Beilschmiedia roxburghiana Nees

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

15. Beilschmiedia roxburghiana Nees — Map 5

Beilschmiedia roxburghiana Nees (1831) 69; Kosterm. (1964) 146; Tetsana (2005) 50;X. Li (2008b) 237. — Laurus bilocularis Roxb.(1814) 30;(1832) 311, nom.nud.;Kosterm.(1964) 574; Tetsana (2005) 50. — Type (selected here): Wallich [Cat. Num.] 2605 (lectotype K-W [K001116547]; isolecto BM [BM000880626],G [G00368746],K [K000768626],P [P00745639]),[ India], HBC [Botanical Garden Calcutta].

Beilschmiedia fagifolia Nees (1831) 69; Kosterm.(1964) 126; Tetsana (2005) 50. — Tetranthera fagifolia Wall. (1830) 2539, nom. nud. — Beilschmiedia roxburghiana var. fagifolia (Nees) Kosterm. (1964) 147. — Type: Wallich [Cat. Num.] 2539 (holotype K-W [K001116381]; isotypes BM [BM000950890], E 2 sheets [E00386410, E00393178], K 2 sheets [K000- 768628, K000768627], P [P00745629]), [ India], Sillet.

Beilschmiedia undulata Miq.(1855) 920. — Haasia undulata Teijsm.& Binn. ex Miq. (1855) 920 [nom in syn.]; Kosterm. (1973a) 478.

Beilschmiedia pahangensis Gamble (1910) 150; Ridl. (1924) 86; Kosterm. (1964) 142; Kochummen (1989) 121;I.M. Turner (1995) 276. — Type: Ridley 2273 (holotype K [K000768682]; isotype SING 2 sheets [SING0055160, SING0055161]), [Peninsular Malaysia], Pahang, Kuala Teriang, syn. nov.

Beilschmiedia glomerata Merr. var. tonkinensis Lecomte (1914) 149. — Beilschmiedia tonkinensis (Lecomte) Ridl.(1920) 190; (1924) 85; Kosterm. (1964) 152; Kochummen (1989) 122;I.M. Turner (1995) 277;(2012) 227. — Syntypes: Harmand s.n. (P, K), Laos, Bassin d’Attopeu; Bon s.n. (P not seen), [ Vietnam], Tonkin meridional, syn. nov.

Trees 3–25 m tall, dbh 40–60 cm; bark scaly to smooth, greenish to greyish black or light orange-brown; wood white to yellow. Twigs slender, 1.5–3.2 mm diam, slightly flattened in cross-section, velutinous when young, soon glabrescent, often remaining velutinous at nodes, whitish; terminal leaf buds ovate, 1.4–3.5 mm long, velutinous; hairs long, straight, appressed, light to dark brown. Leaves alternate or opposite, blades oblong to (elliptic-)lanceolate, 5–22 by 1.5–8.4 cm, (thickly) leathery, aromatic when crushed; apex round, acute to shortly acuminate; base cuneate to rounded, often asymmetric; margins recurved; secondary veins 5–12 pairs, tertiary veins reticulate; upper surface glabrous, some hairs on veins of young leaves and midrib, midrib sunken at base, secondary veins (slightly) raised, tertiary veins faint to distinct; lower surface glabrous, some hairs on veins of young leaves, midrib raised, secondary veins raised, tertiary veins distinct. Petiole 8–25 mm long, slender, channelled, velutinous when young, internodes soon glabrescent, nodes often remaining velutinous. Inflorescence 14–40 mm long, not enclosed at base by bracts, velutinous when young, soon becoming sparsely hairy; bracteoles orbicular, 2.5–3 mm long, caducous. Flowers pale yellowish green; perianth tube not distinct; perianth lobes linear to oblong-acute, 2.5–4 by 1–1.2 mm, apices acute, pubescent on both surfaces. Stamens 9, 1–2.5 mm long, hairy; anthers ovoid, with obtuse apex. Ovary globose, c. 1 cm diam, glabrous; style sparsely hairy, 2–2.5 mm long. Fruits (mature?) ellipsoid to oblong, 12–44 by 7.8–18 mm, apex rounded, base rounded, surface smooth, glabrous, turning purplish black and glaucous when mature. Stalk when mature slender to slightly swollen to 3.5 mm, 3.5–35 mm long, red, constricted at apex.

Local names — Medang salah, Medang tandok, Penapoh, Medang punggok, Tampu rengat or Medang teraelak.

Distribution — India (Assam and Andaman Islands), Bhutan, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, South China and Peninsular Malaysia.

Ecology — Growing in dry evergreen, mixed deciduous and dry dipterocarp forests, often along rivers, sometimes over limestone, at 50–975 m altitude.

IUCN Conservation Assessment — Least Concern.

Phenology — Flowering: January to June; fruiting: February to November.

Uses — The bark of this species is boiled, sometimes together with the bark of Vitex pubescens L. (= Vitex pinnata L.) or species of Mangifera or the leaves of a species of Justicia and a Zingerberaceae, and the decoction is drunk for curing stomach-ache or other digestive disorders and after childbirth. In Thailand, the bark is used in a remedy for tuberculosis ( Tetsana 2005: 50).

The leaves and roots are pounded together and applied over the stomach to cure what is called ‘bisa hati’, a general digestive complaint in the region of the heart ( Burkill 1966).

Notes — The name Beilschmiedia roxburghiana was based on the collection Wallich 2605 of which several specimens are available for lectotypification. The specimen Wallich 2605 at K-W is selected here as the lectotype.

Figures

Map 5 Distribution of Beilschmiedia maingayi (●), B. membranacea (▲) and B. roxburghiana (▼). Map based on maps provided by d-maps.com.