Family:
Combretaceae R.Br.

Terminalia L.

This genus is accepted, and its native range is Tropics & Subtropics.

[FZ]

Combretaceae, A. W. Exell. Flora Zambesiaca 4. 1978

Morphology General Habit
Trees usually small in our area but sometimes very tall elsewhere, or rarely shrubs, without scales or microscopic stalked glands.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves usually spirally arranged, often crowded at the ends of the branches, sometimes on short shoots, rarely opposite, petiolate or subsessile, usually entire but occasionally subcrenate, often with 2 or more glands at or near the base of the lamina or on the petiole (but not in our area).
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers usually hermaphrodite and male in the same inflorescence (rarely all hermaphrodite), usually in axillary spikes with male flowers towards the apex and hermaphrodite ones towards the base, rarely in terminal panicles; male flowers stalked, stalks resembling pedicels but corresponding to the lower receptacle with abortion of the ovary; hermaphrodite flowers sessile.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Receptacle
Receptacle divided into a lower part (lower receptacle surrounding the inferior ovary) and an upper part, often scarcely developed, expanding into a shallow cup terminating in the sepals (or calyx-lobes).
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals absent.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens usually 10, exserted.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Disc
Disk intrastaminal.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Style
Style free, not expanded at the apex.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary
Ovary completely inferior.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit (pseudocarp) very variable in size and shape but usually 2-winged in our area, usually with an at least partially sclerenchymatous endocarp.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Cotyledons (when known) spirally convolute.

[FSOM]

M. Thulin. Flora of Somalia, Vol. 1–4 [updated 2008] https://plants.jstor.org/collection/FLOS

Distribution
Some 150 species in all tropical and subtropical regions.
Morphology General Habit
Trees or shrubs, without scales
Morphology Leaves
Leaves usually alternate, often crowded at the ends of branches or clustered on spur shoots, rarely opposite
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers usually in axillary spikes, with male flowers towards the apex and bisexual flowers towards the base; the male flowers with a pedicel-like stalk corresponding to the lower receptacle; bisexual flowers sessile
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Receptacle
Upper receptacle a shallow cup
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals absent
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Disc
Disc present
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Style
Style free
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit usually 2-winged (outside Flora area often unwinged or 3–5-winged).

[FTEA]

Combretaceae, G. E. Wickens. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1973

Morphology General Habit
Trees or rarely shrubs, without scales or microscopic stalked glands
Morphology Leaves
Leaves usually spirally arranged, often crowded at the ends of branches, sometimes on short shoots, rarely opposite, petiolate or subsessile, usually entire but sometimes subcrenate, often with 2 or more glands at or near the base of thelamina or on the petiole (but not in native species)
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers usually hermaphrodite and ♂ in the same inflorescence (rarely all hermaphrodite), usually in axillary spikes with ♂ flowers towards the apex and hermaphrodite ones towards the base, rarely in terminal panicles; ♂ flowers stalked, stalks resembling pedicels but corresponding to the lower receptacle with abortion of the ovary, hermaphrodite flowers sessile
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Receptacle
Receptacle divided into a lower part (lower receptacle) and an upper part, often scarcely developed, expanding into a shallow cup terminating in the sepals
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals absent
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens usually 10, exserted
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Disc
Disk intrastaminal
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil
Ovary completely inferior; style free, not expanded at the apex
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit very variable in size and shape but usually 2-winged in E. Africa, usually with at least partially sclerenchymatous endocarp
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Cotyledons (where known) spirally convolute.

[FZ]

Combretaceae, A. W. Exell. Flora Zambesiaca 4. 1978

Morphology General Habit
Small or medium-sized trees or occasionally shrubs, without scales or stalked glands.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves opposite or subopposite, petiolate, entire, almost glabrous or hairy.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Receptacle
Upper receptacle campanulate, joined to the lower receptacle by a slender stalk-like region; lower receptacle somewhat flattened.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Male flowers usually towards the base of the inflorescence, as in the hermaphrodite ones but with the ovary not developing and with a slender stalk replacing the lower receptacle (perhaps a true pedicel only towards the base); style present or vestigial. Hermaphrodite flowers: sepals deltate, little developed; petals (4)5, usually ± obovate; stamens (8)10, 2-seriate in our species; disk pilose with a short free margin; style not expanded at the apex. Flowers andromonoecious, hermaphrodite and male in the same inflorescence, (4)5-merous, pedicellate, in terminal and/or axillary or extra-axillary subcapitate racemes.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit 2–5-winged, often decurrent into the comparatively long slender stipe.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Cotyledons (where known) unfolding spirally and borne above soil level.

[FTEA]

Combretaceae, G. E. Wickens. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1973

Morphology General Habit
Small or medium-sized trees or occasionally shrubs, without scales or stalked glands
Morphology Leaves
Leaves opposite or subopposite, petiolate, almost glabrous or hairy
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers andromonoecious (and ♂ in the same inflorescence), (4)5-merous, pedicellate, in terminal and/or axillary or extra-axillary subcapitate racemes Hermaphrodite flowers: sepals deltate, little developed; petals (4)5, usually somewhat obovate; stamens (8)10, 2-seriate in E. African species; disk pilose with a short free margin; style not expanded at the apex
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Receptacle
Upper receptacle campanulate, joined to the lower by a slender stalk-like region; lower receptacle somewhat flattened
sex Hermaphrodite
Hermaphrodite flowers: sepals deltate, little developed; petals (4)5, usually somewhat obovate; stamens (8)10, 2-seriate in E. African species; disk pilose with a short free margin; style not expanded at the apex
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Male flowers: usually towards the base of the inflorescence, similar to the hermaphrodite flowers but with the ovary not developing and with a slender stalk replacing the lower receptacle (perhaps a true pedicel only towards the base); style present or vestigial
sex Male
Male flowers: usually towards the base of the inflorescence, similar to the hermaphrodite flowers but with the ovary not developing and with a slender stalk replacing the lower receptacle (perhaps a true pedicel only towards the base); style present or vestigial
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit 2–5-winged, wings often decurrent into the comparatively long slender stipe
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Cotyledons (where known) unfolding spirally and borne above soil-level.

