Spiny plant, dioecious - Pls ID GE-28Nov2012-b

[greenearth]

Hello Friends

Another spinous plant , growing in the wild, outskirts of bangalore:
Shrubs 4 to 6 ft height, fruiting and flowering in November.
The 1st and 2nd images are of two different  plants , very similar , bearing separately male and female flowers
but there might have been one male plant also having fruit.
The fruit turns black on ripening; it has 3 or 4 seeds. 

Thanks in advance for any help in identification.

A.Sinha

[Prasad Dash]

Please check Flacourtia jangomas. Nice capture.

Regards

Prasad

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Dr. Prasad Kumar Dash
Ecologist, Odisha, India
email: prasad....@gmail.com
ph. 09437444241

[greenearth]

Thanks for the reply.   It surely looks like  Flacourtia,  which is not well known to me.
 I will check it further, and we can wait for more inputs.

Pani-amla is again one of those wonderful fruits, becoming unknown and unavailable to city people.

A.Sinha

[greenearth]

Flacourtia jangomas or F. indica ??
 
Hello Friends, Prasad-ji,

 After checking as per Prasad-jis pointer to Flacourtia jangomas,  I think this may be Flacourtia indica, not jangomas.  It also matches with the Wiki image, for indica

1. The leaves are mostly oblong/elliptic, with obtuse  not acute or acuminate apex,  seem more  stiffly coriaceous compared to the shiny leaves of jangomas.
   
2. The immature fruit size was only 3.5 mm long.,
   
3. The style branches are about one-third  as long as the globose base ( ovary  ?),

As per efloras of China:

F.jangomas :

Pistillate flowers: ovary bottle-shaped to globose, 2-3 mm; styles 4-6, united into a distinct column ca. 1 mm, not or slightly free at their apices; ... Fruit brownish red or purple,....1.5-2.5 cm in diam.,

F.indica

Pistillate flowers: ovary globose, placentas 5 or 6; styles 5 or 6, united only at base, radiating, 1-2 mm, slender. Fruit dull to blackish red, globose, 8-10 mm in diam

Experts may please validate and if a key to Indian species can be shared that would be very helpful.

Thanks and regards,

A.Sinha

[jmgarg1]

Forwarding again for Id confirmation or otherwise please.

Some earlier relevant feedback:      

Please check Flacourtia jangomas. Nice capture. Regards Prasad

Thanks for the reply. It surely looks like Flacourtia, which is not well known to me.

I will check it further, and we can wait for more inputs. Pani-amla is again one of those wonderful fruits, becoming unknown and unavailable to city people. A.Sinha

Flacourtia jangomas or F. indica ??

Hello Friends, Prasad-ji, After checking as per Prasad-jis pointer to Flacourtia jangomas, I think this may be Flacourtia indica, not jangomas. It also matches with the Wiki image, for indica

The leaves are mostly oblong/elliptic, with obtuse not acute or acuminate apex, seem more stiffly coriaceous compared to the shiny leaves of jangomas. The immature fruit size was only 3.5 mm long., The style branches are about one-third as long as the globose base ( ovary ?), As per efloras of China: F.jangomas : Pistillate flowers: ovary bottle-shaped to globose, 2-3 mm; styles 4-6, united into a distinct column ca. 1 mm, not or slightly free at their apices; ... Fruit brownish red or purple,....1.5-2.5 cm in diam., F.indica Pistillate flowers: ovary globose, placentas 5 or 6; styles 5 or 6, united only at base, radiating, 1-2 mm, slender. Fruit dull to blackish red, globose, 8-10 mm in diam Experts may please validate and if a key to Indian species can be shared that would be very helpful. Thanks and regards, A.Sinha

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With regards,
J.M.Garg

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