Meliosma simplicifolia (Roxb.) Walp.

Beusekom (l.c. 466) has discussed the status and distribution of the species so far called Meliosma pungens in the N.W. Himalayas. He has treated it as a sub-species of Meliosma simplicifolia (Roxb.) Walp. and it is confined to Southern India and Sri Lanka (Ceylon). The specimens from our area were so far confused with and figured under the name Meliosma pungens (Wall.) Walp. According to Beusekom Meliosma simplicifolia ssp. thomsonii (King ex Brandis) Beus. and Meliosma simplicifolia ssp. yunnanensis (Franch) Beus. occur in N.W. India and Pakistan. The former differs from the latter in having longer leaves with distinctly pubescent midrib above, up to 22 pairs rather than up to 14 pairs of nerves, much branched rather than few branched panicles and larger fruits. The specimens cited above are inadequate and more collecting should be done for studying the infraspecific hybridization and occurrence of transitional or hybrid forms.

Small tree, 4-5 m tall. Young shoots reddish-pubescent. Leaves simple, oblong-lanceolate to oblanceolate-obovate, 7-40 cm long, 2-16 cm broad, leathery, densely coppery pubescent when young, glabrous or pubescent on midrib and nerves above, coarsely to sharply serrate or subentire to entire, acuminate, cuneate at the base, with 7-22 pairs of nerves; petiole 1-2 cm long, pubescent. Flowers white, c. 4 mm across, sessile; bracteoles 3 or more, sub-orbicular, imbricate. Sepals similar to and larger than bracteoles. Outer petals orbicular, entire, inner petals with 2 patent lobes at apex. Stamens adnate to petals. Ovary glabrous; style as long as or slightly shorter or longer than ovary. Drupe subglobose, c. 6-8 mm in diameter, black.

Trees to 20 m tall, evergreen. Branchlets, petioles, and adaxial midveins on leaves brownish pubescent early. Leaves simple, usually clustered terminally; petiole 1.5-2.5 cm, broadly grooved; 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. Panicle terminal, 10-40 cm, branched 3(or 4) times, axis nearly triangular. Flowers ca. 2 mm in diam., subsessile. Sepals (4 or)5, ovate-triangular, pubescent and ciliate. Petals white or yellowish white: 3 outer ones suborbicular; 2 inner ones ca. 0.7 mm, slightly shorter than stamens, deeply bifid at an angle; lobes narrow, shortly ciliate. Ovary glabrous; style equal or shorter than ovary. Drupe globose, 3.5-6 mm in diam.; endocarp compressed-globose, with sparse, scattered netlike strips, triangular adaxially, midrib distinct. Fl. Jan-Feb, fr. Apr-May.

Distribution: N.W. Pakistan, India, Nepal, Tibet, Burma, China, Malaya and Indo-China.

SE Xizang, W Yunnan [Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, N Laos, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand].

Fl.Per.: April-June.

Evergreen broad-leaved forests; 1200-2000 m.

Millingtonia simplicifolia Roxburgh, Pl. Coromandel 3: 50. 1820 ["1819"].

Meliosma simplicifolia is a species of plant in the family Sabiaceae. It is widely distributed in Asia from India through south-east Asia.