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).

, Plants of the World Online accepts the following 98 species:

• Polyalthia angustissima

• Polyalthia barenensis

• Polyalthia borneensis

• Polyalthia bracteosa

• Polyalthia bromantha

• Polyalthia brunneifolia

• Polyalthia bullata

• Polyalthia cambodica

• Polyalthia castanea

• Polyalthia cauliflora

• Polyalthia celebica

• Polyalthia chalermglinii

• Polyalthia chantaranothaii

• Polyalthia charitopoda

• Polyalthia chayamaritiana

• Polyalthia chinii

• Polyalthia chrysotricha

• Polyalthia cinnamomea

• Polyalthia clemensiorum

• Polyalthia corticosa

• Polyalthia debilis

• Polyalthia dictyoneura

• Polyalthia dolichopoda

• Polyalthia dumosa

• Polyalthia elegans

• Polyalthia elliptica

• Polyalthia endertii

• Polyalthia evecta

• Polyalthia flagellaris

• Polyalthia fruticosa

• Polyalthia gamopetala

• Polyalthia gracilicolumnaris

• Polyalthia gracilipes

• Polyalthia guabatuensis

• Polyalthia guamusangensis

• Polyalthia heliopetala

• Polyalthia hirtifolia

• Polyalthia hispida

• Polyalthia ichthyosma

• Polyalthia igniflora

• Polyalthia insignis

• Polyalthia intermedia

• Polyalthia johnsonii

• Polyalthia kanchanaburiana

• Polyalthia khaoyaiensis

• Polyalthia kinabaluensis

• Polyalthia lanceolata

• Polyalthia lancilimba

• Polyalthia lasioclada

• Polyalthia lateritia

• Polyalthia longipedicellata

• Polyalthia longipes

• Polyalthia longirostris

• Polyalthia luzonensis

• Polyalthia malabarica

• Polyalthia meghalayensis

• Polyalthia microsepala

• Polyalthia microtus

• Polyalthia miliusoides

• Polyalthia mindorensis

• Polyalthia miniata

• Polyalthia minima

• Polyalthia minutiflora

• Polyalthia monocarpioides

• Polyalthia montis-silam

• Polyalthia moonii

• Polyalthia motleyana

• Polyalthia myristica

• Polyalthia novoguineensis

• Polyalthia obliqua

• Polyalthia oblonga

• Polyalthia pakdin

• Polyalthia parviflora

• Polyalthia persicifolia

• Polyalthia pisocarpa

• Polyalthia polyphlebia

• Polyalthia praeflorens

• Polyalthia pumila

• Polyalthia rufescens

• Polyalthia saprosma

• Polyalthia sessiliflora

• Polyalthia socia

• Polyalthia spathulata

• Polyalthia stellata

• Polyalthia stenopetala

• Polyalthia stenophylla

• Polyalthia subcordata

• Polyalthia suberosa

• Polyalthia submontana

• Polyalthia suthepensis

• Polyalthia sympetala

• Polyalthia taweensis

• Polyalthia tipuliflora

• Polyalthia trochilia

• Polyalthia venosa

• Polyalthia watui

• Polyalthia xanthocarpa

• Polyalthia yingjiangensis

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

• Polyalthia glabra (Hook.f. & Th.) James Sincl. – synonym of Monoon glabrum

• Polyalthia hookeriana King – synonym of Monoon hookerianum

• Polyalthia hypogaea King – synonym of Monoon hypogaeum

• 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

References