Dillenia suffruticosa (Griff.) Mart.

ഡില്ലേനിയ

Family : DILLENIACEAE

Synonym :

Wormia suffruticosa Griff.

Common Names : Simpoh Air, Shrubby Dillenia, Shrubby Simpoh

Flowering Period : September-March

Distribution : Native of Malesia

Habitat : Grown as garden plant

Uses : The leaves and roots are used in the treatment of inflamations, itch, stomach ache, and also to aid a woman's recovery after giving birth.

Key Characters :

Evergreen, large shrub or small tree, to 10 m high. Branches sympodial, glabrous to densely villous with 2-3 mm long hairs, more or less glabrescent; leaf scars amplexicaul, subfalcate. Leaves elliptic-ovate, obtuse at base, decurrent into petiolar wings, entire to dentate at margin, rounded to obtuse at apex, (10-) 15- 25(-45) x (5) 8-12(-26) cm; lateral nerves 12-20 pairs, ending in teeth, slightly to densely villous; petioles 2-6 cm long with amplexicaul wings; wings 4-10(-15) mm broad, persistent, faintly nerved in young leaf. Inflorescences terminal, leaf-opposed, (1-) 6-10(-18)-flowered, simple or compound racemes, to 30 cm long; bracts 3-angled, 6-15 x 3-5 mm, caducous. Flowers 8-12 cm across; pedicels 0.8-3 x 2-3 mm, thickened above. Sepals 5, obovate, 15-22 x 8-12 mm, glabrous to rather densely villous outside, glabrous inside. Petals 5, obovate, narrowed towards base, rounded at apex, 40-50 x 25-30 mm, and bright yellow. Stamens in 2 distinct groups; outer group with ca 100 staminodes; staminodes linear, obtuse at apex, 4-6 x ca 0.3 mm, yellow; fertile stamens ca 175, outer slightly curved in bud, ca 8 mm long, innermost reflexed outward in bud, ca 13 mm long; anthers linear, ca 0.5 mm broad, obtuse at apex, opening by a pore near apex outside. Carpels 5-8, usually 7, on conic receptacle, elliptic, ca 5 x 2 mm, glabrous, light green, each with 7-10 ovules; styles spreading, filamentous, ca 10 x 0.5 mm, yellowish white. Pseudocarps dehiscent, with accrescent sepals, 18-25 x 10-15 mm; fruiting carpels 20-25 x 10- 16 mm, red, each with 1-4 seeds; seeds obovoid, ca 3 x 2mm, brown or black, enclosed by scarlet membranous aril.