Entada zeylanica Kosterm., Misc. Pap. Landbouwhoogeschool 19: 226. 1980.

O'Donnell, Shawn A., Ringelberg, Jens J. & Lewis, Gwilym P., 2022, Re-circumscription of the mimosoid genus Entada including new combinations for all species of the phylogenetically nested Elephantorrhiza (Leguminosae, Caesalpinioideae, mimosoid clade), PhytoKeys 205, pp. 99-145 : 99

Entada zeylanica Kosterm., Misc. Pap. Landbouwhoogeschool 19: 226. 1980.

Type.

SRI LANKA. Southwest Sri Lanka, Sinharaja Forest , A.J.G.H. Kostermans 26787 (holotype: G; isotypes: K, US [ US 00170433, US 00170434]) .

Description.

Liana to 50 m long, stem to 50 cm diameter at base; bark greyish-brown, rough, peeling; slash red, fibrous, wood yellow with sparse red sap. Leaves: arranged spirally; rachis 8-15 cm long, terminating in a long, strong bifurcating tendril; pinnae 2 pairs per leaf, 5-15 cm long, with 2-4(-5) pairs of leaflets; leaflets 3.5-4.7 × 1.5-2.2 cm, obovate to obliquely oblong, apex obtuse, retuse to emarginate, base acute, lamina glabrous. Inflorescence: a spike, 20-22 cm long, axillary, solitary, axis pubescent. Flowers: red to dark brown, sessile; calyx reddish-brown, 1-1.5 mm long, glabrous; petals 2.5-3 mm long, green outside, white inside; stamen filaments 3.5 mm long, white. Fruit: a torulose, spirally twisted craspedium, 40 × 8 cm, with transverse septa between seeds dividing the fruit into one-seeded segments which, upon ripening, fall from the persistent replum; epicarp woody, endocarp chartaceous. Seeds: circular, laterally compressed, concave on both surfaces, 2-3.5 cm diameter, 1.5 cm thick, pleurogram lacking.

Distribution.

Sri Lanka.

Habitat and ecology.

Wet evergreen rainforest, up to 500 m alt.