Beilschmiedia penangiana Gamble

de kok, R. P. J., 2016, A revision of Beilschmiedia (Lauraceae) of Peninsular Malaysia, Blumea 61 (2), pp. 147-164 : 160-161

14. Beilschmiedia penangiana Gamble — Map 6

Beilschmiedia penangiana Gamble(1910) 149;Ridl.(1924)85;Kosterm.(1964) 143; Kochummen (1989) 122;I.M. Turner (1995) 276. — Type: Curtis 1098 (holotype K [K000768679]; isotype SING 2 sheets), [Peninsular Malaysia], Penang, Penara Bukit.

Beilschmiedia brevipes Ridl. (1924) 86; Kosterm. (1964) 120; Kochummen (1989) 118;I.M. Turner (1995) 276; Tetsana (2005) 24. — Type: Foxworthy FMS 3181 (holotype K [K000768680]; isotypes SING [SING0055162, SING0055163]), Peninsular Malaysia Pahang, Ulu Rompin, syn. nov.

Trees or shrubs 3–22 m tall, dbh up to 30 cm; bark pale grey, (powdery) scaly, lenticellate; inner bark pale orange to dark brown, wood cream. Twigs slender, 2.2–2.6 mm diam, smooth or longitudinally ridged, sparsely hairy when young, glabrous when mature, whitish; terminal leaf buds linear, 1.5–3.8 mm long, densely hairy to velutinous; hairs long, straight, appressed, light brown. Leaves alternate to (sub)opposite, blades elliptic to elliptic-lanceolate, 5.5–11 by 2–4.6 cm, thinly leathery, drying blackish; apex acute, often with a distinct long tip; base cuneate; margins flat to recurved; secondary veins 8–15 pairs, looping near margins, tertiary veins reticulate; upper surface glabrous, midrib sunken, secondary veins (slightly) raised, tertiary veins distinct; lower surface glabrous or with a few hairs present, midrib raised, secondary veins raised, tertiary veins distinct. Petiole 6 –17 mm long, slender, half terete, channelled, glabrous to sparsely hairy. Inflorescence 27–120 mm long, enclosed at base by orbicular bracts 1–3.3 by 0.8–3.3 mm with entire margins, sparsely hairy to velutinous; bracteoles lanceolate, c. 1 mm long, caducous. Flowers with no distinct perianth tube; perianth lobes elliptic, 1.1–1.6 by 0.8–1.3 mm, outer lobes wider than inner ones, apices rounded, glabrous, margins hairy. Stamens 9, 0.9–1.2 mm long, glabrous. Ovary c. 0.6 mm diam, glabrous; style c. 0.5 mm long. Fruit (dried) ellipsoid, 8–20 by 6–9 mm, apex rounded, base cuneate, surface smooth, glabrous, colour unknown. Stalk when mature slightly swollen to 1.6 mm, 4–5 mm long, red, constricted at apex.

Local names — Peninsular Malaysia: Mědang ayer or Metiup.

Distribution — Peninsular Thailand and Peninsular Malaysia.

Ecology — Growing in lowland or hill forests, often near streams or along forest edges, sometimes over sandstone, at 100–700 m altitude.

IUCN Conservation Assessment — Endangered (EN B2 ab (ii,iii)) . In Peninsular Malaysia, this species is only known from eight specimens, all collected between 1886 and 1971, though in Peninsular Thailand it has been collected more recently (five specimens between 1984 and 2005). The areas in Peninsular Malaysia have gone through a major period of logging since the collections were made there.An analysis of the EOO gives a conservation assessment of Least Concern, but an analysis of the AOO gives the assessment of Endangered. Given the amount of landscape modification in the region, it is listed here as Endangered .

Phenology — Flowering: October to May; fruiting: January to July.

Notes — The bracts at the base of the inflorescence are rather peculiar within the genus and are known only from a few other species (see also discussion under B. membranacea ). When he first described this taxon, Ridley (1924: 86) thought that it might be closely related to B. tonkinensis (Lecomte) Ridl. (= Beilschmiedia roxburghiana ), but see Table 1 for differences. According to Tetsana (2005: 73), B. penangiana differs from B. brevipes by the latter having glabrous, papery bracteoles. However, after studying the type material of B. brevipes at Kew, it was clear that the abundance of hairs on the bracteoles is more variable then she thought.

This species is morphologically very similar to B. gemmiflora from Borneo, Sumatra and New Guinea. However, it differs from the latter by having terminal leaf buds which are ovoid in shape, leaves that are generally broader (3.5–8 cm wide), and mature fruit that are much bigger (c. 30 by 17 mm) (see Nishida 2008: 355).

Kochummen (1989: 122) thought that the white twigs and blackish leaves when dried of this species were an indication that it might be better placed in Dehaasia than in Beilschmiedia . However, no known species of Dehaasia resembles this plant and in particular the inflorescence structure is very different from that of any known Dehaasia . I therefore agree with Kostermans (1973a) in retaining this species in Beilschmiedia .

Figures

Map 6 Distribution of Beilschmiedia palembanica (●) and B. penangiana (▲). Map based on a map provided by d-maps.com.