Rutaceae

Melicope J.R.Forst. & G.Forst.

First published in Char. Gen. Pl.: 55 (1776)
This genus is accepted
The native range of this genus is W. Indian Ocean, Tropical & Subtropical Asia to Pacific.

Descriptions

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

Distribution
A genus of about 230 species with a distribution from Madagascar to India, tropical Asia to New Zealand and the Pacific as far east as Hawaii. 59 species in New Guinea (45 endemic), eight species in the Solomon Islands (two endemic). As currently circumscribed, Melicope now includes Evodiella and the greater part of Euodia.
Morphology General Habit
Trees and shrubs to 20 m tall
Morphology General Indumentum
Indumentum variable, hairs when present may be simple, stellate or fasciculate
Morphology Leaves
Leaves usually opposite, rarely whorled, unifoliolate or digitately trifoliolate, margins usually entire, gland dots usually present
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescences axillary or ramiflorous, paniculate, cymose, fasciculate or flowers solitary
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers usually unisexual and plants dioecious, sometimes bisexual, 4-merous; calyx lobes 4 or 8, fused at the base; petals 4, free, imbricate or valvate; stamens 4 or 8, filaments free or fused into a tube; disk annular or cupular; ovary subapocarpous to syncarpous, 4-carpellate, ovules 1–2 per carpel, carpels joined by a common style, stigma minute to capitate
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit dehiscent, varying from 1–4 basally fused follicles to 4-locular loculicidal capsules, endocarp persists after dehiscence
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds 1–2 per carpel, not expelled at dehiscence, testa shiny, black.
Ecology
Melicope occurs in a variety of habitats in New Guinea, ranging from lowland swamps to subalpine forest above 3000 m, but most species occur in montane forest above 1500 m.
Recognition
Melicope can be recognised by the opposite unifoliolate or trifoliolate leaves, 4-merous flowers, 4-locular ovary which may be completely syncarpous or deeply lobed, and the dehiscent fruits with shiny black seeds.
[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 2025. 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 2025. 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