Elaeocarpus is a genus of tropical and subtropical evergreen trees and shrubs. The approximately 350 species are distributed from Madagascar in the west through India, Southeast Asia, Malesia, southern China, and Japan, through Australia to New Zealand, Fiji, and Hawaii in the east. The islands of Borneo and New Guinea have the greatest concentration of species.

Elaeocarpus ganitrus, the Rudraksha Tree, produces seeds known as Rudraksha. In Sanskrit rudraksha literally means "the eye of Rudra". The seeds have been traditionally considered sacred in Hinduism.

Species

(partial list)

• E. aberrans
• E. acrantherus
• E. acuminatus: India. Endangered.
• E. acutifidus
• E. aemulus
• E. affinis
• E. alaternoides
• E. alatus
• E. alnifolius
• E. amboinensis
• E. amoenus: Sri Lanka
• E. amplifolius
• E. angustifolius: (syn. E. grandis) Blue fig, blue marble tree, blue quandong. Queensland, Australia.
• E. apiculatus
• E. bifidus
• E. biflorus
• E. blascoi: India. Endangered.
• E. castanaefolius
• E. colnettianus
• E. coorangooloo: Queensland (Australia)
• E. coriaceus: Sri Lanka
• E. crassus: New Guinea
• E. debruynii: New Guinea
• E. eumundii
• E. floribundus
• E. ganitrus (rudraksha tree)
• E. gaussenii: Southern India. Endangered.
• E. graeffii
• E. grandiflorus
• E. grandis
• E. hartleyi: New Guinea
• E. hedyosmus: Sri Lanka
• E. hookerianus: Pokaka. New Zealand.
• E. japonicus
• E. johnsonii
• E. kaalensis
• E. kirtonii
• E. mastersii
• E. miegei: New
  
  
  
  Guinea, Bismarck Archipelago, Solomon Islands, Aru Islands and Melville Island.
• E. montanus: Sri Lanka
• E. moratii
• E. munronii. India. Endangered.
• E. neobritannicus: New Guinea, Bismarck Archipelago
• E. oblongus
• E. obovatus
• E. obtusus
• E. petiolatus
• E. photiniaefolius. Ogasawara Islands.
• E. pruifolius. India. Endangered.
• E. recurvatus. India. Endangered.
• E. reticulatus: (syn. E. cyaneus) blueberry ash. Australia.
• E. serratus: Southern India, Sri Lanka.
• E. sphaericus
• E. stipularis
• E. subvillosus: Sri Lanka.
• E. taprobanicus: Sri Lanka.
• E. timikensis: New Guinea.
• E. tuberculatus
• E. variabilis: Southern India.
• E. valetonii
• E. venosus
• E. venustus. India. Endangered.
• E. verruculosus
• E. verticellatus
• E. viscosus
• E. whartonensis
• E. xanthodactylus
• E. zambalensis

References

• Coode, M J E (2001). "Elaeocarpus in New Guinea - new taxa in the Debruynii subgroup of the Monocera group. Contributions to the Flora of Mt Jaya, V". Kew Bulletin, Kew, United Kingdom.
• Red Data Book of Indian Plants. Botanical Survey of India.
• Zmarzty, Sue (2001). "Revision of Elaeocarpus (Elaeocarpaceae) section Elaeocarpus in southern India and Sri Lanka" Kew Bulletin, Kew, United Kingdom.