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See: IPNI. This must be carefully checked because many of these species names and other taxa are not current, some synonyms, some illegitimate, some nomenclaturally wrong eg. spelling, etc.—in other words beware only some of them are currently accepted species names. ——--macropneuma 10:19, 21 April 2013 (UTC)[reply]

Quotations from key sources, for readily editing.

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A Revised Handbook

to the

Flora of Ceylon

Volume II

Henry Trimen, M. D. Dassanayake, University of Sri Lanka, Peradeniya Campus, Sri Lanka. Kr̥ạsikarma Depārtamēntuva, Smithsonian Institution.

1980

PROTEACEAE

(by CC Townsend*)

A.L. de Juss., Gen. Pl. 78. 1789 ('Proteae'), nom. cons. Type genus: Protea L., Mant. …

      *Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

1. HELICIA

Lour., Fl. Cochinch. 1: 83. 1790. Type species: H. cochinchinensis Lour., Fl.

Cochinch. 1: 83. 1790. Lit.: H. Sleumer, "A revision of the genus Helicia Lour." Blumea 8: 7-79

   Trees or more rarely shrubs with alternate or more rarely subopposite or verticillate, simple, entire or toothed leaves. Inflorescences of spike-like brac- teate racemes, axillary on the old wood or occasionally subterminal; pedicels solitary or geminate, free or more or less connate. Perianth straight or very rarely slightly curved, slender, dilated at the base and the 4-lobed apical limb, the lobes finally becoming free and revolute. Stamens 4, inserted on the base of the perianth lobes; anthers ovoid or globose, sessile or almost so. Hypogynal glands 4, free or fused into a basal cup. Ovary sessile, biovulate, ovules anatropous; style slender and elongate, clavate at the tip with a terminal punctiform stigma. Fruit nut or drupe-like, hard or occasionally the outer layer somewhat fleshy, indehiscent or rarely tardily dehiscent along the ventral suture.

   A large genus of 87 species in S.E. Asia, Malaysia and Eastern Australia.

Helicia ceylanica Gardn. in Calc. J. Nat. Hist. 7: 453. 1847; Meisn. in DC, Prod. 14 : 438. 1857, "zeylanica" sphalm.; Hook. f. in Fl. Br. Ind. 5: 190. 1885; Trimen, Handb. Fl. Ceylon 3: 457. 1895, "zeylanica" sphalm.; Sleumer in Blumea 8: 50. 1955. Type: "Banks of the Massnawatte in the Ambagamuwa District", Gardner s.n. (PDA, holotype).

   Small tree, c. 6 m, with smooth, dark grey bark. Twigs subterete, glabrous, with greyish wrinkled cortex. Leaves oblong or oblong-obovate, 6-15 x 2.5-5 cm, rounded or broadly subacute (rarely retuse) at the apex, cuneate at the base and decurrent along the short (c. 4-6 mm) petiole, coriaceous, glabrous, midrib prominent on the lower surface but plane above, with c. 7-9 pairs of lateral nerves which branch at a little over or under half their length and gradually merge into the reticulate subsidiary venation. Racemes axillary or sited above the scars of fallen leaves, rather dense, the glabrous purple axis c. 5–8 cm long, slightly angular; peduncle 5–8 mm; pedicels slender, expanded above to a horizontal, discoid torus, purple, solitary or geminate, 3-5 mm, glabrous or sparingly pilose; bracts minute (c. 0.5-0.75 mm), glabrous or ciliate, appressed to the pedicels. Flowers pale yellow, 13-19 (-24) mm long, the narrowly ellipsoid-clavate limb 3-4 mm long, the basal swelling c. 2-3 mm long. Anthers 2 mm long. Hypogynal glands oblong- ovate free or connate at the base, obtuse but minutely erose-denticulate at the apex. Ovary glabrous. Fruit c. 2 mm, broadly ovoid, acuminate, deep blackish-purple.

