Turraea L.

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

Morphology General Habit

Shrubs or small trees, sometimes scrambling

Morphology Leaves

Leaves simple, alternate, sometimes fasciculate, usually entire, rarely repand, undulate or shallowly lobed

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers bisexual, solitary or fasciculate or in axillary or terminal cymes or false racemes

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx cupuliform, with (4–)5(–6) teeth or lobes, sometimes almost entire margined, persistent in fruit

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Petals (4–)5, much longer than the calyx, linear-spathulate to linear, imbricate or contorted

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Staminal tube very variable (see below), cylindric, sometimes expanded distally, terminated by simple or 2-lobed, free or partly or completely fused appendages opposite to or alternating with the anthers, or appendages rarely absent; anthers (8–)10, apiculate, inserted on the rim of the staminal tube or inside the tube towards the apex, sessile or with filaments

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Disc

Disk usually present, sometimes vestigial, partly or completely fused to the base of the staminal tube

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil

Ovary small, with (4–)5–12 locules, each with 2 anatropous or almost campylotropous superposed ovules; style elongate, exserted, distally expanded to form an ovoid, globose, cylindric or conical style-head of which the proximal part serves as a ‘receptaculum pollinis’ and the distal part forms a disk- or cushion-shaped stigmatic surface

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit a small leathery or woody loculicidal capsule with (4–)5–10 or 12 valves

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds reniform with a large or small, usually conspicuous, white, orange or red aril; testa black or red, shining.

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

Distribution

A genus of c. 70 species in the Old World tropics with centres of diversity in Africa and Madagascar; only a single species from India into Malesia and New Guinea to northern Australia: Turraea pubescens Hell.

Morphology General Habit

Shrubs and scramblers, occasionally trees to 6 m tall (in New Guinea), often deciduous

Morphology General Indumentum

Indumentum of simple hairs. Leaves simple (in Malesia), entire

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescences axillary or ramiflorus, paniculate, cymose or fasciculate, sometimes flowers solitary

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers bisexual, usually 4–5-merous; sepals fused to halfway, cupular (in New Guinea); petals free, linear-spathulate, white to yellowish, imbricate, much longer than sepals; staminal tube cylindrical, margin with ten appendages or subentire, anthers 10 (in New Guinea), at apex of tube; disk minute or absent; ovary 4–10-locular, 2 ovules per locule, style expanded at the apex, surrounded by a disk-like stigma

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit a 4–10-locular, loculicidal capsule with 1–2 seeds per locule

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seed testa dark, with a small, brightly-coloured aril.

Ecology

Turraea occurs in semi-deciduous forests and savannahs, on the landward edge of mangroves, on forest edges and in secondary forest.

Recognition

In New Guinea Turrea tends to be shrubby and deciduous, in contrast to Vavaea (which is also simple-leaved) which tend to be taller (mid canopy) evergreen trees. Turraea can also be recognised by the long spathulate petals, and the capsular fruit dehiscing to reveal the brightly coloured arillate seeds.

Meliaceae, F. White & B. T. Styles. Flora Zambesiaca 2:1. 1963

Morphology General Habit

Shrubs or small trees, sometimes scrambling.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves simple, alternate, sometimes fasciculate, usually entire, rarely shallowly lobed.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers bisexual, solitary or fasciculate or in axillary or terminal cymes or false racemes.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx cupuliform, with (4) 5 (6) teeth or lobes, sometimes almost entire-margined, persistent in fruit.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Petals (4) 5, much longer than the calyx, linear-spathulate to linear.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Staminal tube cylindric, sometimes expanded distally, terminated by simple or 2-lobed free or partly or completely fused appendages opposite to or alternating with the anthers.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens Anthers

Anthers (8) 10 (20), apiculate, inserted on the rim of the staminal tube or inside the tube towards the apex, sessile or with short filaments.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Disc

Disk always present (in our area), sometimes vestigial, partly or completely fused to the base of the staminal tube.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary

Ovary small, with (4) 5–10 (20) loculi, each with 2 anatropous or almost campylotropous superposed ovules.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Style

Style elongate, distally expanded to form an ovoid, globose, cylindric or conical style-head of which the proximal part serves as a receptaculum pollinis and the distal part forms a disk- or cushion-shaped stigmatic surface.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit a small leathery or woody loculicidal capsule with (4) 5–10 (20) valves.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds large, with a large or small, orange or red aril; testa black or red, shining.