Description: Trees, dioecious; young growth and flowers hairy with simple and stellate hairs.
Leaves alternate, paripinnate; leaflets usually alternate or subopposite, margins entire or toothed; rachis and petiole sometimes winged. Panicles axillary.
Flowers unisexual, long pedicellate. Sepals 5, ± free. Petals 5, often clawed, reflexed, usually much longer than the sepals. Disc complete, small. Stamens 5–8. Ovary 2-lobed, laterally compressed; ovules 1 or 2 per loculus.
Fruit a 2-lobed capsule; lobes compressed or inflated; seeds 1 or 2 per lobe, ellipsoid, aril usually cupular.
Distribution and occurrence: World: 37 species, India, Malesia, Australia, Pacific. Australia: 8 species (6 species endemic), Qld., N.S.W., N.T.
Text by G.J. Harden
Taxon concept:
| | Key to the species | |
| 1 | Leaves with petiole and rachis winged; margins of leaflets toothed to more or less entire; capsules slightly compressed at margins, lobes 2-seeded | Harpullia alata |
| Leaves with petiole and rachis not winged; margins of leaflets entire; capsules inflated, lobes 1-seeded | 2 |
| 2 | Capsules leathery to more or less woody, finely hairy; seeds 2/3 covered by basal aril; leaflets mostly 6–12, more or less oblong, apex usually rounded | Harpullia hillii |
| Capsules papery, glabrous; seeds without arils; leaflets usually 4–8, more or less elliptic, apex usually acuminate
Back to 1 | Harpullia pendula |
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