Mesua Explained

Mesua is a genus of flowering plants in the family Calophyllaceae,^[1] native to tropical southern Asia. Common names include ironwood (shared with many other plants) and rose chestnut.

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

Species

According to Plants of the World Online, ten species are currently accepted:^[2]

• 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 thwaitesii Planch. & Triana – Sri Lanka and southwestern India

Formerly placed here

• Mesua daphnifolia (Ridl.) Kosterm., synonym of Kayea daphnifolia
• Mesua manii (King) Kosterm., synonym of Kayea manii
• Mesua rosea (Ridl.) Kosterm., synonym of Kayea rosea
• Mesua stylosa (Thwaites) Kosterm., synonym of Kayea stylosa
• Mesua wrayi (King) Kosterm., synonym of Kayea wrayi

References

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

Notes and References

1. Stephens, P.F. (2001 onwards). Angiosperm Phylogeny Website. Version 9, June 2008. http://www.mobot.org/MOBOT/Research/APweb/
2. https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:19370-1 Mesua L.