Species: Dillenia indica
English Name: Elephant Apple
Chinese Name: 五椏果
Family: Dilleniaceae
Description:
Evergreen trees to 30 m tall, ca. 1.2 m d.b.h. Bark reddish brown, exfoliating; young branchlets brown pubescent, glabrescent; leaf scars obvious. Petiole narrowly winged; leaf blade oblong or obovate-oblong, 15-40 × 7-14 cm, secondary veins (20-)30-40(-70) on either side, parallel, margin obviously serrate. Flowers solitary, 12-20 cm in diam., more than 5 cm in diam. in bud. Sepals 5, approximately rounded, 4-6 cm in diam., thickly fleshy. Petals white, obovate, 7-9 cm. Stamens in 2 distinct groups, outer very numerous, slightly curved in bud, inner ca. 25, apically reflexed outward in bud; anthers dehiscing with 2 pores. Carpels 16-20; stylodia spreading; ovules many per carpel. Aggregate fruit globose, 10-15 cm in diam., indehiscent; persistent sepals fleshy, slightly swollen. Seeds 5 or more per carpel, exarillate.
Photos used under a Creative Commons license
References:
– Wu ZY, Raven PH, Hong DY (eds) (2007). Flora of China, Volume 12: Hippocastanaceae through Theaceae. Science Press, Beijing, and Missouri Bot Garden Press, St. Louis