MILLINGTONIA

Millingtonia L.f., Suppl. Pl. 45. 1782; Fl. China @ eFloras.org 18: 224; Fl. Pak. @ eFloras.org p. 11; Clarke in Hook. f., Fl. Brit. Ind. 4: 377. 1885.

Evergreen trees, 10-25 m tall. Leaves opposite, large, 2- or 3-pinnately compound; leaflets ovate, entire. Inflorescence terminal, pendent, cymose-paniculate. Flowers bisexual, zygomorphic, pentamerous, hypogynous, white. Calyx cupulate, small, apex subtruncate with very short teeth. Corolla tubular-funnelform; tube long and narrow; limb 2-lipped, upper lip 2-lobed, lower lip 3-lobed, lobes valvate, ovate-lanceolate, densely pubescent adaxially along margin. Stamens 4, inserted high in corolla tube, didynamous; anthers bithecous, 1 theca fertile and ellipsoid, the other caudate and appendage-like. Staminodes occasional. Disc annular-cupulte. Carpels 2, syncarpous; ovary sessile, ovoid; style long; stigma lingulate, flattened, 2-lobed, slightly exserted from corolla tube. Capsule dehiscing septicidally by 2 valves, long, linear, compressed. Seeds in several rows, minute, compressed, winged.

One species

Millingtonia hortensis

Millingtonia hortensis L.f., Suppl. Pl. 291. 1782; Brandis, Ind. Trees 496. 1906; Kanjilal, For. Fl. 256. 1901 and For. Fl. Siwal. Jauns. 303. 1911; Talbot, For. Fl. Bomb. Pres. and Sind, 2: 318. 1911; Bamber, Pl. Punj. 7. 1916; Parker, For. Fl. Punj. ed. 1: 378. 1918 (Reprint 1973); Blatter, Millard & Stearn, Ind. Trees, ed. 2: 106, t. 22. 1954; Stewart, Ann. Cat. Vasc. Pl. W. Pak. and Kashm. 669. 1972; J. Maheshwari, Fl. Delhi. 259. 1963; Fl. Pak. @ eFloras.org p. 11; Fl. China @ eFloras.org 18: 214; Bignonia hortensis (L.f.) Oken, Allg. Naturgesch. 3(2): 1009. 1841; Millingtonia dubiosa Span., Linnaea 15: 326. 1841.

Tall, erect, evergreen trees, 8-25 m tall; bark corky. Leaves opposite, large, 40-100 cm (including petiole up to 13 cm), 2-3-pinnately compound, imparipinnate, upper region unipinnate; pinnae opposite, leaf bases pulvinate, rachis with adaxial channel; leaflets 3.5-6.0 cm x 2.5-3.5 cm, ovate, apex acuminate, margin sinuate or crenate, base truncate, broadly cuneate or asymmetric, membranous, pubescent when young, nearly glabrous when mature; lateral veins 4 or 5 on each side of midrib; lower leaflets petiolulate, upper sessile or subsessile. Flowers 2.5-3.1 cm across, bisexual, zygomorphic, pentamerous, hypogynous, white, fragrant, in many-flowered pendent paniculate-cymose inflorescence; peduncle and pedicels pale yellow, pubescent; bracts and bracteoles deciduous; pedicels slender ca. 1 cm long. Calyx small, 2-4 mm x 2-4 mm, cupulate, truncate; lobes 5, indistinct, reflexed; calyx persistent. Corolla white, tubular, funnelform; tube 3-7 cm long, 2-3 mm in diameter at base, slender, cylindric, glabrous outside, pubescent inside; limb 2-lipped, upper lip erect, 2-lobed, lower lip 3-lobed; lobes valvate, subequal, spreading, 6-12.5 mm x 5.5-6.5 mm, lobes globose in bud, ovate-lanceolate at anthesis, densely pubescent adaxially, glabrous abaxially. Stamens 4, inserted near mouth of corolla, didynamous, shortly exserted; filaments of longer stamens ca. 8 mm long and 6 mm of shorter stamens; anthers bithecous, thecae unequal, one theca ovate, fertile, ca. 4 mm long, the other theca reduced as a small hook, sterile, ca. 1.2 mm long; staminode 1, filiform. Disc small, cushion-like. Carpels 2, syncarpous; ovary sessile, linear-oblong, 5-7 mm long, glabrous, 2-locular, ovules numerous per loculus, placentation axile; style ca. 4 cm long, filiform, exserted; stigma bilobed, lobes flattened, subovate, ca. 1.2 mm long. Capsule linear, stipitate, 30-35 cm x 1-1.5 cm, compressed. Seeds discoid-oblong, compressed, surrounded by membranous and transparent wings, 1.5-3.5 cm x 1-1.5 cm (including wings).

Flowering and Fruiting: November to December
Common Names: lndian Cork Tree, Tree Jasmine; Neem Chameli (Hindi)