Meliaceae

Toona M.Roem.

First published in Fam. Nat. Syn. Monogr. 1: 139 (1846)
This genus is accepted
The native range of this genus is China to Tropical Asia.

Descriptions

Meliaceae, Styles & F. White (Department of Plant Sciences, University of Oxford). Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1991

Morphology General Habit
Deciduous or semi-evergreen trees
Morphology Leaves
Leaves paripinnate; leaflets entire or toothed
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers 5-merous, unisexual (plants monoecious), in large much-branched panicles
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Sepals free or partly united
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals 5, imbricate, adnate at the base by a median carina to the short, cushion-shaped androgynophore
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens 5, inserted on the androgynophore; 1–5 thread-like staminodes sometimes present
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil
Ovary 5-locular; locules with 6–10 ovules; style-head discoid with glandular stigmatic papillae
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit a pendulous, thinly woody, ellipsoid or obovoid, septifragal capsule, opening from the apex by 5 valves, columella softly woody, 5-angled, extending to the apex of the capsule
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds either winged at both ends and attached towards the apex of the columella, or with a single wing and then attached by the seed-end to the base of the columella.
[FTEA]

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

Distribution
A genus of four or five species, distributed from Pakistan to Australia; with two species in New Guinea: Toona ciliata M.Roem. and T. sureni (Blume) Merr.
Morphology General Habit
Deciduous or semi-evergreen trees to 50 m tall, terminal buds protected by scales
Morphology Leaves
Leaves spirally arranged, imparipinnate, leaflets opposite to subopposite (in New Guinea)
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers unisexual and plants monoecious, 5-merous; sepals free to fused for up to half their length, margins ciliate; petals free, quincuncial, base fused to androgynophore; stamens 5, free, inserted on androgynophore, sometimes alternating with filamentous staminodes; ovary 5-locular, ovules 6–10 per locule, arranged in 2 rows, pistillodes long and slender in male flowers, style short and discoid in female flowers
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit a septifragal capsule with a central columella, ellipsoid to obovoid, thinly woody, columella 5-angled
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds with membranous wings at one or both ends.
Ecology
In New Guinea, the genus occurs in rain forest and montane forest, up to 2900 m.
Recognition
It is a highly valued timber tree. Toona can be recognised by the unisexual flowers (plants monoecious), free stamens, the presence of an androgynophore and the fruit is a septifragal capsule with winged seeds.
[TONG]

Sources

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    • Flora of Tropical East Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

  • 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