Mesua

Mesua
Mesua ferrea foliage
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Rosids
Order:	Malpighiales
Family:	Calophyllaceae
Genus:	Mesua L.
Species
See text
Synonyms
Nagassari Adans. Nagatampo Adans. Plagiorrhiza Hallier f. Plinia Blanco Rhynea Scop. Vidalia Fern.-Vill.

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

They are evergreen shrubs or small trees growing to 13 m (40 ft) tall, with leaves arranged in opposite pairs.

Species

According to Plants of the World Online, 11 species are currently accepted:

• Mesua clemensiorum Kosterm. – Vietnam
• Mesua ferrea L. – India and Sri Lanka to Indochina, Peninsular Malaysia, Borneo, Java, and the Philippines
• Mesua kochummeniana Whitmore – Peninsular Malaysia
• Mesua nivenii Whitmore – Peninsular Malaysia
• Mesua nuda Kosterm. ex Whitmore – Peninsular Malaysia
• Mesua planigemma Kosterm. – Borneo
• Mesua pulchella Planch. & Triana – southwestern Sri Lanka
• Mesua purseglovei Whitmore – Peninsular Malaysia
• Mesua pustulata (Ridl.) P.S.Ashton – Borneo
• Mesua sclerophylla Thwaites – southern Sri Lanka
• Mesua thwaitesii Planch. & Triana – Sri Lanka and southwestern India

References

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