MIMUSOPS

Mimusops L., Sp. Pl. 1: 349. 1753; Gen. Pl. ed. 5. 265. 1754; Elisens, Fl. North. Amer. @ eFloras.org 8: 233; Clarke in Hook. f., Fl. Brit. Ind. 3: 548. 1882; Talbot, For. Fl. 2: 161. 1911; Cooke, Fl. Pres. Bomb. 2: 154. 1958 (Reprint ed.); Malik, Fl. Pak. @ eFloras.org p. 8.

Trees with milky juice. Leaves alternate, simple, coriaceous, petiolate, persistent, lateral nerves 15-20 (-30) pairs, parallel; stipules caducous. Inflorescence axillary, solitary or clustered. Sepals 8 in two whorls of 4 each, outer valvate, larger, inner imbricate, densely hairy abaxially. Petals (6-)8, connate, white to yellow pink, glabrous or hairy; corolla tube short; lobes 16-24, 2-3-seriate, longer than corolla tube, each divided into one median and two lateral segments, median segment equalling or longer than laterals. Stamens 8, inserted at the base of corolla tube and opposite to the interior lobes; filaments short; anthers lanceolate, bithecous, thecae divergent at the base; staminodes as many as stamens and alternating with them, variously toothed or entire, hairy, inflexed, petaloid, lanceolate. Ovary hirsute, 6-8-locular, placentation basal or basi-ventral; style slightly longer than corolla. Berries ovoid, yellow to orange, glabrate, seeds solitary, compressed, ellipsoid, brown to black, hilum circular.

46 species

Mimusops elengi

Mimusops elengi L., Sp. Pl. 349. 1753; Clarke in Hook. f., Fl. Brit. Ind. 3: 548. 1882; Cooke, Fl. Pres. Bomb. 2: 95 (Reprint 1958); Talbot, For. Fl. 2: 161. 1911; Gamble, Fl. Pres. Madras 765 (538). 1921; Parker, For. Fl. Punj. ed. 1: 306. 1918 (Reprint 1973); keralaplants.in; Fl. North Amer.@ eFloras.org 8: 234; Malik, Fl. Pak.@ eFloras.org p. 9.

Evergreen trees, bark dark grey, cracked or fissured longitudinally; lenticels vertical; exudation milky; young branches green, glabrous or brown, pubescent. Leaves simple, alternate, 4-12(-16) cm x 3.5-7.5 cm; elliptic or elliptic-oblong, apex obtuse to acuminate, base cuneate, margin entire or undulate, glabrous, coriaceous; stipules lanceolate, caducous; petiole 1.5-4 cm long, slender, grooved above, pubescent; lateral nerves many, parallel, slender, intercostae reticulate. Flowers small, bisexual, actinomorphic, hypogynous, white, fragrant, star-shaped, 1-1.5 cm across, 1-5 in axillary fascicles; pedicels 1-2 cm long. Sepals 8, in two series of 4 each, 4-6 mm x 2-3 mm, thick, outer lanceolate, broader than inner, valvate, pubescent. Corolla white; tube short; lobes 24, 3 series of 8 each, with hairs on back and margins, acuminate. Stamens 8, alternating with staminodes; filaments 1 mm long; anthers oblong, cordate, 3 mm long, connective apiculate; staminodes lanceolate, acuminate, fimbriate, pilose. Ovary 1-1.5 mm long, ovoid, hirsute, 6-8-locular, 1 ovule per loculus; style columnar, ca. 5 mm long, stigma minutely fimbriated. Fruit a berry, yellow, ovoid, ca. 2.5 cm x 1.5 cm, fleshy with persistent calyx. Seed usually 1, oblong-ellipsoid, laterally compressed.

Flowering and Fruiting: March to NovemberCommon Names: Asian Bullet Wood, Bullet Wood, Bakul Tree, Spanish Cherry, West India Medlar; Maulsari (Hindi)