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Flora of Australia Online



Harpullia Roxb., nom. nud. , Fl. Ind. 2: 441 (1824), Hort. Bengal. 86 (1814); from Harpulli , the native name in India of Harpullia cupanioides Roxb

Type: Harpullia cupanioides Roxb.

Shrubs or trees, usually dioecious. Indumentum of stellate and simple hairs. Leaves paripinnate; rachis and petiole sometimes winged; leaflets usually alternate, mostly entire, petiolulate or sessile. Inflorescence axillary, rarely terminal or ramiflorous, panicle-like; bracts subulate. Flowers regular. Sepals usually 5, free, imbricate. Petals usually 5, oblong-obovate, sessile or clawed then with 2 inflexed auricles, thick or membranous. Disc small, complete. Stamens 5–8; filaments glabrous. Ovary 2-locular; ovules 1 or 2 per locule; style reflexed or spiral at apex. Fruit usually stipitate, mostly 2-lobed, apiculate, inflated, loculicidally 2-valved. Seeds 1 or 2 per locule, subglobose or ellipsoidal, black, shiny; aril entire, nearly covering seed, rarely minute or absent. 

A genus of 26 species occurring in China, SE Asia, Malesia, Pacific Islands, New Guinea and Australia; eight species in eastern Australia, six of them endemic. 

The large 2-lobed showy fruits and stellate indumentum distinguish this genus.

G.Bentham, Fl. Austral. 1: 470–471 (1863); L.A.T.Radlkofer, Pflanzenr. 98: 1433–1462 (1934); S.T.Reynolds, Austrobaileya 1: 412–419 (1981); P.W.Leenhouts & M.Vente, Blumea 28: 1–51 (1982).

1 Aril cupular, nearly enclosing seed; petals thick, sessile, not auriculate; style short, recurved; rachis and petiole with or without wings


1: Aril minute or absent; petals membranous, clawed, auriculate; style long, slender, straight; rachis and petiole not winged


2 Rachis winged


2: Rachis not winged


3 Petiole winged only towards apex


3: Petiole winged to base or near base


4 Margins of leaflets and wings usually dentate; wings narrowing towards base; petals 12 mm long; stamens 8


4: Margins of leaflets and wings entire; wings broad to base, auriculate; petals 15–20 mm long; stamens 5 or 6


5 Seeds usually 2 per locule; fruit velvety; valves drying rind-like, wrinkled; petals 12–14 mm long; stamens 5 or 6; leaflets thickly coriaceous, shiny


5: Seeds 1 per locule; fruit pubescent or puberulent; valves usually drying thin, reticulate or granular; petals 7.5–13 mm long; stamens 5; leaflets thinly coriaceous


6 Inflorescence ramiflorous; petals 9.5–13 mm long; valves drying chartaceous, prominently reticulate; leaf rachis 23–27 cm long


6: Inflorescence axillary or terminal; petals 7.5–12 mm long; valves drying ±woody, obscurely reticulate or granular; leaf rachis 5–17.5 cm long


7 Valves granular, glabrous inside; leaflets usually acuminate or acute; inflorescence axillary; peduncles puberulent; petals 7.5 mm long


7: Valves reticulate, woolly inside; leaflets usually rounded, obtuse, retuse; inflorescence terminal or axillary; peduncles brown velvety; petals 8–12 mm long


8 Fruit with very divaricate subglobose, bladdery lobes; stipe to 3 mm long, puberulent; pedicels 5–10 mm long; petals 7–8 mm long; stamens 8; midrib hairy below


8: Fruit broadly obcordate, lobes suberect or divaricate, ellipsoidal; stipe 4–6 mm long, tomentose; pedicels 10–50 mm long; petals 12–14 mm long; stamens 5; midrib hairy both sides


