GMELINA

Gmelina L., Sp. Pl. 626. 1753; Gen. Pl. ed. 5. 526. 1754; Benth. & Hook. f., Fl. Brit. Ind. 1153. 1865; Clarke in Hook. f., Fl. Brit. Ind. 589. 1885; Fl. China @ eFloras.org 17: 32; Fl. Pak. @ eFloras.org p. 28.

Trees, tall shrubs, rarely subshrubs, often climbing when young. Branchlets tomentose, often spiny. Leaves opposite, simple, entire, sometimes lobed, usually with large gland patches near base, often abaxially. Inflorescences usually terminal cymes or panicles. Flowers bisexual, zygomorphic, hypogynous, large, yellow or brownish yellow, bracts foliaceous or not. Calyx campanulate, subentire to 4-5-toothed, persistent, enlarged or not in fruit, usually with large glands. Corolla zygomorphic, funnelform, tube ventricose, narrow at base, throat wide; limb oblique, (4-) 5-lobed, +/- 2-lipped, upper lip 2-lobed or entire, lower lip 3-lobed with middle lobe larger. Stamens 4, distinctly didynamous, inserted on basal part of corolla tube, usually included or subexserted; anthers oblong, divaricate, dehiscence longitudinal. Carpels 2, syncarpous; ovary usually 4-locular (rarely 2-locular), with 1 ovule in each loculus; ovules pendulous or laterally attached; style slender; stigma usually unequally 2-lobed or awl-shaped. Drupe fleshy, 2-4-loculed with bony endocarp. Seeds 4 or by abortion 2 or 3.

32 species

Gmelina philippensis

Gmelina philippensis Cham., Linnaea 7: 109. 1832; Bor, Man. Ind. For. Bot. 302. 1953; Maheshwari, Fl. Delhi 282. 1963; Rajendran & Daniel, Indian Verbenaceae 171. 2002; Fl. Pak. @ eFloras.org p. 28; keralaplants.in; G. hystrix Schult. ex Kurz, J. Asiat. Soc. Bengal, Part 2, Nat. Hist. 39(2): 81. 1870.

A moderate to large-sized scandent, spinose shrub. Stems lenticellate, branchlets pubescent, spiny. Leaves opposite; petiole 2-2.5 cm long, with adaxial groove; leaf blade 5-7 cm x ca. 3.5 cm, rhomboid-elliptic or elliptic, margin entire or obscurely 3-lobed, base cuneate, apex acute, glabrous. Inflorescences cymes in panicles, with cymes arranged in axil of foliaceous petaloid purplish-green bracts having conspicuous veins; bracts broadly ovate, ca. 2.5 cm x 2.5 cm, membranous, imbricate, together giving the loose coniferous cone like appearance of variable length, terminal on branches and pendulous. Flowers large, yellow, bisexual, zygomorphic, hypogynous, yellow. Calyx small, campanulate, with 5 obsolete lobes, persistent, usually with large glands. Corolla zygomorphic, funnelform, yellow, tube ventricose, narrow at base, throat wide; limb oblique, 5-lobed, puberulous, 2-lipped: upper lip large, shallowly 2-lobed, erect, lower lip 3- lobed, lobes reflexed, +/- deltoid. Stamens 4, distinctly didynamous, inserted on basal part of corolla tube, usually included; filaments slender, curved, longer filaments with transparent subsessile glands; anthers oblong, thecae divaricate, dehiscence longitudinal; a white, disc-like structure at the junction of anther and filament of larger stamens. Carpels 2, syncarpous; ovary 4-locular, one ovule per loculus; style slender; stigma awl-shaped or unequally 2-lobed.

Drupe obovoid, ca. 1.2 cm long, usually with 4 seeds (Fruit not observed).

Flowering and Fruiting: April to November
Common Names: Ching- Chai, Hedgehog, Parrot’s Beak; Badhara (Hindi)