Elaeocarpus
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 Blue Marble Tree (Elaeocarpus angustifolius) leaf and fruits. This plant is often known by its obsolete name E. grandis. | ||||||||||||||||
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Some 350, see text |
Elaeocarpus is a genus of tropical and subtropical evergreen trees and shrubs. The approximately 350 species are distributed from Madagascar in the west through India, Southeast Asia, Malaysia, southern China, and Japan, through Australia to New Zealand, Fiji, and Hawaii in the east. The islands of Borneo and New Guinea have the greatest concentration of species.
These trees are well-known at least on a local scale for their attractive, pearl-like fruit which are often colorful. Elaeocarpus ganitrus, the Rudraksha Tree, produces fruit known as rudraksha which are traditionally considered sacred in Hinduism.
Several species, mainly from India, are threatened due to deforestation.
Selected species
- Elaeocarpus aberrans
- Elaeocarpus acmosepalus
- Elaeocarpus acrantherus
- Elaeocarpus acuminatus: India. Endangered.
- Elaeocarpus acutifidus
- Elaeocarpus amboinensis
- Elaeocarpus amoenus: Sri Lanka
- Elaeocarpus amplifolius
- Elaeocarpus angustifolius – Blue Marble Tree, Blue Fig, Blue Quandong
- Elaeocarpus apiculatus
- Elaeocarpus bifidus
- Elaeocarpus biflorus
- Elaeocarpus blascoi
- Elaeocarpus bojeri
- Elaeocarpus brigittae
- Elaeocarpus calomala
- Elaeocarpus castanaefolius
- Elaeocarpus ceylanicus
- Elaeocarpus colnettianus
- Elaeocarpus coorangooloo: Queensland (Australia)
- Elaeocarpus cordifolius
- Elaeocarpus coriaceus: Sri Lanka
- Elaeocarpus crassus: New Guinea
- Elaeocarpus cruciatus
- Elaeocarpus debruynii: New Guinea
- Elaeocarpus decipiens
- Elaeocarpus dinagatensis
- Elaeocarpus eriobotryoides
- Elaeocarpus eumundii: Australia
- Elaeocarpus fraseri
- Elaeocarpus floribundus
A rudraksha (Elaeocarpus ganitrus seed) pendant
- Elaeocarpus ganitrus – Rudraksha Tree
- Elaeocarpus gaussenii
- Elaeocarpus gigantifolius
- Elaeocarpus glabrescens
- Elaeocarpus glandulifer
- Elaeocarpus graeffii
- Elaeocarpus grandiflorus: India, Indo-China, Malesia
- Elaeocarpus hainanensis: Hainan
- Elaeocarpus hartleyi: New Guinea
- Elaeocarpus hedyosmus: Sri Lanka
- Elaeocarpus holopetalus: NSW, Victoria (Australia)
- Elaeocarpus homalioides
- Elaeocarpus hookerianus – Pokaka. New Zealand.
- Elaeocarpus inopinatus
- Elaeocarpus integrifolius
- Elaeocarpus japonicus: tree up to 15m; Japan, Taiwan, China
- Elaeocarpus johnsonii
- Elaeocarpus joga Merr. – Yoga Tree
- Elaeocarpus kaalensis
- Elaeocarpus kirtonii: Australia
- Elaeocarpus lanceifolius: South Asia
- Elaeocarpus mastersii
- Elaeocarpus miegei: New Guinea, Bismarck Archipelago, Solomon Islands, Aru Islands and Melville Island.
- Elaeocarpus miriensis
- Elaeocarpus miratii
- Elaeocarpus montanus: Sri Lanka
- Elaeocarpus moratii
- Elaeocarpus munronii
- Elaeocarpus nanus
- Elaeocarpus neobritannicus: New Guinea, Bismarck Archipelago
- Elaeocarpus oblongus
- Elaeocarpus obovatus: Australia
- Elaeocarpus obtusus
- Elaeocarpus petiolatus
- Elaeocarpus photiniaefolius. Ogasawara Islands.
- Elaeocarpus prunifolius: India, Bangladesh. Endangered.
- Elaeocarpus pseudopaniculatus
- Elaeocarpus recurvatus. India. Endangered.
- Elaeocarpus reticosus
- Elaeocarpus reticulatus – Blueberry Ash
- Elaeocarpus robustus: India, Bangladesh.
- Elaeocarpus royenii
- Elaeocarpus rugosus
- Elaeocarpus sallehiana
- Elaeocarpus serratus: South Asia
- Elaeocarpus sikkimensis: India, Bhutan
- Elaeocarpus simaluensis
- Elaeocarpus sphaericus
- Elaeocarpus stipularis: Indo-China, Malesia
- Elaeocarpus subvillosus
- Elaeocarpus sylvestris: tree up to 15m; Japan, Taiwan, China, Indochina.
- Elaeocarpus symingtonii
- Elaeocarpus taprobanicus: Sri Lanka.
- Elaeocarpus timikensis: New Guinea.
- Elaeocarpus tuberculatus
- Elaeocarpus variabilis: Southern India.
- Elaeocarpus valetonii
- Elaeocarpus venosus
- Elaeocarpus venustus
- Elaeocarpus verruculosus
- Elaeocarpus verticellatus
- Elaeocarpus viscosus
- Elaeocarpus whartonensis
- Elaeocarpus xanthodactylus
- Elaeocarpus zambalensis
References
- Coode, M J E (2001). "Elaeocarpus in New Guinea - new taxa in the Debruynii subgroup of the Monocera group. Contributions to the Flora of Mt Jaya, V". Kew Bulletin, Kew, United Kingdom.
- Red Data Book of Indian Plants. Botanical Survey of India.
- Zmarzty, Sue (2001). "Revision of Elaeocarpus (Elaeocarpaceae) section Elaeocarpus in southern India and Sri Lanka" Kew Bulletin, Kew, United Kingdom.
Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia; from the article "Elaeocarpus". Image Credit.
