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Villaresia

Family

Icacinaceae

Common names

Citronella

A genus of about thirty species, mostly tropical and subtropical, in Central and South America, Australia, Malaysia and the islands of the S.W. Pacific. The family Icacinaceae is quite closely allied to the Holly family (Aquifoliaceae), so the holly-like appearance of the species here described is not altogether fortuitous. It can, however, be distinguished from any member of the genus Ilex by the paniculate inflorescence, the valvate not imbricate petals, and the characteristic pits on the underside of the leaves.

It must be added that the generic name Villaresia, in the present sense, is invalid and should give way to Citronella (see the article accompanying the plate in the Botanical Magazine and Journ. Arn. Arb., Vol. 21, p. 473).

Species articles