Cinnamomum rhynchophyllum Miq.

19. Cinnamomum rhynchophyllum Miq. View in CoL — Map 7 View Map 7

Cinnamomum rhynchophyllum Miq. (1858) 895; Cammerl. (1925) 481; Masam. (1942) 308; Kosterm. (1970b) 62. — Type: Teijsmann H.B. 1031 (holo U; iso BO), Sumatra, Loeboe Along .

Cinnamomum lampongum Miq. (1860) 142,358. — Cinnamomum rhynchophyllum var. lampongum (Miq.) Ridl. (1924) 93. — Type: Teijsmann H.B. 4550 (holo BO; iso U n.v.), Sumatra, Lampong, Mt Batin .

Small tree to 10 m tall, to 15 cm diam. Bark smooth or lenticellate, greyish brown; inner bark light brown to reddish, fragrant; sapwood yellowish or whitish. Twigs terete, 2 – 3 mm diam, apically angular, appressed hairy or glabrous, brown to light brown. Terminal buds not perulate, conical, c. 4 mm long, densely covered with straight appressed hairs. Leaves opposite or subopposite, trinerved, thinly coriaceous, sparsely straight appressed hairy below; blade not bullate, without domatia, elliptic or oblong, 13.5– 20 by 3.5 –6.5(–8) cm, base narrowly cuneate, shortly attenuate, apex caudate, abruptly constricted, forming a slender and appendage-like acumen, 0.5 –1.5(–2.5) cm long; midrib c. 1 mm broad, distinctly raised on both sides, distinctly angular below; lateral veins distinctly raised on both sides, extending to the base of acumen; major intercostal veins scalariform to subscalariform, 1–2(–3) mm apart, less prominent than midrib; minor intercostal veins indistinct, reticulate; petiole 1–2 cm long, 1–2 mm diam, appressed hairy, flattish or inconspicuously grooved above. Inflorescences axillary and/or subterminal, paniculate-cymose with second or third order branching, appressed hairy, 14– 20 cm long. Flowers hairy, pedicel 3 –5 mm long; hypanthium c. 1 mm high; perianth lobes elliptic, broadly elliptic or ovate, c. 2 mm long, appressed hairy on both sides; fertile stamens 1.5 – 2 mm long, anthers 2-locular, ovoid with truncate or obtuse tip, filaments c. 3/4 the length of the stamen, appressed hairy; glands shortly stalked and attached at the middle of filaments; staminodes c. 1 mm long, hastate; ovary subglobose, c. 1 mm across, stigma peltate. Fruits ellipsoid, c. 1 by 0.8 cm; cupule shallow, c. 1 mm high, c. 3 mm diam; perianth lobes persistent, elliptic, c. 3 by 2 mm; pedicel c. 3 mm long.

Distribution — Sarawak (Kuching, Lundu and Marudi district), Sabah (Lahad Datu and Tawau districts), and West, Central and East Kalimantan. This species is also distributed in Sumatra and Peninsular Malaysia.

Habitat & Ecology — In mixed dipterocarp forest at altitudes to 600 m.

Vernacular names — Berawit (Kelabit), But (Penan), Medang kepla, Medang tija (both Malay).

Uses — The bark is used as a spice and a decoction of the leaves is used to treat stomach ache and food poisoning.

Notes — 1. This species is widely distributed in the Western Malesian region. Kostermans (1970b) stated that C. rhynchophyllum is absent in Peninsular Malaysia. However, recent studies ( Kochummen 1989 and this study) show that C. rhynchophyllum is widely distributed in Peninsular Malaysia (e.g., FMS 34235, FMS 35167, FRI 19831, FRI 28886, KEP 105186, KEP 110414 and Ogata 10443).

2. This species resembles C. cuspidatum in having caudate leaf apex and 2-locular anthers, but can be differentiated by its hairy leaf (vs glabrous), shallow and indistinct cupule (vs distinct and funnel-shaped), midrib angular below (vs smoothly raised) and inflorescence 14– 20 cm long (vs 4 –7 cm long) with second or third order branching (vs first order).