Elaeocarpus

Elaeocarpus is a genus of tropical and subtropical evergreen trees and shrubs. The approximately 350 species are distributed from Madagascar in the west through India, Southeast Asia, southern China, and Japan, through Australia to New Zealand, Fiji, and Hawaii in the east. The islands of Borneo and New Guinea have the greatest concentration of species. These trees are well-known for their attractive, pearl-like fruit which are often colorful. A notable feature of the family is the drooping, often frilly, small clusters of flowers.

Elaeocarpus
Elaeocarpus sylvestris, branch with fruits
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Rosids
Order:	Oxalidales
Family:	Elaeocarpaceae
Genus:	Elaeocarpus L.
Type species
Elaeocarpus serratus L.f.
Species
Some 350, see text

Many species are threatened, in particular by habitat loss.

In Darjeeling and Sikkim areas, the fruit of several species of Elaeocarpus is called bhadrasey and is used to make pickles and chutney. The seeds of Elaeocarpus ganitrus are used to make rudraksha, a type of Hindu prayer beads.

Etymology

Elaeocarpus, whose name is derived from Greek, means ‘olive-fruited’, or 'with fruits resembling those of olive'.[1]

Selected species

Elaeocarpus dentatus foliage

Elaeocarpus hainanensis flowers

Elaeocarpus grandiflorus flowers, at Munnar

Elaeocarpus aberrans Elaeocarpus acmosepalus Elaeocarpus acrantherus Elaeocarpus acuminatus – (India. Endangered.) Elaeocarpus acutifidus Elaeocarpus amboinensis Elaeocarpus amoenus – (Sri Lanka) Elaeocarpus amplifolius Elaeocarpus angustifolius – Blue marble tree, blue fig, blue quandong Elaeocarpus apiculatus Elaeocarpus apiculatus Masters Elaeocarpus bancroftii Elaeocarpus batadulangii[2] (Lesser Sunda Islands, Indonesia) Elaeocarpus bifidus – Kalia (Oahu, Kauai, Hawaii)[3][4] Elaeocarpus biflorus Elaeocarpus blascoi Elaeocarpus bojeri – (Mauritius) Elaeocarpus brigittae Elaeocarpus calomala – Anakle, binting-dalaga, bunsilak Elaeocarpus castanaefolius Elaeocarpus ceylanicus Elaeocarpus colnettianus Elaeocarpus coorangooloo – (Queensland Australia) Elaeocarpus cordifolius Elaeocarpus coriaceus Elaeocarpus costatus – (Lord Howe Island) Elaeocarpus crassus – (New Guinea) Elaeocarpus cruciatus Elaeocarpus debruynii – (New Guinea) Elaeocarpus decipiens Elaeocarpus dentatus – Hīnau (New Zealand) Elaeocarpus dinagatensis Elaeocarpus eriobotryoides Elaeocarpus eumundi – (Australia) Elaeocarpus ferrugineus – (Malaysia, Borneo) Elaeocarpus firdausii – (Sulawesi) Elaeocarpus floribundus – (Java Indonesia, Malesia) Elaeocarpus fraseri Elaeocarpus floribundus Elaeocarpus ganitrus – Rudraksha tree Elaeocarpus gaussenii Elaeocarpus gigantifolius Elaeocarpus glabrescens Elaeocarpus glandulifer Elaeocarpus graeffii Elaeocarpus grandiflorus – (India, Indo-China, Malaysia, Malesia in general) Elaeocarpus hainanensis – (Hainan) Elaeocarpus hartleyi – (New Guinea) Elaeocarpus hedyosmus – (Sri Lanka) Elaeocarpus holopetalus – (New South Wales, Victoria, Australia) Elaeocarpus homalioides Elaeocarpus hookerianus – Pōkākā. (New Zealand) Elaeocarpus hygrophilus – (Thailand) Elaeocarpus inopinatus Elaeocarpus integrifolius Elaeocarpus japonicus – (Japan, Taiwan, China; tree up to 15m)

Elaeocarpus johnsonii Elaeocarpus joga Merr. – Yoga tree Elaeocarpus kaalensis Elaeocarpus kirtonii – (Australia) Elaeocarpus lanceifolius – (South Asia) Elaeocarpus mastersii Elaeocarpus miegei – (New Guinea, Bismarck Archipelago, Solomon Islands, Aru Islands and Melville Island Australia) Elaeocarpus mindoroensis Elaeocarpus miriensis Elaeocarpus miratii Elaeocarpus montanus – (Sri Lanka) Elaeocarpus moratii Elaeocarpus munronii Elaeocarpus nanus Elaeocarpus neobritannicus – (New Guinea, Bismarck Archipelago) Elaeocarpus oblongus Elaeocarpus obovatus – (Australia) Elaeocarpus obtusus Elaeocarpus petiolatus Elaeocarpus photiniaefolius – (Ogasawara Islands) Elaeocarpus prunifolius Elaeocarpus pseudopaniculatus Elaeocarpus recurvatus Elaeocarpus reticosus Elaeocarpus reticulatus – Blueberry ash Elaeocarpus robustus – (India, Bangladesh) Elaeocarpus royenii Elaeocarpus rugosus Elaeocarpus sallehiana Elaeocarpus sedentarius (synonym: E. sp. Rocky Creek) Elaeocarpus serratus – (South Asia) Elaeocarpus sikkimensis – (India, Bhutan) Elaeocarpus simaluensis Elaeocarpus sphaericus Elaeocarpus stipularis – (Indo-China, Malesia) Elaeocarpus storckii Seem. – Fiji Elaeocarpus subvillosus Elaeocarpus sylvestris – tree up to 15m; (Japan, Taiwan, China, Indo-China). var. ellipticus – Japanese: Horutonoki (ja) Elaeocarpus symingtonii Elaeocarpus taprobanicus – (Sri Lanka) Elaeocarpus timikensis – (New Guinea) Elaeocarpus tuberculatus Elaeocarpus variabilis – (Southern India) Elaeocarpus valetonii Elaeocarpus varunua Buch.-Ham. ex Mast. (Vietnam: Côm xanh; specimens in Cat Tien National Park) Elaeocarpus venosus Elaeocarpus venustus Elaeocarpus verruculosus Elaeocarpus verticellatus Elaeocarpus viscosus Elaeocarpus whartonensis Elaeocarpus williamsianus – (NSW, Australia, rare) Elaeocarpus xanthodactylus Elaeocarpus zambalensis

References

• Coode, M J E (2001). "Elaeocarpus in New Guinea - new taxa in the Debruynii subgroup of the Monocera group. Contributions to the Flora of Mt Jaya, V". Kew Bulletin, Kew, United Kingdom.
• Red Data Book of Indian Plants. Botanical Survey of India.
• Zmarzty, Sue (2001). "Revision of Elaeocarpus (Elaeocarpaceae) section Elaeocarpus in southern India and Sri Lanka" Kew Bulletin, Kew, United Kingdom.

1. Gledhill, David (2008). "The Names of Plants". Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9780521866453 (hardback), ISBN 9780521685535 (paperback). pp 150
2. [ Elaeocarpus batadulangii]
3. "Kalia". Native Hawaiian Plants. Kapiʻolani Community College. Archived from the original on 2009-09-18. Retrieved 2009-02-28.
4. "Kalia". Hawaiian Ethnobotany Database. Bernice P. Bishop Museum. Archived from the original on 2007-07-02. Retrieved 2009-02-28.