Polyalthia

Polyalthia
	Polyalthia suberosa
	P. suberosa flower
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Magnoliids
Order:	Magnoliales
Family:	Annonaceae
Tribe:	Miliuseae
Genus:	Polyalthia; Blume
Type species
	Polyalthia subcordata; (Blume) Blume
Synonyms
	Haplostichanthus F.Muell.; Monostichanthus F.Muell.; Papualthia Diels; Sphaerothalamus Hook.f.; Tabraca Noronha;

Polyalthia is a genus of flowering plants in the family Annonaceae. There are approximately 90 species distributed from Africa to Asia and the Pacific.

These are trees and shrubs. The flower has six petals in two whorls, the inner petals curving inward over the centre.

The name Polyalthia is derived from a combination of Greek words meaning 'many cures' with reference to the medicinal properties of certain species.

Species

This large genus was known to be polyphyletic, with many species having been separated and reassigned to other genera. Species have also been transferred into this genus (e.g. P. malabarica from Phaeanthus).

As of January 2025^[update], Plants of the World Online accepts the following 98 species:

Polyalthia angustissima Ridl.
Polyalthia barenensis Bân
Polyalthia borneensis Merr.
Polyalthia bracteosa Bân
Polyalthia bromantha I.M.Turner
Polyalthia brunneifolia J.Sinclair
Polyalthia bullata King
Polyalthia cambodica (Finet & Gagnep.) Wiya & Chaowasku
Polyalthia castanea Ridl.
Polyalthia cauliflora Hook.f. & Thomson
Polyalthia celebica Miq.
Polyalthia chalermglinii Bunchalee & D.M.Johnson
Polyalthia chantaranothaii Bunchalee & Chalermglin
Polyalthia charitopoda I.M.Turner
Polyalthia chayamaritiana Bunchalee & N.A.Murray
Polyalthia chinii I.M.Turner & Utteridge
Polyalthia chrysotricha Ridl.
Polyalthia cinnamomea Hook.f. & Thomson
Polyalthia clemensiorum Jovet-Ast
Polyalthia corticosa (Pierre) Finet & Gagnep.
Polyalthia debilis (Pierre) Finet & Gagnep.
Polyalthia dictyoneura Diels
Polyalthia dolichopoda I.M.Turner
Polyalthia dumosa King
Polyalthia elegans K.Schum. & Lauterb.
Polyalthia elliptica (Blume) Blume
Polyalthia endertii D.M.Johnson
Polyalthia evecta (Pierre) Finet & Gagnep.
Polyalthia flagellaris (Becc.) Airy Shaw
Polyalthia fruticosa (Jessup) B.Xue & R.M.K.Saunders
Polyalthia gamopetala Boerl. ex Koord.-Schum.
Polyalthia gracilicolumnaris H.Okada, Tsukaya & Suleiman
Polyalthia gracilipes Merr.
Polyalthia guabatuensis I.M.Turner & Utteridge
Polyalthia guamusangensis I.M.Turner & Utteridge
Polyalthia heliopetala Leerat. & Bunchalee
Polyalthia hirtifolia J.Sinclair
Polyalthia hispida B.Xue & R.M.K.Saunders
Polyalthia ichthyosma I.M.Turner
Polyalthia igniflora D.M.Johnson
Polyalthia insignis (Hook.f.) Airy Shaw
Polyalthia intermedia (Pierre) Bân
Polyalthia johnsonii (F.Muell.) B.Xue & R.M.K.Saunders
Polyalthia kanchanaburiana Khumch. & Thongp.
Polyalthia khaoyaiensis Bunchalee & Chantar.
Polyalthia kinabaluensis I.M.Turner
Polyalthia lanceolata S.Vidal
Polyalthia lancilimba C.Y.Wu ex P.T.Li
Polyalthia lasioclada I.M.Turner
Polyalthia lateritia J.Sinclair
Polyalthia longipedicellata (Alister, G.Rajkumar, Nazarudeen & Pandur.) Shailaj., B.Parthipan, A.K.Sreekala & E.S.S.Kumar
Polyalthia longipes (Miq.) Koord. & Valeton
Polyalthia longirostris (Scheff.) B.Xue & R.M.K.Saunders
Polyalthia luzonensis B.Xue & R.M.K.Saunders
Polyalthia malabarica (Bedd.) I.M.Turner
Polyalthia meghalayensis V.Prakash & Mehrotra
Polyalthia microsepala Diels
Polyalthia microtus Miq.
Polyalthia miliusoides I.M.Turner
Polyalthia mindorensis Merr.
Polyalthia miniata Teijsm. & Binn.
Polyalthia minima Jovet-Ast
Polyalthia minutiflora Elmer
Polyalthia monocarpioides I.M.Turner
Polyalthia montis-silam D.M.Johnson
Polyalthia moonii Thwaites
Polyalthia motleyana (Hook.f.) Airy Shaw
Polyalthia myristica I.M.Turner
Polyalthia novoguineensis (H.Okada) B.Xue & R.M.K.Saunders
Polyalthia obliqua Hook.f. & Thomson
Polyalthia oblonga King
Polyalthia pakdin I.M.Turner & Utteridge
Polyalthia parviflora Ridl.
Polyalthia persicifolia (Hook.f. & Thomson) Bedd.
Polyalthia pisocarpa (Hassk.) I.M.Turner
Polyalthia polyphlebia Diels
Polyalthia praeflorens Bân
Polyalthia pumila Ridl.
Polyalthia rufescens Hook.f. & Thomson
Polyalthia saprosma I.M.Turner
Polyalthia sessiliflora (Ast) Bân
Polyalthia socia Craib
Polyalthia spathulata (Teijsm. & Binn.) Boerl.
Polyalthia stellata (Heusden) B.Xue & R.M.K.Saunders
Polyalthia stenopetala (Hook.f. & Thomson) Finet & Gagnep.
Polyalthia stenophylla I.M.Turner
Polyalthia subcordata (Blume) Blume
Polyalthia suberosa (Roxb.) Thwaites
Polyalthia submontana (Jessup) B.Xue & R.M.K.Saunders
Polyalthia suthepensis Wiya & Chaowasku
Polyalthia sympetala I.M.Turner
Polyalthia taweensis Bunchalee & Leerat.
Polyalthia tipuliflora D.M.Johnson
Polyalthia trochilia I.M.Turner
Polyalthia venosa Merr.
Polyalthia watui K.M.Wong
Polyalthia xanthocarpa B.Xue & R.M.K.Saunders
Polyalthia yingjiangensis Y.H.Tan & B.Xue

