Cinnamomum javanicum Blume

9. Cinnamomum javanicum Blume View in CoL — Map 3 View Map 3

Cinnamomum javanicum Blume (1826) View in CoL 570; Merr. (1921) 272; Masam. (1942) 309; Kosterm.(1970b) 47; J.A.R. Anderson (1980) 223; Coode et al. (1996) 151; Argent et al. (1997) 310. — Type: Blume s.n. (lecto L, barcode L0035826, here designated), West Java, Bantam, Harriang.

Laurus pseudocassia Reinw. ex Blume (1823) View in CoL 67, nom. nud. — Representative specimen: Blume 1440 (L, barcode L0035825), Java.

Melastoma reinwardtianum Blume (1826) View in CoL 1069. — Type: Reinwardt s.n. (holo L, barcode L0035833 ), Java.

Cinnamomum sulphuratum Nees View in CoL var. β Miq. (1858) 891. — Type: Blume s.n. (holo L, barcode L0035827 ), Java.

Medium-sized to large tree to 35 m tall, to 35 cm diam. Bark smooth or lenticellate, whitish or greyish; inner bark fibrous, yellowish, brownish, reddish brown or orange; sapwood yellowish white. Twigs stout, terete to subangular, 2 – 5 mm diam, apically angular, densely hairy, glabrescent, yellowish brown to dark brown. Terminal buds not perulate, conical or ellipsoid, c. 3 –5 mm long, densely covered with curly hairs. Leaves opposite or subopposite, trinerved, thinly coriaceous to coriaceous, densely covered with curly hairy below, sometimes glabrescent, if so remnant of indumentum always present near midrib below; without domatia, elliptic to oblong elliptic, 12– 25(–35) by 5 –12 cm, base cuneate to slightly rounded, apex acuminate to mucronate with pointed or blunt tip, acumen 0.5 –2 cm long; midrib raised and prominent on both sides, angular below, c. 1 mm wide; lateral veins raised and prominent on both sides, extending to the base of acumen or leaf tip; major intercostal veins impressed above, making the blade bullate, prominently raised below, usually as distinct as midrib, scalariform, 2 –(5–10) mm apart; minor intercostal veins distinct and raised, scalariform; petiole stout, terete, hairy or glabrescent, 1–2 cm long, 1–4 mm diam. Inflorescences subterminal, paniculate-cymose with second or third order of branching, (5–) 13– 25 cm long, densely hairy, yellowish brown; rachis stout, 1– 4 mm broad; bracts occasionally persistent, if persistent, elliptic, c. 3 – 8 mm long. Flowers drying yellowish hairy; pedicels stout, 2 –3(–5) mm long, c. 1 mm diam; hypanthium c. 1 mm high; perianth lobes elliptic to broadly elliptic, densely hairy, (1.5–)2– 2.5(– 3.5) mm long; fertile stamens 2 –2.5 mm long, anthers 2- or 4-locular, ovoid with obtuse or truncate tip, filaments c. 1/3–1/2 the length of the stamen; glands large, sessile to shortly stalked, attached at the middle or base of filaments; staminodes 1–2 mm long, hastate; ovary ovoid or subglobose, c. 1 mm across, stigma subpeltate. Fruits ellipsoid with acute tip, c. 1 by 0.8 cm; cupule cup-shaped, 2 – 4 mm high, c. 8 mm diam, hairy; perianth lobes persistent, broadly ovate, 3 – 5 by 2 –4 mm, hairy; pedicels 4 –5 mm long, 1–2 mm diam.

Distribution — Sarawak (Belaga, Kuching, Lawas, Limbang, Marudi and Miri districts), Sabah (Beaufort, Keningau, Kinabatangan, Labuk Sugut, Lahad Datu, Ranau, Sandakan, Sipitang, Tambunan, Tawau, Tenom and Tuaran districts), Brunei, and East and West Kalimantan. This species is also distributed in Sumatra, Java and Peninsular Malaysia.

Habitat & Ecology — In primary kerangas, mixed dipterocarp and submontane forests at 300–1300 m altitudes.

Vernacular names — Daun buluh (Malay),Gerung,Kayu lekua (both Kelabit), Medang (Iban).

Uses — The wood is used for house building. The plant is used medicinally with Kadsura scandens Blume to treat stomach ache and to initiate abortion ( S 57064 View Materials and Christensen 252). The fume from burnt roots is used to repel evil spirits from the body ( S 57046 View Materials ). The root decoction is drunk to treat fatigue and chest pain ( Christensen 350).

Notes — 1. Blume (1826) in his original description did not indicate any specimen, but later ( Blume 1836) he enumerated specimens collected by him from Harriang in Bantam, Preanger in West Java and Mt Burangrang in Krawang, and one specimen from Sumatra collected by Praetorius. The designated lectotype from Harriang is the only specimen that can be found in L while the rest cannot be confidently identified due to scanty labels. 2. Cinnamomum javanicum is easily recognised by its dense curly hairs on the lower leaf surface, prominent scalariform major and minor intercostal veins and bullate leaf blade. Kostermans (1970b) misidentified specimen SAN 16268 and SAN 21007 as C. bintuluense (synonym of C. tahijanum ) which in my opinion belong to C. javanicum .

3. The leaves of C. javanicum are very variable in texture, size and venation. The lowland C. javanicum populations have stout vegetative and reproductive structures, strongly bullate leaves and prominent major intercostal veins. Those found at higher elevation in extreme conditions such as ultramafic soil, kerangas forest and montane forest have slender vegetative and reproductive structure, less bullate leaves and less prominent major intercostal veins.