Chisocheton Blume

Trees pachycaul to leptocaul, unbranched or, usually, with sympodial crown, sometimes laticiferous or myrmecophilous, very rarely foetid, dioecious or polygamous. Indumentum usually of simple, rarely of 4-stellate, hairs, sometimes irritant, with small glandular hairs. Leaves pinnate and pseudogemmulate or imparipinnate, very rarely paripinnate, to 2.4 m long; leaflets in 2–29 pairs. Inflorescence paniculate to thyrsoid or with long peduncle and congested racemose, axillary to supra-axillary, ramiftorous or rarely borne on congested cauliflorous branches, or epiphyllous (New Guinea). Flowers articulated with pedicel or inflorescence branches, sometimes with elongated receptacle (pseudopedicel). Calyx ± cupuliform, obscurely, rarely markedly, 3–6-lobed. Petals (3–)4–6(–14) in 1 (or 2) whorls, free, imbricate, quincuncial or alternative, often merely at apices, or valvate, rarely weakly united below or with base of staminal tube. Staminal tube cylindrical, sometimes weakly expanded or contracted at the mouth, margin entire, crenate or with 4–10(–30) emarginate, truncate or narrowly lanceolate 2-(or 3-)fid lobes; anthers (3–)4–10(–30), usually attached within the tube, alternating with lobes, usually locellate. Disk usually absent, less often stipitate, annular or patelliform, occasionally lobed. Ovary 2–8-locular, each locule with 1 or 2 collateral or superposed orthotropus ovules; stylehead clavate or discoid. Fruit a 2–5(–8)-valved loculicidal capsule, the valves 1– (or 2–)seeded; pericarp usually leathery or almost completely lignified, sometimes laticiferous. Seeds obovoid-spheroid to scutelliform or orange-segment-shaped, variously arillate or sarcotestal, orthotropous; hilum often large and heavily vascularized, whitish; aril reddish orange with ± free flap over black testa; sarcotesta red, tough; cotyledons collateral, oblique or superposed. Germination semihypogeal. 2n = 46, 94.

UsesLocally, wood is used for construction but is not especially sought after.