Reassigned to other genera

According to Plants of the World Online, species have been placed in the following genera:

Disepalum
- Polyalthia pingpienensis P.T.Li – synonym of Disepalum plagioneurum (Diels) D.M.Johnson
Huberantha Chaowasku
- Polyalthia cerasoides (Roxb.) Bedd. – synonym of Huberantha cerasoides (Roxb.) Chaowasku
- Polyalthia korinti (Dunal) Benth. & J. Hk. ex J. Hk. & Thoms – synonym of Huberantha korinti (Dunal) Chaowasku
- Polyalthia nitidissima – synonym of Huberantha nitidissima (Dunal) Chaowasku
- Polyalthia palawanensis Merr. – synonym of Huberantha palawanensis (Merr.) I.M.Turner
Meiogyne
- Polyalthia laddiana A.C.Sm. – synonym of Meiogyne laddiana (A.C.Sm.) B.Xue & R.M.K.Saunders
Monoon Miq.
- Polyalthia coffeoides (Hook.f. & Th.) – synonym of Monoon coffeoides (Thwaites ex Hook.f. & Thomson) B.Xue & R.M.K.Saunders
- Polyalthia fragrans (Dalz.) Bedd. – synonym of Monoon fragrans (Dalzell) B.Xue & R.M.K.Saunders
- Polyalthia glabra (Hook.f. & Th.) James Sincl. – synonym of Monoon glabrum (Hook.f. & Thomson) B.Xue & R.M.K.Saunders
- Polyalthia hookeriana King – synonym of Monoon hookerianum (King) B.Xue & R.M.K.Saunders
- Polyalthia hypogaea King – synonym of Monoon hypogaeum (King) B.Xue & R.M.K.Saunders
- Polyalthia longifolia (Sonn.) Thwaites – synonym of Monoon longifolium (Sonn.) B.Xue & R.M.K.Saunders
- Polyalthia pachyphylla King – synonym of Monoon pachyphyllum (King) B.Xue & R.M.K.Saunders
- Polyalthia shendurunii Basha & Sasi. is now Monoon shendurunii (Basha & Sasidh.) B.Xue & R.M.K.Saunders
- Polyalthia simiarum (Buch.-Ham. ex Hook.f. & Thomson) Hook.f. & Thomson – synonym of Monoon simiarum (Buch.-Ham. ex Hook.f. & Thomson) B.Xue & R.M.K.Saunders
Phaeanthus
- Polyalthia macropoda King – synonym of Phaeanthus ophthalmicus (Roxb. ex G.Don) J.Sinclair
Polyalthiopsis Chaowasku
- Polyalthia floribunda Jovet-Ast – synonym of Polyalthiopsis floribunda (Jovet-Ast) Chaowasku (Vietnam)
Wuodendron B.Xue, Y.H.Tan & Chaowasku (monotypic)
- Polyalthia litseifolia C.Y.Wu ex P.T.Li – synonym of Wuodendron praecox (Hook.f. & Thomson) B.Xue, Y.H.Tan & X.L.Hou

