Microcos tomentosa Sm.

Chung, R. C. K. & Soepadmo, E., 2011, Taxonomic revision of the genus Microcos (Malvaceae-Grewioideae) in Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore, Blumea 56 (3), pp. 273-299 : 295-297

12. Microcos tomentosa Sm. — Fig. 13 ; Map 9

Microcos tomentosa Sm. (1813) 2; Backer & Bakh.f.(1964) 393;Whitmore & Tantra (1986) 241; Phengklai (1986) 52, f. 23; (1993) 37, f. 23; I.M.Turner (1997) 487; R.C.K. Chung et al. (2005b) 120. — Grewia paniculata Roxb. ex DC. (1824) 510; King (1891) 110; Ridl. (1922) 300; Kochummen (1973) 397;Whitmore & Tantra (1986) 241; Corner (1988) 734. — Type: Roxburgh s.n. in Herb. EIC 1097B (holo K-W,photo;iso BR,barcode BR-S.P.817069, photocopy), Peninsular Malaysia, Penang.

Grewia blumei Hassk. (1845) 130. — Type: Teijsmann s.n. (n.v.), Java.

Grewia cumingiana Turcz.(1858) 231. — Type: Cuming s.n. (B†, n.v.), Peninsular Malaysia.

Grewia affinis auct. non Lindl. 1826: Hassk. (1844) 207.

Small tree to 15 m tall, dbh to 20 cm; buttresses absent; bole deeply fluted. Outer bark smooth, slightly flaky, dark grey to brown; inner bark reddish brown, gritty; sapwood pale yellow to white. Twigs slightly striate, pale brown to dark brown, densely covered with stellate hairs when young, glabrous when older. Stipules unlobed, lanceolate, often united in pairs, 4– 6 by 0.5–1 mm, apex acuminate, glabrescent on both sides, caducous or persistent. Leaves deep brown to pale brown above, olive-green to brown beneath, coriaceous, glabrous or sparsely covered with stellate hairs above, densely covered with stellate hairs beneath; petioles (5–)6 –10(–12) mm long, 1–2(–2.5) mm thick, brown, apically not swollen, densely covered with stellate hairs; blade oblong, obovate or sometimes elliptic, equilateral, (7–)10 –17(–22) by (4–)5 –7(–9) cm, base rounded, margin serrate or dentate towards the apex, distantly, jaggedly toothed or undulate and entire on the lower half, not ciliate, apex truncate, shortly or abruptly acuminate, acumen (0.5–)1–1.5(–2) cm long with a pointed tip; midrib and secondary veins impressed above, distinctly raised beneath; secondary veins 5 –7 pairs, basal pair reaching almost 0.75 of blade length, forming an angle of less than 45° with the midrib; domatia absent; tertiary veins scalariform, impressed or obscure above, prominent beneath. Inflorescences Type B panicles, terminal or axillary, (3–)5 –10(–15) cm long, densely covered with rusty stellate hairs; bracts unlobed, lanceolate, often united in pairs, 3.5– 6 by 0.4 –1 mm, or 2 –4-cleft or 2 – 4-parted, lobes linear or lanceolate, to 3 mm long, densely covered with stellate hairs on both sides, persistent; involucral bracts of outer whorl 5– 6 mm long, 3-parted, lanceolate, 2.5 –3.5(– 4.2) mm long, apex shortly acuminate, smooth outside, densely covered with stellate hairs on both sides, that of inner whorl oblanceolate, (3–)5 – 5.8 by (1–) 1.5– 2.2 mm, apex acute, densely covered with stellate hairs on both sides. Flower buds obovoid, 3 –3.5 by 2.2– 2.5 mm, densely covered with stellate hairs; pedicels 0.5– 0.8 mm long, 0.7–0.8 mm thick, densely covered with stellate hairs; sepals obovate, 5– 8 by 1.5 – 2.5 mm, densely covered with stellate hairs on both sides; petals 5, oblong, 2– 3 by 0.5 – 0.9 mm, apex obtuse or slightly 2 – 3-lobed, outside densely covered with stellate hairs at base to c. 0.5 of its length and glabrous towards the apex, inside densely covered with stellate hairs around the glands to c. 0.5 of its length and glabrous towards the apex; glands broadly globose to obloid; androgynophore concave in outline, 0.5 – 0.8 mm long, c. 0.5 mm diam, shallowly and narrowly longitudinally grooved, glabrous, apical part expanded into a platform-like structure of c. 0.3 mm wide, with undulate rim covered with stellate hairs; stamens with filaments 2–5 mm long, sparsely covered with stellate hairs at base to c. 0.25 of its length and glabrous towards the apex, anthers 0.2 – 0.3 mm diam; ovary 3-locular, ellipsoid or ovoid, 0.8 –1.3 mm diam, circular in cross section, densely covered with stellate hairs; style 3 – 3.5 mm long, covered with stellate hairs at base to c. 0.25 of its length and glabrous towards the apex. Infructescences densely covered with stellate hairs. Fruits subglobose or obovoid, curved striate, 0.5 –1.2 by 0.4– 0.9 cm, drying brown to deep brown, sparsely covered with stellate hairs; apex obtuse, without pseudostalk; exocarp membranous; mesocarp 1–2 mm thick; endocarp c. 1 mm thick, woody. Pyrenes 3, partly connate; fertile pyrene 1–2, 1–2- seeded, 3 –9 mm long; sterile pyrenes 1–2, slightly conspicuous to conspicuous; pyrenes occasionally arranged horizontally, with the fertile one nearly of the same size as the sterile pyrenes.

Distribution — Myanmar, S China, Indochina, Thailand, Sumatra, Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore, Java, Borneo and the Philippines. In Peninsular Malaysia, this species is common throughout except in the southern states.

Habitat & Ecology — In mixed dipterocarp forest (generally, very common in secondary forest), to 600 m altitude. Flowering all year round; fruiting: January– March, May, July– December.

Vernacular names — Peninsular Malaysia: ara dani, ara lumut, chenderai, chenerah, chenerai, chenirai, chindarah, jenerai, senderai (Malay).

Uses — Ripe fruits edible (Mohd. Kassim MK 43). Timber used for cabinet work (Phengklai 1993).

Figures

Map 9 Distribution of Microcos tomentosa Sm. in Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore.

Fig. 13 Microcos tomentosa Sm. a. Flowering leafy twig; b. detail of abaxial leaf surface near midrib; c. flower buds surrounded by involucral bracts; d. longitudinal section of flower bud; e. flower with sepals and petals removed; f. abaxial surface of petal; g. adaxial surface of petal with gland at base; h. stigma; i. infructescence; j. fruit; k. longitudinal section of fruit (a–h: Suppiah FRI 28239; i –k: Putz FRI 23607). — Drawn by R. Wise, FHO.