Flora of New Zealand Series

Evergreen, unarmed shrubs or small trees; stems spreading, brown-tomentose when young. Lvs usually clustered towards branchlet tips, sessile or short-petiolate, large, simple, serrate or rarely entire; stipules usually small, deciduous. Infl. a terminal, broadly pyramidal panicle, usually tomentose. Fls 5-merous, ⚥, small, shortly pedicellate. Hypanthium tubular, closed at apex. Epicalyx 0. Calyx of 5 persistent sepals. Petals suborbicular, spreading to erect, white or cream. Stamens (15)-20-(40). Ovary inferior or semi-inferior; carpels 2-5; styles 2-5, fused at base; ovules paired in each locule. Fr. a moderately-sized to large fleshy pome, ovoid to ellipsoid or globular, with persistent calyx lobes; carpel walls leathery; seeds 1-few, large.

c. 30 spp., E. and S.E. Asia to Borneo. Naturalised sp. 1.

The most recent revision of the genus is that of Vidal, J. E., Adansonia 5(4): 537-580 (1965), who divided it into groups primarily based on lf characters.