References

1 2 Polyalthia. Flora of China.
↑ McCann, Charles (1959). 100 Beautiful Trees of India: A Descriptive and Pictorial Handbook. D.B. Taraporevala Sons & Co. Private Ltd. p. 32.
↑ Xue, B., Su, Y. C., Mols, J. B., KEßLER, P. J., & Saunders, R. M. (2011). Further fragmentation of the polyphyletic genus Polyalthia (Annonaceae): molecular phylogenetic support for a broader delimitation of Marsypopetalum. Systematics and Biodiversity, 9(1), 17-26.
↑ Xue, B., Su, Y. C. F., Thomas, D. C., & Saunders, R. M. K. (2012). Pruning the polyphyletic genus Polyalthia (Annonaceae) and resurrecting the genus Monoon. Taxon, 61(5), 1021-1039.
↑ "Polyalthia Blume". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. 2025. Retrieved 17 January 2025.
↑ Plants of the World Online (POWO): Huberantha cerasoides (Roxb.) Chaowasku (retrieved 4 April 2020)
↑ Plants of the World Online (POWO): Monoon coffeoides (Thwaites ex Hook.f. & Thomson) B.Xue & R.M.K.Saunders (retrieved 4 April 2020)
↑ Plants of the World Online (POWO): Monoon longifolium (Sonn.) B.Xue & R.M.K.Saunders (retrieved 4 April 2020)

[foc-1] 1 2 Polyalthia. Flora of China.

[mccann-2] McCann, Charles (1959). 100 Beautiful Trees of India: A Descriptive and Pictorial Handbook. D.B. Taraporevala Sons & Co. Private Ltd. p. 32.

[3] Xue, B., Su, Y. C., Mols, J. B., KEßLER, P. J., & Saunders, R. M. (2011). Further fragmentation of the polyphyletic genus Polyalthia (Annonaceae): molecular phylogenetic support for a broader delimitation of Marsypopetalum. Systematics and Biodiversity, 9(1), 17-26.

[4] Xue, B., Su, Y. C. F., Thomas, D. C., & Saunders, R. M. K. (2012). Pruning the polyphyletic genus Polyalthia (Annonaceae) and resurrecting the genus Monoon. Taxon, 61(5), 1021-1039.

[POWO-5] "Polyalthia Blume". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. 2025. Retrieved 17 January 2025.

[6] Plants of the World Online (POWO): Huberantha cerasoides (Roxb.) Chaowasku (retrieved 4 April 2020)

[7] Plants of the World Online (POWO): Monoon coffeoides (Thwaites ex Hook.f. & Thomson) B.Xue & R.M.K.Saunders (retrieved 4 April 2020)

[8] Plants of the World Online (POWO): Monoon longifolium (Sonn.) B.Xue & R.M.K.Saunders (retrieved 4 April 2020)

Polyalthia

Polyalthia suberosa

P. suberosa flower
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Magnoliids
Order:	Magnoliales
Family:	Annonaceae
Tribe:	Miliuseae
Genus:	Polyalthia Blume
Type species
Polyalthia subcordata (Blume) Blume
Synonyms
Haplostichanthus F.Muell. Monostichanthus F.Muell. Papualthia Diels Sphaerothalamus Hook.f. Tabraca Noronha