Hiptage is a genus in the Malpighiaceae, a family of about 75 genera of flowering plants in the order Malpighiales. Hiptage species are native to: Andaman Is., Assam, Bangladesh, Borneo, Cambodia, China South-Central, China Southeast, East Himalaya, Fiji, Hainan, India, Jawa, Laos, Lesser Sunda Is., Malaya, Myanmar, Nepal, Nicobar Is., Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Sulawesi, Sumatera, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam.[1] The genus is distinctive in its three-winged samaras; most species bear an elongated commissural gland on the calyx.
The most widely known species is Hiptage benghalensis, native to tropical and subtropical Asia.[2] it is widely cultivated for its showy fragrant flowers, and its true native range is difficult to assess. This species often escapes from cultivation; it spreads aggressively and can become a pernicious weed.[3] [4]