1436

 

Gymnosporia heyneana (Roth) M.A.Lawson

Synonym	:	Maytenus heyneana (Roth) D.C.S.Raju & Babu
Family	:	Celastraceae
Flowering and fruiting period	:	July-February
Distribution	:	Peninsular India
Distribution in Kerala	:	Palakkad
Habitat	:	Dry deciduous forests
Endemic/Exotic	:	Endemic to peninsular india
Key botanical characters:  Armed shrubs; spines terminating short shoots, also axillary. Leaves alternate, ovate to lanceolate, to 7 x 4 cm, base obtuse, margin serrate, apex acute, retuse; petiole to 1 cm; Cymes to 5 cm; peduncle 1 cm. Flowers 3 mm wide; pedicel to 4 mm. Calyx-lobes 5, ovate. Petals 5, cream, oblong to obovate, 2 mm. Disk lobed. Stamens 5. Ovary immersed in disk; ovules 2 per cell; stigma 3-fid. Capsule obovoid, to 1 cm; seeds 2 per cell; aril fleshy.