Native to:

Aldabra, Andaman Is., Angola, Argentina Northeast, Argentina Northwest, Assam, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Belize, Benin, Bismarck Archipelago, Bolivia, Borneo, Botswana, Brazil North, Brazil Northeast, Brazil South, Brazil Southeast, Brazil West-Central, Burkina, Burundi, Cabinda, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Provinces, Caprivi Strip, Caroline Is., Central African Repu, Chad, China South-Central, China Southeast, Christmas I., Cocos (Keeling) Is., Colombia, Comoros, Congo, Cook Is., Costa Rica, Cuba, Djibouti, Dominican Republic, East Himalaya, Ecuador, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Fiji, Florida, French Guiana, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Gilbert Is., Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Hainan, Haiti, Honduras, India, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Jawa, Kazan-retto, Kenya, KwaZulu-Natal, Laos, Leeward Is., Lesser Sunda Is., Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaya, Maldives, Mali, Maluku, Marianas, Marquesas, Marshall Is., Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico Central, Mexico Gulf, Mexico Southeast, Mexico Southwest, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nansei-shoto, Nauru, Nepal, New Caledonia, New Guinea, Nicaragua, Nicobar Is., Niger, Nigeria, Niue, Northern Provinces, Northern Territory, Ogasawara-shoto, Oman, Pakistan, Panamá, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Phoenix Is., Puerto Rico, Queensland, Rodrigues, Rwanda, Réunion, Samoa, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Society Is., Solomon Is., Somalia, South China Sea, Southwest Caribbean, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Sulawesi, Sumatera, Suriname, Swaziland, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, Tibet, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad-Tobago, Tuamotu, Tubuai Is., Turks-Caicos Is., Tuvalu, Uganda, Uruguay, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Venezuelan Antilles, Vietnam, Wallis-Futuna Is., West Himalaya, Western Australia, Windward Is., Yemen, Zambia, Zaïre, Zimbabwe

Introduced into:

Cape Verde, Cayman Is., Central American Pac, Chagos Archipelago, Gulf of Guinea Is., Hawaii, Laccadive Is., Line Is., Mozambique Channel I, Netherlands Antilles, Pitcairn Is., Seychelles, Wake I.

Terminalia L. appears in other Kew resources:

Date Reference Identified As Barcode Type Status
May 1, 2006 Cheek, M. [11806], Cameroon K000460266
Coode, M. [32580], New Guinea 35973.000
Hughes, J. [297], Tanzania 36848.000
Hughes, J. [298], Tanzania 36849.000
Coode, M.J.E. [7962], Brunei 61311.000
Wallich, N. [Cat. no. 7418], India K001127318
Wallich, N. [Cat. no. 7418], India K001127317

First published in Mant. Pl.: 21 (1767)

Accepted by

  • Govaerts, R., Nic Lughadha, E., Black, N., Turner, R. & Paton, A. (2021). The World Checklist of Vascular Plants, a continuously updated resource for exploring global plant diversity. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-021-00997-6 Scientific Data 8: 215.

Literature

Flora of West Tropical Africa

  • —F.T.A. 2: 415.

Flora Zambesiaca

  • Mant. Pl. Alt.: 21 (1767) nom. conserv.
  • Syst. Nat. ed. 12, 2: 674 (err. 638) (1767)

Flora of Somalia

  • Flora Somalia, Vol 1, (1993) Author: by M. Thulin [updated by M. Thulin 2008]

Flora of Tropical East Africa

  • Engl. & Diels in E.M. 4: 6 (1900)
  • Griffiths in J.L.S. 55: 818 (1959), nom. conserv. For full synonymy see Exell in J.B. 69: 125 (1931), excl. syn. Terminaliopsis Danguy.
  • Mant. Pl.: 21 (1767)
  • Syst. Nat., ed. 12, 2: 674 [err. 638] (1767)

  • Flora Zambesiaca

    Flora Zambesiaca
    http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of Somalia

    Flora of Somalia
    http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

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

  • Flora of West Tropical Africa

    Flora of West Tropical Africa

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • Interactive Key to Seed Plants of Malesia and Indo-China

    The Malesian Key Group (2010) Interactive Key to Seed Plants of Malesia and Indo-China (Version 2.0, 28 Jul 2010) The Nationaal Herbarium Nederland Leiden and The Royal Botanic Gardens Kew

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families 2022. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/
    © Copyright 2017 World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families 2022. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/
    © Copyright 2017 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Science Photographs

    Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • Neotropikey

    Milliken, W., Klitgard, B. and Baracat, A. (2009 onwards), Neotropikey - Interactive key and information resources for flowering plants of the Neotropics.
    http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0