Lasianthus cordatus Merr.

30. Lasianthus cordatus Merr. View in CoL

Lasianthus cordatus Merr. (1929a) 293. — Type: Elmer 21865 (iso CAS, L, SING), Borneo (Sabah), Tawao .

Shrubs, glabrous; branchlets terete, c. 2 mm diam, more or less compressed or sulcate, red-brownish. Leaves: blades oblong-elliptic, 15– 20 by 5 –7.5 cm, chartaceous, nitid both surfaces, apex cuspidate, base rounded to subcordate, slightly asymmetric, midrib and nerves prominent on both surfaces, nerves 5–7 pairs, ascending at an angle of c. 70°, curved to the margin, uppermost two pairs joining near the leaf margin and forming an obscure intramarginal vein, internerved vein conspicuous, nervules distinct on both surfaces, reticulate; petioles very short to subsessile. Stipules triangular-lanceolate, c. 3 mm long, sparsely hirsute. Cymes sessile; bracts with a midrib, numerous, oblong-lanceolate to oblanceolate, glabrous, coriaceous, 5 –10 mm long, obtuse at the apex. Flowers sessile; calyx tube glabrous, c. 2 mm long, lobes 5, oblong to oblong-ovate, obtuse at apex, c. 1 mm long, glabrous or sparsely ciliate at margin; corolla not seen. Drupes ovoid, glabrous, c. 8 mm long; pyrenes 4.

Distribution — Malaysia (Sabah).

Notes — From Merrill’s description, this species has stip- ules which are oblong, obtuse, 5 –7 mm long. However, from our examining the type specimen, it has stipules, which are triangular-lanceolate, 3 mm long; but has numerous bracts, which are oblong to lanceolate, 5 –10 mm long, which match the description of “stipules” by Merrill.

This species is closely related to L. membranaceus . It differs from the latter by having leaves usually with rounded or cordate base, numerous bracts, which are oblong to lanceolate, 5–10 mm long and drupes with 4 pyrenes. Lasianthus membranaceus has leaves with acute base, small, linear bracts, and drupes usually with 2 pyrenes. However, as mentioned by Merrill, the apical portion of branchlets of L. cordatus bears leaves without a cordate base, which make it close to L. membranaceus .