3. Suriana L., Sp. Pl. 284. 1753. Gen. Pl. ed. 5. 137. 1754; Wight & Arnott, Prodr. Fl. Pen. Ind. 5. 360. 1834; DC., Prodr. 2:91. 1825; Bennett in Hook. f., Fl. Brit. Ind. 2: 522. 1875.
KAMAL A. MALIK
Shrubs with densely grey-pilose branchlets. Leaves simple, oblong-spathulate, entire, coriaceous, crowded at the apices of the branchlets, exstipulate. Inflorescence few-flowered axillary cymes with large bracts and bracteoles. Flowers regular, bisexual. Calyx 5-partite, lobes acuminate, imbricate, persistent. Petals 5, obovate, shortly clawed, imbricate. Stamens 5 + 5, the inner shorter, sometimes sterile; filaments persistent, subulate, pilose at the lower half; anthers 2-celled, small, medifixed. Disc inconspicuous. Ovary of 5 free carpels, each 2-ovuled; styles gynobasic, filiform, as many as the carpels; stigma scarcely capitate. Fruits 3-5 one seeded drupes enclosed by persistent calyx. Embryo hippocrepiform, exalbuminous.
A monotypic genus, distributed in the coastal belt of Atlantic and American tropics, East Africa, Madagascar, India, Ceylon, Malaya Paninsula, Formosa, Philippines, East Malaysia, N.E. Australia and Pacific. In Pakistan its presence is rather doubtful.
The genus is also kept under the separate family Surianaceae having one genus and one species (cf. Gutzwiller, Engl., Bot. Jahrb. 8: 1-49. 1961).
