaves (l-)3-6-jugate, subsessile or shortly petioled, petiole and rachis (0.3-)4-20 (or more) cm long. Inflorescences up to 12 cm wide, glabrous, branches up to c. 2 cm long; bracts elliptic- ovate, 3-4 mm long, finely puberulous, or glabrous with minutely hairy margin, often caducous; bracteoles elliptic, 4-9 mm long, puberulous, or glabrous with minutely hairy margin, spreading, often caducous, sometimes persistent; pedicels 10-15 mm, the length between bracteoles and flower 2-5 mm. Flowers yellow tinged orange, deep yellow, or yellowish pink, articulated near the base, glabrous outside. Stamens 4 perfect and 6 tooth-like staminodes united together at their basal parts into a filamental tube of 4-8(-9) by 4-5 mm, the tube sometimes splitting to the base at the side of insertion of the (vestigial) pistil; free parts of filaments 17-20 mm, dilated towards the base, glabrous; anthers broadly ellipsoid, c. 4 mm long; free parts of staminodes (0.5-)l-5 mm. Seeds (young) broadly ellipsoid, c. 2.5 by 1.5 cm, c. 1.5 cm thick.

Distribution

Asia-Tropical, Flores present, Halmahera present
Malesia: Lesser Sunda Islands (Flores), N Moluccas (Halmahera).

Morphology

Saraca monadelpha is characterized by the relatively large fleshy flowers with broad hypanthium (or calyx tube), stamens and staminodes united at their basal parts into a prominent tube, 4-8(-9) by 4-5 mm, large anthers (c. 4 mm long), ovary 6-ovuled, and pod somewhat spindle-shaped.