Buchanania
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| Buchanania | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Illustration of Fagara decandra, a synonym of Buchanania vitiensis | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Sapindales |
| Family: | Anacardiaceae |
| Subfamily: | Anacardioideae |
| Genus: | Buchanania Spreng.[1][2] |
| Type species | |
| Buchanania lanzan Spreng.[3] | |
| Species | |
|
See text | |
| Synonyms[2] | |
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Buchanania is a genus of plants in the mango and cashew family Anacardiaceae, native to areas from India to southern China, and southwards to northern Australia and the western Pacific.[1][2]
This genus consists of trees with simple, unlobed leaves arranged alternately on the twigs. Flowers are produced in axillary or terminal panicles. Flowers are bisexual, i.e. they have both male and female organs. They usually have 5 calyx lobes and 5 petals, sometimes 4 or 6, and are pale green to white. There are 10 stamens and 4–6 carpels, only one of which is fertile. Fruits are more or less lens-shaped drupes with a bony or woody endocarp, and contain a single seed.[3][4] Unlike other genera in the family, Buchanania does not appear to cause contact dermatitis.[5]: 195
Taxonomy
The genus Buchanania was erected in 1801 by German botanist Kurt Polycarp Joachim Sprengel based on a collection of plant material by Francis Buchanan-Hamilton from what is now Myanmar. The genus was named after the collector.[3][6]
Distribution
The genus is native to areas from South and Southeast Asia, extending to northern Australia and the western Pacific. The full distribution is as follows:[1][2]
- Indian subcontinent: Assam, Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, West Himalaya
- China & East Asia: China South-Central, Hainan, Taiwan,
- Indo-China: Andaman Is., Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Nicobar Is., Thailand, Vietnam
- Malesia: Borneo, Jawa, Lesser Sunda Is., Malaya, Maluku, Philippines, Sulawesi, Sumatera
- Papuasia: Bismarck Archipelago, New Guinea, Solomon Is.
- Australia: Northern Territory, Queensland, Western Australia
- Western Pacific: Caroline Is., Fiji, Samoa, Santa Cruz Is., Vanuatu