Dear members, There has been a confusion between these species. We have included all our observations under Cordia dichotoma <https://sites.google.com/site/efloraofindia/species/a---l/b/boraginaceae/cordia/cordia-dichotoma> . Let us explore whether they are the same or different. If different, what are the differences? POWO <http://www.plantsoftheworldonline.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:114380-1> and Catalogue of Life <https://www.catalogueoflife.org/col/details/species/id/70398f573b07c0eeb9fc0bd3049abe0b> consider them to be different., although at some point Catalogue of Life considered them to be the same as per details at GBIF <https://www.gbif.org/species/5341290> (which relies on Catalogue of Life). I could not find the difference between the two except at Flora of Pakistan <http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=5&taxon_id=107975>. Here are the keys: 2 (1) <http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=5&taxon_id=107975#KEY-1-1> *Calyx* not ribbed, *glabrous* 2 Cordia myxa <http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=5&taxon_id=200018955> + *Calyx* ribbed, *minutely pubescent to tomentose* (3) <http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=5&taxon_id=107975#KEY-1-3> for other species including Cordia dichotoma <http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=5&taxon_id=200018953> Let us examine the detailed descriptions:
*Cordia myxa* L.: Flora of Pakistan <http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=5&taxon_id=200018955>: A deciduous tree 3-5 m tall. Young shoots and branches with a rusty pubescence, glabrate at length. Leaves 6-12.5 x 43-8.2 cm, suborbicular. elliptic-ovate to oblong-ovate, 3-nerved, acute or obtuse, subentire to sinuate-crenate or dentate, glabrous to dense tomentose on under surface, base cuneate to rounded. Petiole 2.5-4.3 cm long. Flowers not seen. *Drupe 20 mm long, ovoid, apiculate, brownish-yellow, base partly surrounded by the enlarged, ± broadly cupular calyx.* *Fl. Per*.: March-April. Distribution: Pakistan, India Sri-Lanka. Cultivated and sometimes found as an escape. The pulpy drupe is edible. Flora of Tropical East Africa <http://www.plantsoftheworldonline.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:114380-1> : Habit: Tree 6–12 m. tall, *sometimes rather twisted, with young stems hairy but soon glabrous, older with circular petiolar scars. * Leaves: Leaves broadly ovate to subcircular, or sometimes obovate, 3–18 cm. long, 3–20 cm. wide, rounded to cordate or cuneate at the base, *rounded to shortly obtusely acuminate at the apex, *entire or repand-dentate, subcoriaceous, *glabrous above*, glabrous to ± densely pubescent beneath or even velvety; petiole 0.6–3.5 cm. long, glabrous or sparsely hairy. Inflorescences: Cymes in terminal lax panicles, often on short lateral branches, 3–8.5 cm. long, 2–7 cm. wide, axes glabrous to sparsely pubescent; pedicels 1–2 mm. long, articulate at the apex. Flowers: *Female:*calyx tubular-campanulate, 6–8.5 mm. long, *irregularly 3–4-toothed, glabrous outside save for tips of lobes,* densely pubescent inside; corolla-tube 4.5–6.5 mm. long; lobes 4–6, elliptic to obovate, 5–7 mm. long, 2.5–3.5 mm. wide, reflexed and rolled up; stamens with filaments 1.5–2.5 mm. long, ± pubescent; anthers sterile; ovary ellipsoid or obovoid, 2.5–3.5 mm. long, 2–2.7 mm. wide; style exserted, 8–9 mm. long, deeply divided into 4 stigmatic branches 4–5 mm. long, flattened and subfoliaceous with irregular or erose-denticulate margins. *Male:calyx campanulate, 4.5–5.5 mm. long, 3-lobed, glabrous outside,* pubescent to tomentose at apex inside; corolla white; tube 3.5–4.5 mm. long;* lobes 5,* elliptic, 5 mm. long, 2 mm. wide, reflexed; stamens exserted, the filaments 1.5–3.5 mm. long, hairy at the base; ovary rudimentary and style absent. Fruits: *Fruit yellow, apricot or blackish, ovoid, (1.2–)2–3.5 cm. long, apiculate, held in the accrescent campanulate calyx (0.7–1 cm. long, 1.2–1.5(–2) cm. wide), which is ± obscurely lobed or subtruncate*; pulp mucilaginous and sweet; endocarp broadly ellipsoid or ± globose, ± 1.2 cm. long, 1 cm. wide, deeply rugose, 4-locular but only 1 seed developing. Habitat: Naturalised in coastal and other bushland and cultivated; 0–1050 m. Distribution: native of tropical Asia (India, etc.), cultivated and often naturalised in tropical Africa, Senegal to Cameroon, also in