252 . CHINESE ECONOMIC TREES 



A family of 70 genera comprising more than 500 species, distributed 

 throughout the tropics. Several tropical genera yield edible fruits, or 

 seeds that produce cooking or other oils. 



KEY TO GENERA 



I. Flowers in axillary racemes; sepals 4 or 5, imbricate; ovary 1 celled, 

 superior; leaves pinnately veined, persistent; fruit a 2-3 seeded 

 berry Xylosma. 



II. Flowers in terminal panicles. 



A. Leaves pinnately veined, short stalked; calyx 3-4 parted; fruit 

 a woody capsule Itoa. 



B. Leaves 3-5 nerved, long stalked, deciduous. 



1. Fruit a many seeded berry; styles usually 5; sepals im- 

 bricate, usually 5 Idesia. 



2. Fruit a capsule. 



a. Styles 3, 2 parted at the apex, sepals ovate-lanceolate « 

 capsule 3 cm. long or less Poliothyrsis. 



b. Styles 3-4, 3 parted at the apex; sepals cordate-ovate, 

 large, white; capsule 5-9 cm. long Carrierea. 



ITOA 



Tree. Leaves alternate, coriaceous, oblong to elliptic, acuminate; 

 rounded at the base, serrate, 34-40 cm. long; petiole to 6 cm. long. 

 Flowers in erect, terminal panicles, unisexual, apetalous; calyx 3 parted 

 (4) ; stamens numerous. Capsule woody, narrow ovoid, 1 celled, 9-10 

 cm. long. Seeds numerous, winged. 



1 species in Yunnan and Szechuan. 



Itoa orientalis Hemsley. 



Tree about 12-15 m. tall with light gray bark. 



Itoa is distinguished from Poliothyrsis by the coriaceous, longer, 

 oblong, pinnately veined, shorter petioled leaves, by the 3-4 parted calyx, 

 numerous stamens, and by the large, tardily dehiscent, woody capsule. 



The wood is said to be tough. 



