Hiptage

Shrubs or woody vines. Leaves usually bearing glands at apex of petiole or on blade at base or distally, on or near margin; stipules interpetiolar, occasionally minute or apparently lacking. Inflorescences axillary or terminal, usually elongate, occasionally condensed, racemes, these sometimes grouped in terminal panicles. Pedicels raised on peduncles. Flowers all chasmogamous, 6+ mm diam., showy with visible petals, stamens, and styles; calyx gland 1, decurrent, below posterior petal and between 2 adjacent sepals [2–10 (in 1–5 adjacent pairs), rarely 0]; corollas bilaterally symmetric, petals white or pink except posterior proximally yellow, distally white or pink [all white or pink], densely sericeous abaxially [in 1 species sparsely sericeous proximally], glabrous adaxially; stamens 10, all fertile; anther opposite anterior sepal largest, other 9 subequal; pistil 3-carpellate, carpels completely connate in ovary; style 1, on anterior carpel, tapered, curved toward posterior petal; stigma on internal angle or terminal but bent inward, small [large]. Fruits schizocarps, breaking into 3 samaras; samaras bearing 3 elongate lateral wings, 1 straddling plane of symmetry at apex of carpel, other 2 shorter, 1 on each side of plane of symmetry; dorsal wing usually absent, occasionally 1, much smaller than lateral wings; nut wall thick, tough.

Distribution

Introduced; Fla., se Asia (India & Pakistan to Taiwan), w Pacific Islands (Indonesia, Philippines).

Discussion

Species 25+ (1 in the flora).

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

Hiptage benghalensis