N. Africa (Algeria, Libya, Egypt) *Cordia dichotoma* Forster. f.: Flora of Pakistan <http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=5&taxon_id=200018953>: A polygamo-dioecious tree up to 15 m tall. Branchlets pubescent. Leaves 5-8 x 1.5-3.0 cm, elliptic-ovate to obovate, pubescent, especially on the under-surface, *margin sometimes undulate,* base cuneate to oblique or rounded. Petiole up to 3.0 cm long. Flowers in dichotomous cymes, ebracteate. *Male flowers: Calyx c. 2.5 mm long, shallowly 5-lobed, *hairy to the inside. Corolla campanulate, c. 6 mm long, tube about equalling the limb, dense hairy within. Lobes oblanceolate or broadly so, recurved. Filaments c. 4.5 mm, lower half hairy and adnate to tube; anthers 2.5-3 mm long; bisexual flowers: similar but larger than male flowers. Calyx 5-6 mm long, campanulate, accrescent and up to 10 mm in fruit. Filaments c. 2 mm long. Style branched. *Drupe up to 15 mm broad, yellowish-red.* *Fl. Per*.: March-April. Distribution: Pakistan, Kashmir, India, S. China, Taiwan, Indo-China, New Caledonia & N.E. Australia. Flora of China <http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=200018953>: Trees 3-4(-20) m tall. Petiole 2-5 cm; leaf blade ovate to broadly ovate or elliptic, 6-13 × 4-9 cm, sparsely pubescent or glabrous, base rounded to broadly cuneate, *margin usually subundulate to undulate dentate, rarely entire,* *apex obtuse to mucronate. *Inflorescences terminating leafy lateral branches, dichotomously branched into corymbose cymes, widely spaced, 5-8 cm wide. Flowers dimorphic, sessile. *Calyx campanulate, 5-6 mm, 5-lobed; lobes unequal, triangular. *Corolla white, ca. as long as calyx; lobes shorter than tube, margin somewhat undulate. Filaments of staminate flowers ca. 3.5 mm, filaments of bisexual flowers 1-2 mm. Rudimentary pistil globose. Style united portion 1-1.5 mm, first branches ca. 1 mm, second branches 2-3 mm; stigma spatulate. *Drupes yellow or reddish, subglobose, 1-1.5 cm in diam*., with sticky mesocarp, surrounded by persistent calyx. Fl. Feb-Apr, fr. Jun-Aug. Open woods on slopes, mountain streamsides. Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Taiwan, SE Xizang, Yunnan [Cambodia, N India, Indonesia, Japan (Ryukyu Islands), Kashmir, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Pakistan, Thailand, Vietnam; NE Australia, Pacific Islands] On checking all the images, the* crucial difference appears to be glabrous calyx in Cordia myxa in comparison to non-glabrous calyx in Cordia dichotoma*. The following on net seems to match with Cordia myxa (*mostly fruiting images- I am not sure if the calyx become glabrous by that time,* except for one small flowering image, in which it is difficult to observe glabrous nature of the calyx correctly) Useful Tropical Plants <http://tropical.theferns.info/image.php?id=Cordia+myxa> GBIF image <https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/2643544051> Images in Flora of Peninsular India <http://flora-peninsula-indica.ces.iisc.ac.in/herbsheet.php?id=2082&cat=7> Landscape Plants <https://landscapeplants.aub.edu.lb/Plants/GetPDF/eb18dc6a-e1b9-4352-b1be-1318cfc59eae> Following of our posts may be of Cordia myxa (*mostly fruiting images- I am not sure if the calyx become glabrous by that time*): Fruits for ID : 190611 : AK-3 <https://groups.google.com/group/indiantreepix/browse_thread/thread/09b45da6a30d4708?hl=en#> second species in three cordia species <https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/indiantreepix/sDXp0mnp-fA> Boraginaceae Week :: Cordia dichotoma at CBD Belapur Hills <https://groups.google.com/forum/?hl=en&fromgroups#!topic/indiantreepix/NLLX7b4VWzE> Tree for ID : Lalbagh, Bangalore : 280412 : AK-4 <https://groups.google.com/forum/?hl=en&fromgroups#!topic/indiantreepix/6XXbqsb_PRo> *However, I strongly feel this minor difference does not warrant a separate species status. And it is better to keep them together under **Cordia dichotoma* <https://sites.google.com/site/efloraofindia/species/a---l/b/boraginaceae/cordia/cordia-dichotoma> Any feedback will be highly appreciated. -- With regards, J.M.Garg -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "efloraofindia" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To view this discussion on the web, visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/indiantreepix/CA%2BiuSFCcVUZP6b6%3Dk7GZbfH74uYHZz8mTADqic7ru9WQrvi7Kg%40mail.gmail.com.
