''Orophea thomsonii'' or Thomson's Turret Flower is a species of shrub or small tree in the Annonaceae family. It is native to Kerala and Tamil Nadu in India and endemic to the Western Ghats mountain range.

Description

Orophea thomsonii in Anamalais IMG 20210130 100819

Woody evergreen plants, occurring as large shrubs or small trees up to 10 m tall. The tree has slender branches with the young branchlets being tomentose and holding waxy leaves to forming a canopy in the understorey of evergreen forests. Leaves are simple, alternate, and distichous, with short petioles (0.2-0.5 cm),

cuneate Cuneate means "wedge-shaped", and can apply to: * Cuneate leaf, a leaf shape * Cuneate nucleus, a part of the brainstem * Cuneate fasciculus Cuneate means "wedge-shaped", and can apply to: * Cuneate leaf, a leaf shape * Cuneate nucleus, a part ...

or acute base, small lamina (5-7 x 2.5-3.5 cm), and about 6 pairs of secondary nerves. The tertiary nerves are reticulate. The leaves are hairless except for the

midrib This glossary of botanical terms is a list of definitions of terms and concepts relevant to botany and plants in general. Terms of plant morphology are included here as well as at the more specific Glossary of plant morphology and Glossary o ...

beneath. The leaf shape is ovate or ovate-elliptic with a long acuminate, rounded tip. The flowers are creamy white, found solitary or in

cymes An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Morphologically, it is the modified part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed on ...

of 2-3 at the axils of leaves. The outer petals are strigose (with stiff hairs), inner pubescent inside. The peduncles are strigose and the

pedicels In botany, a pedicel is a stem that attaches a single flower to the inflorescence. Such inflorescences are described as ''pedicellate''. Description Pedicel refers to a structure connecting a single flower to its inflorescence. In the absenc ...

are very short, slender, pubescent. The flower has oblong and horizontal nectaries, 10-12 stamens and 5-6 carpels. The fruit is a short-stalked, pea-sized, round

berry A berry is a small, pulpy, and often edible fruit. Typically, berries are juicy, rounded, brightly colored, sweet, sour or tart, and do not have a stone or pit, although many pips or seeds may be present. Common examples are strawberries, raspb ...

about 8 mm in diameter, found in clusters, each with 1-2 round, brown seeds that appear wrinkled and pitted.

Taxonomy

There are no synonyms of this species. Orophea thomsonii 66229052

Distribution and habitat

The species is found along the Western Ghats in Kerala and Tamil Nadu, from Palakkad and Nilgiris District and further south in the Anamalai and Agasthyamalai Hills. It occurs in mid-elevation tropical wet evergreen forests between 250 and 1250 m above mean sea level.

Uses

The plant is known to have medicinal uses among the indigenous people in Kalakad-Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve.

References

thomsoni Flora of Kerala Flora of Tamil Nadu Endangered plants Taxonomy articles created by Polbot {{Annonaceae-stub