Turpinia Vent.

Evergreen trees or shrubs with terete, pithy twigs; pith terete. Indument, if present, consisting of simple hairs. Stipules interpetiolar, 2 to each node, partly inserted in the axil of the petioles, imbricate, entire, rarely 2-tipped, early caducous (except in T. stipulacea), leaving a distinct annular scar. Leaves decussate, simple or odd-pinnate; petiole sulcate. Articulations (base of petiole, nodes of rachis) shrinking in the dry state. Two small glands (sometimes called stipels) on the rachis near the insertion of the petiolules and also 2 near the base of the leaflet. Leaflets 3-11 in compound leaves, herbaceous to subcoriaceous, mostly 2-3 times as long as wide, penninerved, midrib prominent, apex acute to acuminate, base obtuse to rounded, sometimes cuneately decurrent, margin glandularly serrate, dentate or crenate. Panicles axillary, terminal or subterminal, mostly glabrous. Bracts small. Pedicels with or without 1 or 2 minute bracteoles, not articulated with the flower, apically widened into the short obconical receptacle. Flowers regular, bisexual, 5-merous. Sepals persistent, free, imbricate, the outer ones broader than the inner ones, ovate, broadly attached at the base, rounded at the apex, fleshy, more or less ciliate at the margin. Petals free, imbricate, spathulate or oblong-elliptic, or obovate, equal-sized, narrowly attached, membranous, more or less ciliate at the margin, longer than the sepals, caducous. Stamens 5, episepalous, equal; filaments linear, gradually widened to the base, (in Mal. spp.) glabrous, inserted close to the disk, caducous; anthers rounded or ovate, with spreading cell-bases, dorsifixed, dehiscing lengthwise, introrse, sometimes distinctly apiculate. Disk annular, glabrous and crenate, fleshy. Ovary superior, (2-)3(-4)-celled, the three cells and styles closely appressed but not connate, the combined stigmas 3-lobed. Ovules 1-∞ in each cell, anatropous, attached on the dissepiment very close to the axis, in 2 vertical rows. Fruit up to 2.5 cm diam., with a more or less fleshy pericarp (in dry state rather hard), indehiscent, globular, slightly 3-lobed, sometimes crowned by the horn-like conical style remains. Seeds 1-∞ in each cell, of various shape, mostly roundish or reniform, or compressed, yellow-brown to dark-brown when dry; hilum large; endosperm present; cotyledons flat, roundish.

Obviously all species are constituents of tropical to subtropical rain-forest areas. They are evergreen and frequently of small stature, belonging to the undergrowth or substage. But some species may attain large size, up to 26 m, once noted 35 m with a free bole of 22 m, diam. 50 cm. They shun the areas subject to periodical drought and none has been found in several of the Lesser Sunda Islands or similar areas in South New Guinea.As to altitude Turpinia prefers the montane zone, the highest stations in Malaysia being at c. 2400 m in New Guinea and on Mt Kinabalu. In the Himalaya and Yunnan representatives may ascend to 3000 m (and in Yunnan even to 3300 m, cf KRAUSE)

Uses. The timber is available only in small quantity and dimension and is of inferior quality with a low durability; it is only exceptionally used. By its quick growth Turpinia has been tried out as a pioneer for reafforestation on devastated mountain slopes in Central Java (Pangentjongan on Mt Galunggung and Klddung on Mt Sindoro) which were promising, according to KOORDERS'S report.