Lasianthus chryseus Ridl.

22. Lasianthus chryseus Ridl. View in CoL

Lasianthus chryseus Ridl. (1920) 143; (1923a) 158. —

Lectotype (here des- ignated) Ridley 140 (lecto K), Singapore ; Curtis s.n. (para, n.v.), Peninsular Malaysia, Penang.

Mephitidia capitata (Blume) DC. var. ferruginea Korth. (1851) 222, syn. nov. — Type: Korthals s.n. (iso L, barcode L0057527 ), Borneo, Prarawin.

Lasianthus kurzii auct. non Hook.f.: King & Gamble (1904) 119.

Shrubs, 1.2– 2 m high; branchlets terete, c. 2.5 mm diam, densely brown-tomentose. Leaves: blades elliptic-oblong to oblong-lanceolate, 9–15 by 3– 5 cm, thinly coriaceous, glabrous and nitid above, densely brown-tomentose beneath, apex acute, base acute or cuneate, midrib and nerves flat or slightly depressed above, strongly prominent beneath, nerves 6–8 pairs, ascending at an angle of c. 50°, curved to the mar- gin, nervules distinct above, distinct and prominent beneath, densely anastomosing, parallel; petioles c. 1 cm long, densely brown-tomentose. Stipules triangular-lanceolate, c. 2 mm long, densely brown-tomentose. Cymes sessile; bracts very small, subulate, c. 1 mm long, densely tomentose. Flowers sessile; calyx campanulate, densely tomentose outside, calyx tube c. 1 mm long, limb with 4–5 triangular lobes, densely tomen- tose outside, glabrous and dark in colour inside, lobes c. 1 mm long; corolla c. 5 mm long, densely tomentose outside. Drupes globose, 4–5 mm diam, sparsely hairy or glabrous except the upper part, obscurely 4–5-ridged; pyrenes 4–5, smooth on the abaxial face.

Distribution — Malaysia (Peninsular, Borneo), Brunei, Indo- nesia (Kalimantan).

Notes — Lasianthus chryseus differs from L. trichophlebus var. latifolius by having denser tomentose branchlets and leaves beneath, midrib and nerves strongly prominent beneath, nervules also more prominent beneath, small and inconspicuous stipules, subulate bracts and much smooth drupes (non verrucose) with 4–5 pyrenes. It differs from L. obscurus in having small stipules and minutely subulate bracts, and subglabrous drupes except hirsute hairs on upper part.

The type specimen of L. capitatus var. ferruginea Korth. differs from L. capitatus var. capitatus by having ferruginous-tomentose branchlets and leaves beneath, and almost no peduncles, just as L. chryseus .