Actinodaphne obovata (Nees) Bl., Mus. Bot. 1: 342 1851. (syn: Jozoste obovata (Nees) Kuntze; Laurus obovata Buch.-Ham. ex Nees (ambiguous synonym); Litsea obovata (Nees) Nees (ambiguous synonym); Tetradenia obovata Nees (ambiguous synonym); Tetranthera obovata Ham. ex Wall.);
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India, Vietnam, Bhutan, Sikkim, Myanmar [Burma] (Sagaing), Nepal, SE-Tibet, China (Yunnan) as per Catalogue of life;
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Trees, 20-25 m tall; bark greyish-brown; branches symmetrical; crown ovoid; branchlets terete, rusty hairy. Leaves simple, 3-5-clustered at apex of branchlet, subverticillate; petioles ca. 4-8.5 cm long; lamina ca. 16-45 x 8-20 cm, elliptic-oblong or obovate, acute at base, acute or acuminate at apex, entire, thinly coriaceous, shining above, bluish white beneath; secondary nerves 5-7 pairs, slender, raised at underneath. Flowers in short panicles, often fascicled, up to 3 cm long, rusty villous; flowers dioecious; male flowers in clusters, ca. 1 cm across, tube short; lobes membranous; stamens 9; female flowers in panicled racemes; staminodes 9; styles glabrous. Fruits ca. 1.5-2.5 cm long, ellipsoid, shiny black, coated on cupular perianth-tube, cup dilated, ca. 1 cm across. Seeds ca. 1.3 cm long, ellipsoid.
Common in primary forests; 1000 m.
India: Sikkim, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh; Bhutan, Bangladesh 
(Attributions- French Institute of Pondicherry from India Biodiversity Portal)
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Re: Cauliflorus : 20 posts by 5 authors.
Rajnagar, Kumarghat, Tripura
Please identify


Fruits look like Lauraceae !


Yes, …, Lauraceae only,
Could be Neolitsea sp.


Thanks, … I could not find a match as per comparative images so far in efi site at Neolitsea or Litsea

This is Lauraceae, tribe Litseae, genus Lindera.
This is nearest to L. obtusiloba Blume of China and L. heterophylla Meisn. of East Himalayas (treated as a variety of L. obtusiloba in Flora of China). Flora of China included India while citing distribution of L. obtusiloba. This group need critical revision which includes another closely related species L. cercidifolia Hemsl.
In my publication on the Indian species of Lindera (Indian Journal of Forestry 39(2): 183 – 195. 2016), I maintained L. heterophylla as a distinct species as I never found trifid leaves (typical of L. obtusiloba) in Indian specimens examined by me from Sikkim, Darjeeling, Nepal and Bhutan, nor did I get any such specimens of the said affinity from North-east India.
The present images show close alliance to the above group but shows major deviation in having the strongly glaucous undersurface of the leaves and much shorter fruiting pedicels seated on a short peduncles. Thus this  plant needs further critical studies to decide whether it represents a hitherto undescribed species.


Thanks a lot, …, for the valuable diagnosis.
I feel Calyx (?) portion in the fruit appears a bit different as per FOC illustration and GBIF and high resolution specimens in it as below:

The attached images is of Neolitsea species, not Litsea, as per my knowledge this type of Neolitsea is not recorded from India, It may be new record to India or may be novelty, but flower is necessary.

It should be Actinodaphne obovata. Pseudoverticels of leaves and the bunches of fruits on the leafless axils lead me to this name. Recently I had a similar looking collection from Assam and confused with species of Neolitsea because of leave venation and bluish glaucous nature of the leaf. However, I am planning to collect them in flower and identify properly.

I do not think that  this is Actinodaphne obovata, nor Neolitsea, rather Lindera. Male flowers will solve the doubts. I have already indicated the alliance and it is now up to the photographer who can go ahead with further studies and enlighten us.

If it is Lindera, then what is the binomial name of it ?
What more photographs do you want to establish this species ?


Did you collect specimens?

If you want, I can collect specimens.

I wish to know what is the full name of this Lindera species ?
The leaves are not matching with Actinodaphne obovata.
This is collected from deep forest of Tripura near Pecharthal, North Tripura.

Please read my comments carefully. I have clearly indicated that it may be a new species of Lindera. Please collect specimens and also try to collect male flowers (at least 6 – 8 twigs for preparing herbarium specimens), note down location with GPS. Then prepare a description, line drawing and photo plates. Then only the actual status can be ascertained.

I also tried but did not find any Lindernia matching to this. It could be a new species of Lindernia as indicated by … !

Small correction …, not Lindernia, Lindera only, I think you know both, 


Yes … ! Typo.

Yes, It is Actinodaphne obovata (Nees) Blume


Among so much dispute, please also look Persea.

After going through high resolution specimens at GBIF and other links as below, I am convinced of this being Actinodaphne obovata:

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