Microcos latistipulata (Ridl.) Burret

8. Microcos latistipulata (Ridl.) Burret View in CoL

Microcos latistipulata (Ridl.) Burret (1926) View in CoL 795; Whitmore & Tantra (1986) 241; I. M. Turner (1997) 487 ; R.C.K. Chung et al. (2005b) 112. — Grewia latistipulata Ridl. (1924) View in CoL 262; (1925) 293. — Type: Burkill SFN 7826 (holo K; iso SING), Peninsular Malaysia, Selangor, Klang .

Small tree. Twigs striate, brown, sparsely covered with minute stellate hairs when young, glabrous when older. Stipules unlobed, narrowly obovate to obovate, (2–)9–15(–18) by (1–)4– 7(–9) mm, apex rounded, sparsely covered with minute stellate hairs or glabrous on both sides, caducous or persistent. Leaves brown to deep brown on both sides, coriaceous, glabrous on both sides; petioles (4–)8 – 25(–32) mm long, 1.5 – 4 mm thick, dark brown, apically not swollen, glabrous; blade narrowly elliptic to elliptic, sometimes broader towards apex, equilateral, (11–)17–35(– 37.2) by (4.5–)7–14(–16.5) cm, base narrowly cuneate or obtuse to rounded, margin entire, not ciliate, apex acute or obtuse, acumen 0.5–0.9 cm long with a blunt tip; midrib and secondary veins slightly raised above, distinctly raised and sharp beneath; secondary veins (6 –)7–11(–12) pairs, basal pair reaching almost 0.5 of blade length, forming an angle of 45° with the midrib; one pair of hairy pocket-type domatia sometimes present beneath in axils of basal vein pair as well as other veins; tertiary veins reticulate, obscure above, conspicuous beneath. Inflorescences Type A and Type B panicles, terminal and axillary, (1.5 –)3 –11(–12) cm long, densely or sparsely covered with minute stellate hairs; bracts unlobed, oblong, elliptic or obovate, 5 –15(–17) by 2 –8(–9) mm, sparsely covered with stellate hairs or glabrous on both sides, persistent or caducous; involucral bracts of outer whorl 7–8.5 mm long, 2-lobed, lobes ovate, 2– 2.5 mm long, apex obtuse, smooth outside, densely covered with stellate hairs or glabrescent on both sides, that of inner whorl elliptic or oblong, 6.5 –7.5 by 2.5 –4 mm, apex rounded or obliquely truncate, densely covered with stellate hairs on both sides. Flower buds obovoid, 4.5 – 6 by 2.5 – 4 mm, densely covered with stellate hairs; pedicels 1–1.5 mm long, c. 1 mm thick, densely covered with stellate hairs; sepals oblanceolate, 5 –6 by 1–1.5 mm, densely covered with stellate hairs outside, sparsely covered with stellate hairs inside; petals absent or 5, oblong or oblanceolate, 2 – 3 by 0.4 –0.7 mm, apex mucronate or truncate, outside sparsely covered with stellate hairs at base to c. 0.5 of its length and glabrous towards the apex, inside glabrous or sometimes sparsely covered with stellate hairs around the glands to c. 0.5 of its length and glabrous towards the apex; glands globose or absent; androgynophore cup-shaped in outline, 0.5– 0.7 mm long, 0.5 –1.5 mm diam, surface wavy, covered with stellate hairs or glabrous, apical part not expanded outwards, with undulate rim densely covered with stellate hairs; stamens with filaments 2–4 mm long, glabrous or occasionally sparsely covered with stellate hairs at base to c. 0.25 of its length and glabrous towards the apex, anthers c. 0.2 mm diam; ovary (2 –)3-locular, ovoid, 0.8 –1.5 mm diam, oblate in cross section, sparsely covered with stellate hairs or glabrous; style 1.5– 3 mm long, glabrous. Infructescences glabrescent. Fruits ripening reddish orange, pyriform, smooth or sometimes with 3 shallow vertical lobes, 1.8– 3 by 1.2 –2 cm, drying dark brown to black, glabrous; apex rounded or sometimes beaked, pseudostalk narrowed, 4 –10 mm long; exocarp thin and hard; mesocarp 2 – 4 mm thick; endocarp c. 1 mm thick, woody. Pyrenes 3, partly connate or free; fertile pyrene 1, 1-seeded, 7–13 mm long; sterile pyrenes 2, thin and conspicuous; pyrenes arranged triangularly, with the fertile one larger than the sterile pyrenes.

Distribution — Sumatra, Peninsular Malaysia and Borneo.

Note — A species with two recognised varieties. In Peninsular Malaysia and Borneo only var. latistipulata is known. The other, var. lanceolata , occurs in Sumatra.