Glycosmis is a clearly defined genus within the tribe Clauseneae of the
Aurantioideae subfamily of the family Rutaceae comprising about 40
species (1). Its range of distribution is centered in south and
southeast Asia (India, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia,
Indonesia) and extends to south China and Taiwan as well as to New
Guinea and north Australia. Exceptions are only cultivated species like
the Chinese G. parvijiora (Sims) Little, formerly called G. citrifolia
(Willd. ) Lindley, which became naturalized in tropical America and
Africa (Angola) (1). The shrubs or small trees are unarmed and possess
pinnate or simple leaves with translucent punctate glands emitting an
aromatic odor when crushed. The axillary inflorescences are usually
dispersed closed panicles with small white flowers. The fruits are
mostly pink, reddish or white berries of about I cm in diameter with
only one or two seeds. The genus name Glycosmis originates from the
sweet smell of the flowers and the sweet taste of the fleshy pericarp of
the fruits. A good field and herbarium character of the genus is that
the buds of new leaves are usually covered with short rusty-red hairs.
In spite of the good delimitation of Glycosmis from the other closely
related Clauseneae genera Clausena, Micromelum, Murraya, and Merrillia
and the already existing subrevisionary treatment by Stone (1), there
are still many unresolved taxonomic problems at the species level.