Rhodolaena coriacea
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Rhodolaena coriacea | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Malvales |
| Family: | Sarcolaenaceae |
| Genus: | Rhodolaena |
| Species: | R. coriacea |
| Binomial name | |
| Rhodolaena coriacea | |
Rhodolaena coriacea is a tree in the family Sarcolaenaceae. It is endemic to Madagascar. The specific epithet coriacea means 'leathery', referring to the leaves.
Rhodolaena coriacea grows as a tree from 5 to 25 metres (20 to 80 ft) tall. Its large, coriaceous leaves are elliptic in shape and measure up to 14.5 centimetres (6 in) long.[3] The inflorescences have one or two flowers on a long peduncle. Individual flowers are large with five sepals and five purple-pink petals, measuring up 5 cm (2 in) long. The fruits are medium-sized and woody, with a fleshy involucre. The involucre is reportedly eaten by lemurs, facilitating seed dispersal.[4]