Swamy/New series/ID/12 – ID of the Plant, Chennai.:
Kindly Id the plant photographs received from a friend in Chennai. Photographed yesterday. I understand it is a bonsoi plant.


Might be Burseraceae


Thanks a lot … I was thinking it could be a Commiphora species (Burseraceae). Meanwhile you suggested the family. I will try to work on it.



Sending h/w two more photos received.


On checking the family in efloraofindia, I could track it upto Commiphora wightii (Arn.) Bhandari as per images and details herein and as per
I was following this thread. I want to know a thing or two about bonsai :-
  1. does their stunted growth deform them?
  2. do leaves retain their characters?
  3. flowers and fruits should remain as in normal species, since they are sexual organs – isn’t it?
Flowers in this species seem to have staminal tube – so why not check for meliaceae member, for example – https://www.discoverlife.org/mp/20p?see=I_SP512&res=640 ?


Thanks for taking interest in this thread to unravel its identity. Regarding your queries,

1. No. the stunted growth does not deform the plant but it manifest  in miniature forms.
2. Sure.
3. Yes they remain in normal form.
Meanwhile I am asking the sender of these photographs  to allow the plant to grow on its own without clipping the plant parts. Let us see what happens.


Thanks, Sir ji, for providing answers to my queries.
I apologize for using politically incorrect words – it would be “reproductive organs”, in place of “sexual organs”.
However, your answers no. 1 & 2 imply –  this species wouldn’t be a Meliaceae member, because they mostly have pinnate leaves with entire margins of leaflets.
Please do not waste your time on Meliaceae.


I think you are a very sensitive person. There is no necessity to apologize. It is not justified.  You have used only a synonym. Nothing else. Your suggestions / remarks based on in -depth study are very valuable for the group. Nevertheless I value your feelings.


And thank you very much for those encouraging feedbacks.
I have another suggestion, if I may – please think of it before any search or allotting your time to it –
what about probability of a rutaceae member? (since I think some of those flowers also look similar, and they are used for bonsai, and the flower colour in your species is actually greenish-white, not yellow.! And also take care of those green-turning-orange fruit in your pic no MG-20210518-WA0018).
I still cannot get rid of meliaceae though! Just check some fruit pics –
The problem area is crenate leaf (or leaflets?)


I have this one in my mind and I will inform when I would be ready to give up!

Meanwhile another guess Tropamerica (please scroll down to bottom to see the last picture).
But the problem is fruits are different in Symplocos, at best I could do is – Morphosource

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