Meliosma dilleniifolia

ID Needed for Plant from Shimla ATJUNE2016/01 : 8 posts by 3 authors. Attachments (6)

This plant was shot at Shimla Water Catchment Reserve Forest and Wildlife Century in June 2015 and 2016. It is not a common plant here.
I have seen only two of this species in this area.
Habit: Small tree
Leaves: up to 30 cm long
Flowers: minute, greenish white
I had posted it in FB pages “INDIAN FLORA” & “PLANT WEALTH OF INDIA” last year but no satisfactory reply was received.
Kindly help with identification.

Sir it seems Meliosma dilleniifolia to me, but id need confirmation.

Thank you, … It matches well with Meliosma dilleniifolia. It is quite rare here. I have also checked it with Flora Simlensis. Another species M. pungens () is also reported to occur near Narkanda.
Thank you, Respected … It is also not available on efloraindia.
If validated correct, it will be a new addition to efloraindia.

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I have collected both species from Gairsain area (Chamoli, Uttarakhand), are rare in occurrence here too.

Sir, you may find the images of Meliosma simplicifolia (M. pungens) posted by me & other on efi. 

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Thanks, … It is nice to see many new additions coming from you although Himachal is quite explored on efi.

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From FLORA SIMLENSIS by SIR HENRY COLLETT. Attachments (1)

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SK2025 04 July 2019 : 24 posts by 5 authors. Attachments (7) – around 1 mb each.

 

Location: Chalnakhel, Kathmandu

Date: 24 June 2019

Elevation: 1404 m.

Habit : Wild

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Pl. check comparative images at

/species/a—l/a/anacardiaceae

 

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I could not find a match.

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Wild guess at best.

Some Anacardiaceae?

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May not be Anacardiaceae, for the leaf is different

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Seems to Meliosma sp., Sabiaceae.

Could be simplicifolia?

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Meliosma thomsonii King ex Brandis ??

Syn : Meliosma simplicifolia subsp. thomsonii (King ex Brandis) Beusekom

Meliosma thomsonii King ex Brandis

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Yes, it looks like the species you have indicated. the flower, leaf are of Meliosma of Sabiaceae

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Do we need further validation?

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I have already checked but I could not find a match! Isn’t my guess matching ?

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It’s a species of Meliosma… either simplicifolia or dillenifolia

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Thank you …, I had suggested as below earlier guess more close to it.

Could you please check once and validate ?

Meliosma thomsonii King ex Brandis ??

Syn : Meliosma simplicifolia subsp. thomsonii (King ex Brandis) Beusekom

Meliosma thomsonii King ex Brandis

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I think it might be Eriobotrya deflexa (Rosaceae).

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Eriobotrya deflexa is not listed in Nepal and it does not look like planted in the wild.

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Ok Sir. Then You can search for species of Meliosma (Sabiaceae).. M. rigida??

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I have suggested in the earlier mail as :

Meliosma thomsonii King ex Brandis ??

Syn : Meliosma simplicifolia subsp. thomsonii (King ex Brandis) Beusekom

Meliosma thomsonii King ex Brandis

Could you please look into this ?

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Flora of China gives the following keys to different between the bold species:

18 (17)	Leaf blade abaxially densely lanuginous; sepals 5, outside with 4 or 5 equal bracts.		8 M. thomsonii
+	Leaf blade glabrous or sparsely pubescent; sepals 4 or 5, without equal bracts		(19)
19 (18)	Ovary densely pubescent, drupes persistently pubescent; 2 inner petals entire.		9 M. thorelii
+	Ovary and drupes pubescent; 2 inner petals bifid		(20)
20 (19)	Petiole 1.5-2.5 cm; branchlets pubescent; drupes globose.		10 M. simplicifolia
+	Petiole 3-5 cm; branchlets glabrous; drupes obovoid or subglobose.		11 M. longipes

 

Can you check this feature ?

Also regarding leaves:

Flora of China says for Meliosma thomsonii King ex Brandis leaf blade obovate-oblong or obovate-elliptic, 18-37 × 7-16 cm, leathery, abaxially densely lanuginous, adaxially pubescent on midvein and lateral veins, lateral veins 16-20 pairs, ascending and arched to margin, upper ones running into teeth, base attenuate to cuneate, margin sparsely serrate at and above middle, apex acute to acuminate.

Flora of China says for Meliosma simplicifolia (Roxburgh) Walpers leaf blade obovate or obovate-oblong, 15-40 × 5-15 cm, papery, adaxially glabrous, vein axils crinite, lateral veins 15-20 pairs, arched-anastomosing near margin, reticulate veins slender and conspicuous, attenuate 2/3 to base, margin entire, sometimes serrulate, apex acute or shortly caudate.

Pl. check.

To me leaves look adaxially glabrous, margin serrulate and apex acute

So it may be Meliosma simplicifolia (Roxburgh) Walpers

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The tree is at a steep slope so could not get specimen. However, looks matching to M. thomsonii. Not sure 100 %.

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How can you say that?

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Just a guess according to keys.

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Thanks, …, I have worked on details and given these in my detailed reply. In such a case, one should contradict only on facts or some links etc.

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Because most of the images in net, drawing and herbarium showing not serrated leaf. So I got confused. Very few images of leaves and FoP showing serrated images.

Meliosma simplicifolia (Roxb.) Walp.

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That is why I critically mentioned serrations of leaves in the comparison of two species. Also checked images and details in our database and on net before that.

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Fruits from the same tree ! Too far ! Not good images.

Flowering and fruiting phenology looks like matching with Meliosma dilleniifolia (Wall. ex Wight & Arn.) Walp.

Attachments (2)

 

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I got keys in Flora of Bhutan as below:

1. Leaves pinnate ………………………………………………………………. 3. M. pinnata
+ Leaves simple ………………………………………………………………………………… .. 2
2. Evergreen; leaves entire or serrate with rather broad teeth, veins curving towards apex near margin ……………………… 1. M. simplicifolia
+ Deciduous; leaves serrate with fine teeth, veins running +/- straight to margin and most excurrent into fine teeth …. 2. M. dilleniifolia
So this leads us to M. dilleniifolia

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closest to m. dillenifolia

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Thank you …!

Nepali Name : कोदे खबडे Kode Khabade

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yes, you see in this case. the venation pattern clinched the differentiation. thanks …

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Identification requested: Shimla : 12 posts by 4 authors. Attachments (3)

Kindly help with identification.
Place: Shimla (H.P.)
June 9, 2015
Small sized tree

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It was small sized tree.

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Is this very difficult to identify. Trying for the last 6 months.

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Don’t know whether right or not, but can it be Leea sp.

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I think, this is not Leea. Kindly see the inflorescence.

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Can we think about Bridelia montana. Kindly go through the link:
http://www.nationaalherbarium.nl/Euphorbs/specB/Bridelia.htm

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Looks like a Bridelia species to me too.

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Does not look like Bridelia montana as per  Euphorbiaceae fortnight :: Phyllanthaceae :: Bridelia montana at CBD Hills :: DV11

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Sir is it twinner

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Small sized tree, not twiner

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Rhus ?

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Forgot to update it.

It is: Meliosma dilleniifolia

http://www.flowersofindia.net/catalog/slides/Dillenia-Leaved%20Meliosma.html

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References:

Catalogue of life  The Plant List Ver.1.1
Tropicos  IPNI  NPGS
BSI Flora of India  Flora of China
FOC illustration  Annotated checklist of Flowering plants of Nepal  India Biodiversity Portal