Rourea Aubl.

Lianas or erect shrubs, sometimes small trees; part of the twigs often hooked. Leaves imparipinnate, rarely unifoliolate. Inflorescences axillary, often together pseudo-terminal (to truly terminal?), paniculate. Bracts ovate-lanceolate, acute. Bracteoles lanceolate, small, fimbriate. Flowers bisexual, 5-merous. Sepals distinctly imbricate, ovate, acute, outside usually minutely pubescent, ciliate along the margin, barbulate at the apex, inside glabrous. Petals lanceolate, 2-3 times as long as the sepals, thin, glabrous. Stamens 10, confluent at the base, glabrous, epise-palous ones distinctly longer than epipetalous ones; filaments filiform. Pistils 5, heterotristylous; ovary oblique-ovoid, pubescent or glabrous; style slender, stigma capitate, faintly 2-lobed. Calyx in fruit accrescent, coriaceous or hard. Fruits 1 (very seldom 2) per flower, ellipsoid to ovoid, usually slightly recurved, delicately striate lengthwise, glabrous (in Mal. spp.), usually opening lengthwise by a ventral slit, rarely pericarp tearing loose irregularly ± circumsciss at the base; pericarp thin, coriaceous to very hard. Seed 1, ellipsoid to subglobular, usually flattened, either the testa itself partly or nearly entirely fleshy, or the seed enveloped by a fleshy arillode; no endosperm.

Primary and secondary rain-forests, especially along the edges, along river-banks, roads, etc.; mainly at low altitudes.According to J. H. Hemsley (in Fl. of E. Trop. Afr.) the fruits are eaten by birds and monkeys, which apparently are very fond of them.

Uses. A decoction of the roots of some species is used as a medicine against stomach-ache and dysentery; of some other species, this decoction is poisonous, and is used for killing dogs. The arillode is eaten. See Burk. Dict. 1935 1950 .