Tamarindus Tourn. ex L., Sp. Pl. 1: 34. 1753; Chen et al., Fl. China @ eFloras.org 10: 26.

Trees. Leaves alternate, pinnate; stipules caducous, small. Leaflets 10 to many-paired. Racemes or panicle of racemes at the end of shoots; flowers zygomorphic, bisexual, pentamerous, perigynous; bracts and bracteoles ovate-oblong, coloured, often caducous. Calyx tube narrowly turbinate; lobes 4. Petals 5, only upper 3 developed, subequal in length, lower 2 reduced, scale-like, concealed at the base of staminal sheath. Perfect stamens 3, connate (monoadephous) into an ascending, curved tube or sheath from middle downwards; filaments short, dorsifixed; staminodes few at apex of sheath, minute. Monocarpellary, ovary stalked, stalk adnate to calyx tube, unilocular, ovules many, placentation marginal; style elongated; stigma capitate. Legumes narrowly terete, indehiscent; epicarp thin, crustaceous, mesocarp thick and pulpy, septate between seeds. Seeds compressed, obliquely oblong or ovoid- orbicular, brown.

One species

Tamarindus indica L., Sp. Pl. 34. 1753; Baker in Hook. f., Fl. Brit. Ind. 2: 273. 1879; Parker, For. Fl. Punj. ed. 1. 182. 1918 (Reprint 1973); Fl. China @ eFloras.org 10: 26; Fl. Pak. @ eFloras org

Trees, 10-15 m tall; bark dark ashy, irregularly longitudinally splitting. Leaves 7-12 cm long, alternate, unipinnately paripinnate, petiole ca. 1 cm long; leaflets (6-) 10-20 pairs, opposite, 1.2-2.6 cm x 4-11 mm, oblong, base obliquely rounded, apex obtuse, truncate or emarginate, occasionally mucronate, margin entire. Flowers in lax, 10-15 flowered raceme terminating short lateral shoot ca. 10 cm long; flowers zygomorphic, bisexual, pentamerous, perigynous, yellowish tinged with purplish red stripes; pedicels ca. 1 cm long; peduncle and pedicels yellowish green, puberulent, pedicel articulated at junction with flower; bracteoles 2, 8-10 mm, enclosing flower bud before anthesis. Sepals 5, fused; calyx tube narrowly turbinate, ca. 5-6 mm long; calyx lobes 4, three lobes ca. 11 mm x 3 mm, lanceolate; the lower two lobes connate into larger lobe, ca. 11 mm x 7 mm; pale yellow. Petals 5, free; only upper 3 developed, ca. 1.5 cm long, subequal, obovate, apex acute, margin repand, curled, yellow with purple red stripes; lower two reduced, scale-like, ca. 2 mm x 0.25 mm, concealed at base of staminal sheath. Perfect stamens 3, connate into an ascending curved sheath from middle downwards (monoadelphous), ca. 5-6 mm long, densely pubescent on inner side; stamens 1.2-1.5 cm, pubescent near base, free part of filaments ca. 7 mm; anthers elliptic, ca. 3 mm long, dorsifixed; staminodes few (4-5) at apex of sheath, minute. Ovary stalked, stalk adnate to calyx tube, hairy; ovary slightly incurved, 6-8 mm long, hairy, unilocular, ovules many, placentation marginal; style ca. 4 mm long, hairy; stigma capitate, ca. 1 mm long. Legumes 8-20 cm x 2-2.5 cm, brownish, straight or curved, terete-oblong, often irregularly septate between seeds, indehiscent; mesocarp thick and pulpy. Seeds 3-14, compressed, obliquely oblong-orbicular, brownish, shiny.

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