Olax nana Wall.

A small undershrub found in the grasslands of the sub-himalayan tract up to 1900 m. According to M.T. Masters (1875) the small size is attained by the periodic jungle fires. Doubtfully occuring in our area and the only record of it is given by Parker (l.c.75), from the Salt Range in Jhelum District.

An undershrub with a woody rootstock and shoots upright, green, ribbed, up to 60 cm tall. Leaves subsessile, oblong-lanceolate or lanceolate, 30-63 (-70) x 6-14 mm, obtuse, midrib prominent on under-surface, margin revolute. Flowers white, axillary solitary. Pedicel 6-9 mm long, slender. Calyx c. 0.8 mm in length, shallow, margin ± truncate to irregularly and finely lobed, hyaline. Petals 3, 5.5-6.5 mm long, connate for a little less than halfway up, oblong lanceolate, with inturned margin, obtuse, c. 1.2 mm broad. Fertile stamens 3, included, each situated at the centre of a petal; anthers oblong-ovate, c. 1.5 mm long, not append-aged. Filaments rather broad, connate for 2/3rd their length with the petal; staminodes 6, glabrous, a pair on each side of the fertile stamen, c .2.5 mm long (for their free length), and exceeding the stamens, apex bibbed with each lobe leaf-like. Ovary ovoid, c.0.9 mm long; style terminal, 1.3-2 mm long. Drupe c.8.5 x 7.5 mm, subglobose, yellow when ripe.

W. Himalaya (Punjab to Nepal).

Distribution: NW. & C. India to Bengal, Madras, Nepal, NW. Thailand.

Fl.Per.: April-May.

Olax nana, known as Sudiyo in Gujarat, is a species of flowering plant in the Olacaceae family.

The species is a small, woody shrub found in Pakistan, India, Nepal, and Thailand.