Balakata

Life-forms

Classification System: APG IV

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Regnum: Plantae
Cladus: Angiosperms
Cladus: Eudicots
Cladus: Core eudicots
Cladus: Rosids
Cladus: Eurosids I
Ordo: Malpighiales

Familia: Euphorbiaceae
Subfamilia: Euphorbioideae
Tribus: Hippomaneae
Subtribus: Hippomaninae
Genus: Balakata
Species: B. baccata – B. luzonica
Name

Balakata Esser, Blumea 44(1): 154. (1999)

Type species: Balakata luzonica (S.Vidal) Esser, Blumea 44(1): 157 (1999)

Synonyms

Heterotypic
Sapium sect. Pleurostachya Pax & K. Hoffm. in Engl., Pflanzenr. IV. 147: 5. (1912)
Type species: Sapium merrillianum Pax & K. Hoffm. (1912) = Balakata luzonica (1999)

References

Esser, H.J. 1999. A partial revision of the Hippomaneae. Blumea-Biodiversity, Evolution and Biogeography of Plants 44(1): 149-215. PDF Reference page.
Govaerts, R. et al. 2021. Balakata in World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the internet. Accessed: 2021 July 6. Reference page.
Hassler, M. 2021. Balakata. World Plants: Synonymic Checklists of the Vascular Plants of the World In: Roskovh, Y., Abucay, L., Orrell, T., Nicolson, D., Bailly, N., Kirk, P., Bourgoin, T., DeWalt, R.E., Decock, W., De Wever, A., Nieukerken, E. van, Zarucchi, J. & Penev, L., eds. 2021. Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life. Published on the internet. Accessed: 2021 July 6. Reference page.
International Plant Names Index. 2021. Balakata. Published online. Accessed: July 6 2021.

Balakata is a genus of trees in the family Euphorbiaceae first described as a genus in 1999.[2] It is native to Southeast Asia, southern China, the Himalayas, and New Guinea.[3][4][5] The genus name was inspired by balákat-gúbat ("shoulder-tree"), the Philippine common name for B. luzonica.[4]

Balakata baccata grows up to 26 meters tall, while B. luzonica can reach 36 metres (118 ft). These trees have alternately arranged leaves 3.5 to 11 centimetres (1.4 to 4.3 in) long, usually with large basal glands on the undersides. The undersides are also whitish in color in B. baccata, but not in B. luzonica. The former has longer petioles than the latter. The trees are monoecious, with inflorescences containing several male flowers and usually at least one female flower at the base. The fruit is smooth and fleshy. That of B. baccata usually contains two seeds, while the fruit of B. luzonica has a single seed.[4][1]

Both species yield useful wood; B. luzonica wood may have commercial value.[4]

Species[3]

Balakata baccata (Roxb.) Esser - Yunnan, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Assam, Bhutan, Andaman & Nicobar, Borneo, Sumatra, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam
Balakata luzonica (Vidal) Esser - Philippines, Sulawesi, Maluku, New Guinea

References

Flora of China Vol. 11 Page 283 浆果乌桕属 jiang guo wu jiu shu Balakata Esser, Blumea. 44: 154. 1999.
Esser, Hans-Joachim. 1999. Blumea 44: 154-157
Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
Balakata. Malesian Euphorbiaceae Descriptions. Nationaal Herbarium Nederland.
Govaerts, R., Frodin, D.G. & Radcliffe-Smith, A. (2000). World Checklist and Bibliography of Euphorbiaceae (and Pandaceae) 1-4: 1-1622. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.