   D i s t r. Endemic in moist upland forests in Central Province, alt. 605- 1360 m; only two gatherings made in the present century, and probably lost in most of its old localities owing to development. Perhaps always rare and occurring only as isolated or small groups of trees.

    Specimens Examined. MATALE DISTRICT: Sudugala Kande, Lagalla, Sept. 1893, Willis s.n. (PDA); Galagama, alt. 910 m, April 1856, s. coll. s.n. (PDA). KANDY DISTRICT: Rangala area, Sept. 1888, Willis s.n. (PDA); Knuckles, Katooloya Stretch, Streamside in jungle, 22 July 1946, Worthington 1951 (K); Ambagamuwa, 8 Feb. 1855, Gardner s.n. (PDA) ; Navalapitiya, Gardner s.n. (PDA); Dolosbage, see Trimen, p. 457. BADULLA DISTRICT: Thotugalla Estate above Haputale, evergreen forest, 18 Apr. 1969, Kostermans 23221! (K).

Article problems

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This article has meaningless information synthesized elaborately for no benefit to readers:

"In 1790, notable pioneer botanist João de Loureiro in his Flora Cochinchinensis first formally described this genus Helicia with the Cochinchina (SE Asian) type species Helicia cochinchinensis.[1][2] Loureiro explained the Greek name "έλιξ" (élix) he chose, with the following Latin explanation "Nom. (έλιξ ſpira) a petalis ſpiraliter revolutis.",[1] literally translated to English is "Name: (helix spiral/roll) from petals' spirally revolute".[3] He referred to the petals, now called tepals, spirally revolving or simply rolling or coiling up on themselves, at anthesis (the flowering time when the anthers open).[3][4]"

It is so convoluted and wordy that it says nothing, when it could all just be a parenthetical remark, or, written simply, it could be comprehended. Including the Latin description and translating it for the reader is not of benefit in a genus article on a general encyclopedia, even one that contains as much specific information as Wikipedia, or, if it is, this sentence could be written in a way to make it useful.

"In 1790 João de Loureiro described the genus from the type species Helicia cochinchinensis, a species native to lower elevations in South China and Southeast Asia. The genus name, "έλιξ" (élix), comes from the Greek, and refers to the petals, now called tepals, spirally revolving or rolling upon themselves at anthesis (the flowering time when the anthers open)."

The link, number 4, appears to be to Flicker images. -68.107.137.178 (talk) 23:09, 27 April 2013 (UTC)[reply]

Damn, gotta rush off now but I think we can massage this prose better. Casliber (talk · contribs) 03:13, 28 April 2013 (UTC)[reply]
I modified the first paragraph. Is this simple enough while still containing the bulk of the relevant info? Rufous-crowned Sparrow (talk) 03:14, 28 April 2013 (UTC)[reply]
Much better. Is there a way to clear up that this definition of anthesis is for Proteaceae, but it is a bit different for other plants? Wikipedia often uses parenthetical definitions in a way that implies that is the primary meaning of the word. However, this rewrite takes care of my primary objections for this paragraph. I think editors should check technical information carefully against sources. -198.228.216.170 (talk) 03:35, 28 April 2013 (UTC)[reply]

I still think some prose massage is needed, but I do not think DYKs have to be perfect in prose, and that can be worked on in time. -198.228.216.170 (talk) 03:37, 28 April 2013 (UTC)[reply]

Agreed. I'll leave the anthesis issue for someone who actually knows their plants. Rufous-crowned Sparrow (talk) 03:38, 28 April 2013 (UTC)[reply]
Since you rewrote this so cleanly, can you do the remaining paragraphs of this section? Every botanist does not have to be called notable, and the content is repetitious. Thanks for the help. -198.228.216.143 (talk) 03:49, 28 April 2013 (UTC)[reply]
Not a problem. I'll give it a whirl in an hour or so. Rufous-crowned Sparrow (talk) 03:58, 28 April 2013 (UTC)[reply]
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