Utania G.Don

First published in Gen. Hist. 4: 663 (1838)
This genus is accepted
The native range of this genus is Tropical Asia to N. Australia.

Descriptions

Timothy M. A. Utteridge and Laura V. S. Jennings (2022). Trees of New Guinea. Kew Publishing. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Distribution
A small genus of 12 species with only a single species reaching New Guinea, the widespread Utania volubilis (Wall.) Sugumaran. Note, specimens of this species from New Guinea have previously been identified and determined as Fagraea racemosa Jack. or F. volubilis Wall.
Morphology General Habit
Shrubs to small trees usually 1–10 m (sometimes 30 m but rarely recorded as such in New Guinea
Morphology General Shoots
Vegetative shoot apices non-resinous
Morphology Leaves
Leaves on orthotropic (vertical/stem) axes decussately arranged, those on plagiotropic (lateral/horizontal) branches distichously arranged; petiolar sheaths of a leaf pair fused to form a shallow cup-like ochrea that loosely clasps the stem; petiolar base auricles absent. Inflorescence terminal, a many-flowered and branched pendulous cyme
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers bisexual, 5-merous; corolla white to creamy white, corolla lobes 5, overlapping to the right; stamens 5, typically not to slightly exserted; anthers versatile; style not to slightly exserted; stigma peltate
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit small to medium-sized, ellipsoid to broadly ellipsoid; pale to dark brown when ripe; without latex in fruit epidermis or fruit wall; epidermis not separating from pericarp
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds numerous, polygonal-
Ecology
Utania volubilis has been recorded as a common understorey shrub or small tree throughout New Guinea in primary and secondary habitats, including coastal and swampy areas; collected from sea level to 500(–1100) m elevation.
Recognition
Species of Utania do not produce resin at their vegetative terminal buds or a gummy translucent or creamy latex in their fruit epidermis and fruit wall, as can be found in the other genera of the Fagraea s.l. complex. In addition to the family characters, the terminal, pendulous inflorescences with white flowers is very distinctive for this species.
[TONG]

Sources

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • 'The Herbarium Catalogue, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet http://www.kew.org/herbcat [accessed on Day Month Year]'. Please enter the date on which you consulted the system.
  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0
  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0
  • Trees of New Guinea

    • Trees of New Guinea
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0