Mesua

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: Calophyllaceae
Tribus: Calophylleae
Genus: Mesua
Species: M. assamica – M. beccariana – M. bilabiata – M. calophylloides – M. catharinae – M. caudata – M. clemensorum – M. daphnifolia – M. eugeniifolia – M. ferrea – M. floribunda – M. garciae – M. grandis – M. kochummeniana – M. korthalsiana – M. laevis – M. lanceolata – M. larnachiana – M. lepidota – M. macrantha – M. macrocarpa – M. macrophylla – M. manii – M. megalocarpa – M. myrtifolia – M. navesii – M. nervosa – M. nivenii – M. nuda – M. pacifica – M. paludosa – M. paniculata – M. parviflora – M. philippinensis – M. planigemma – M. pulchella – M. purseglovei – M. pustulata – M. racemosa – M. rivulorum – M. rosea – M. stylosa – M. sukoeana – M. thwaitesii – M. wrayi
Name

Mesua L., 1753

Type species: Mesua ferrea L.

Synonyms

Heterotypic
Nagassari Adans.
Nagatampo Adans.
Naghas Mirb. ex Steud.
Plagiorrhiza Hallier f.
Plinia Blanco non Plinia L., Sp. Pl. 516. (1753) (Myrtaceae)
Vidalia Fern.-Vill. non Vidalia J.V.Lamouroux ex J.Agardh, 1863, nom. cons. (Rhodomelaceae)
Rhynea Scop.

Note: Current analyses conclude that this genus is best treated as monotypic with just the type species and the rest of the species moved to Kayea s.l., for example, Ruhfel et al. (2016).
References

Linnaeus, C. 1753. Species Plantarum. Tomus I: 515. Reference page.

Additional references

Priyangani, E.G.D., Gunatilleke, I.A.U.N. & Yakandawala, D.M.D. 2006. A Preliminary Anatomical and Morphological Study of The Genus Mesua in Sri Lanka: A Taxonomic Approach. Peradeniya University Research Session PURSE -2006, Proceeding and Abstracts 11: 139. Synopsis Reference page.
Ruhfel, B.R., Bove, C.P., Philbrick, C.T. & Davis, C.C. 2016. Dispersal largely explains the Gondwanan distribution of the ancient tropical clusioid plant clade. American Journal of Botany 103(6): 1117-1128. DOI: 10.3732/ajb.1500537 Open access Reference page.

Links

Hassler, M. 2021. Mesua. 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 online. Accessed: 2021 Jul. 17. Reference page.
Govaerts, R. et al. 2021. Mesua in Kew Science Plants of the World online. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published online. Accessed: 2021 Jul. 17. Reference page.
International Plant Names Index. 2019. Mesua. Published online. Accessed: Jul 17 2019.
Tropicos.org 2021. Mesua. Missouri Botanical Garden. Published online. Accessed: 17 Jul 2021.
USDA, ARS, Germplasm Resources Information Network. Mesua in the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN), U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service. Accessed: 09-Oct-10.

Vernacular names
English: Ironwood, Rose Chestnut

Mesua is a genus of flowering plants in the family Calophyllaceae,[1] native to tropical southern Asia. Common names include ironwood (shared with many other plants) and rose chestnut.

They are evergreen shrubs or small trees growing to 13 m tall, with leaves arranged in opposite pairs.
Species

Plants of the World Online currently includes: [2]

Mesua assamica (King & Prain) Kosterm. (syn. Kayea assamica)
Mesua beccariana (Baill.) Kosterm.
Mesua calophylloides (Ridl.) Kosterm.
Mesua catharinae (Merr.) Kosterm.
Mesua clemensiorum Kosterm.
Mesua daphnifolia (Ridl.) Kosterm.
Mesua elmeri (Merr.) Kosterm.
Mesua eugeniifolia (Pierre) Kosterm.
Mesua ferrea L.
Mesua floribunda (Wall.) Kosterm.
Mesua garciae (Fern.-Vill.) Kosterm.
Mesua grandis (King) Kosterm.
Mesua kochummeniana Whitmore
Mesua korthalsiana (Pierre) Kosterm.
Mesua lanceolata (Merr.) Kosterm.
Mesua larnachiana (F.Muell.) Kosterm.
Mesua lepidota T.Anderson
Mesua macrantha (Baill.) Kosterm.
Mesua macrocarpa (Pierre) Kosterm.
Mesua macrophylla (Kaneh. & Hatus.) Kosterm.
Mesua manii (King) Kosterm.
Mesua megalocarpa (Merr.) Kosterm.
Mesua myrtifolia (Baill.) Kosterm.
Mesua navesii (Fern.-Vill.) Kosterm.
Mesua nervosa Planch. & Triana
Mesua nivenii Whitmore
Mesua nuda Kosterm. ex Whitmore
Mesua oblongifolia (Ridl.) Kosterm.
Mesua paludosa (Kosterm.) Kosterm.
Mesua paniculata (Blanco) Kosterm.
Mesua philippinensis (Planch. & Triana) Kosterm.
Mesua planigemma Kosterm.
Mesua pulchella Planch. & Triana
Mesua purseglovei Whitmore
Mesua pustulata (Ridl.) P.S.Ashton
Mesua racemosa (Planch. & Triana) Kosterm.
Mesua rosea (Ridl.) Kosterm.
Mesua stylosa (Thwaites) Kosterm.
Mesua sukoeana (Bor) Kosterm.
Mesua thwaitesii Planch. & Triana
Mesua wrayi (King) Kosterm.

References

Stephens, P.F. (2001 onwards). Angiosperm Phylogeny Website. Version 9, June 2008. http://www.mobot.org/MOBOT/Research/APweb/

Plants of the World Online: Mesua L. (retrieved 10 February 2020)

Germplasm Resources Information Network: Mesua
University of Melbourne: Sorting Mesua names