Blachia Baill.

Blachia Baill. View in CoL

Blachia Baill.(1858) View in CoL 385,nom.cons.; Thwaites (1861) 277;Benth.(1878) 226; (1880) 301; Hook.f. (1887) 402; Trimen (1898) 53; Boerl. (1900) 284; Brandis (1906) 581; T. Cooke (1908) 602; Bourd.(1908) 339; Talbot (1911) 474; Pax & K.Hoffm. (1911) 36; C.E. Parkinson (1923) 236; Gagnep. (1925) 410; Gamble (1925) 1337; Pax & K.Hoffm. (1931) 159; Airy Shaw (1969) 121; (1972) 223; Whitmore (1973) 68; Airy Shaw (1975) 57; Ramamoorthy (1976) 332; Airy Shaw 37 (1982) 9; (1983) 10; N.P.Balakr. & Chakrab. (1989) 568; Thin (1989) 16; G.L. Webster (1994) 107; Philcox (1997) 105; Radcl.-Sm. (2001) 304; Phattar. & Chayam. (2005) 126; Thin (2007) 260. — Codiaeum A.Juss. sect. Blachia (Baill.) Müll.Arg. (1866) 1118. — Type: Blachia umbellata (Willd.) Baill. View in CoL

Bruxanellia Dennst. ex Kostel. (1836) View in CoL 2002, nom. rej. — Type: Bruxanellia indica Dennst. ex Kostel. View in CoL

Shrubs to shrubby trees, mainly monoecious; without latex. Indumentum simple hairs, sericeous or hirsute, often most parts glabrescent. Stipules absent, but axillary bud scales at base of side branches and inflorescences resemble stipules; latter ovate, glabrous (to hairy), late caducous. Leaves spiral, simple, glandless; petiole short, not pulvinate; blade sometimes basally with 4 or more papillae or 2 stipule-like stipellae, these often obscured by hairs; base usually slightly oblique, margin (sub)entire, penninerved. Inflorescences terminal (or terminal on short axillary branches) raceme-like thyrses, with per node subumbellate groups of flowers; bisexual with staminate flowers above and pistillate flowers below or unisexual; bracts absent, though usually new leaves developing at lower nodes. Staminate flowers pedicellate, with abscission zone in lower third or halfway; sepals (4–)5(–6), basally connected, imbricate, membranous, margin entire; petals (4–)5(–6), free, shorter than sepals, membranous; disc glands (4–)5(–6); stamens 14–24 (variability as observed in Thailand, unknown for com- plete range), filaments free (to adnate to each other and to disc when young), flat, tapering towards apex, anthers basifixed, 2-thecate, opening latrorsely with longitudinal slits; pistillode absent. Pistillate flowers pedicellate; sepals 4–6, triangular, persistent, often accrescent in fruit (not in Thailand); petals often absent, sometimes 1–5 present; disc lobes 5–6, often appearing as lobed ring; ovary (2–)3-locular, ovules single per locule; stigmas sessile, free, bifid. Fruits capsules, lobed or subglobose, septicidally dehiscent into 2-valved cocci; septa thickened above attachment of seeds; columella persistent. Seeds brown; ecarunculate to carunculate.

Distribution — Circa twelve species in tropical Asia from India to China ( Hainan) to the Malay Peninsula and the Andaman Islands, also one species in the Philippines. Two species in Malesia of which one uncertain (see under B. andamanica ).