Utania


Utania is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the gentian family, the tribe Potalieae, and the subtribe Potaliinae. A small genus it has 12 species.

Description

Small to medium trees, usually 1-3m tall, but occasionally up to 30m. The trunk is orthotropic, monopodial, with continuous growth. Bark becomes fissured as tree ages. Features that distinguish this genus from other Gentianaceae include an architecture with continuous stem or trunk growth; branches that grow plagiotropic with a leaf arrangement that is distichous ; non-resinous terminal vegetative buds; and an inflorescence that is pendulous and has a structure that is an elongate panicle with branching that is cymose, white flowers; the dried fruit have a surface that is firm and smooth, with the epidermis not detaching from the pericarp. Shared with some other genera, Utania has fruit that do not produce any latex and polygonal seeds.

Distribution

Plants of the genus are found from Solomon Islands to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in Tropical Asia. Regions in which they are found include: Solomon Islands; Australia ; Papua New Guinea mainland; Indonesia ; Philippines; Malaysia ; Brunei; Singapore; Thailand; Vietnam; Cambodia; Laos; Myanmar; Nicobar Islands; Andaman Islands.

List of accepted species