Creochiton bibracteatus (Blume) Blume

Kartonegoro, A. & Veldkamp, J. F., 2013, Revision of Creochiton (Melastomataceae), Blumea 58 (3), pp. 217-227 : 221

2. Creochiton bibracteatus (Blume) Blume ― Fig. 1 , Map 2

Creochiton bibracteatus (Blume) Blume (1831a) 507; (1831b) 248; Naudin (1852) 154; Miq. (1855) 560; Triana (1871) 85, t. 7, f. 91; Cogn. (1891) 605; Krasser (1893) 178, f. 77a; Koord. (1912) 693; (1923) 212; Bakh.f. (1943) 308; (1963) 362. ― Melastoma bibracteatum Blume (1826) 1071; DC. (1828) 148. — Diplectria bibracteata (Blume) Kuntze (1891) 246, nom. inval. prov. ― Lectotype (designated here): Blume s.n. (holo L, sh. no. 908.128–2131; iso 908.129–921, -2141, -2146), Java.

Creochiton superbus Naudin (1852) 153;Miq.(1855) 560. ― Type: Zollinger 3009 (holo G; iso L, U), Java, Mt Salak .

Epiphyte or climber, up to 10–26 m height; branchlets terete, densely brown furfuraceous; nodes thickened by the interpetiolary ridge. Leaves thin, ovate to suborbicular, apex acute to rounded, base rounded to subcordate, glabrous above but puberulous near base, midrib sunken, densely stellate furfuraceous to floccose below, 6–12.5 by 3.2–7.5 cm; nervation plinerved with 2 pairs of main nerves arising above the base; petiole densely furfuraceous, 10–27 mm long. Inflorescences axillary 4–6 cm long, umbellate with 3–5 flowers; main axis terete, up to 4.5 cm long, densely furfuraceous; bracts oblong, glabrous, 4 mm long; bracteoles obovate, coriaceous, concave, enveloping the flower buds, densely furfuraceous outside, glabrous inside, violet, 6–15 by 4–6 mm; pedicel densely furfuraceous, 10–15 mm long; flower bud 10 mm long. Hypanthium campanulate, densely stellate furfuraceous, 3–5 by 2–3 mm; calyx rim truncate with 4 small undulations, 0.5–1 mm long; petals oblong, white, 7–9 by 4 mm. Stamens 8, equal; filament flat, 4 mm long; anther elongate, 4–6 mm long; connective with a sagittate crest 1–1.5 mm long; lateral appendages absent; ovary ellipsoid, glabrous, 3 mm long; style glabrous, curved when mature, 6–10 mm long; extra-ovarial chambers shallow about 1/5 as long as the ovary or absent. Fruits globose or subglobose, vertically depressed, glabrous, dark green to black, 8–10 by 7 mm diam; stalk densely furfuraceous; seeds c. 1 mm long.

Distribution ― Java (west) and Moluccas (Ceram).

Ecology & Habitat ― Slope of secondary forest, edge of forest or mossy mountain forest between 1100–1600 m altitude.

Vernacular name ― Harendong areuy (Sundanese: used for about every climbing Melastomataceae ).

Note ― Creochiton bibracteatus can easily be distinguished from the other species by the densely furfuraceous petioles, rounded to subcordate leave base, large, ovate to suborbicular leaves up to 12.5 cm long, below furfuraceous to floccose, and the densely stellate furfuraceous hypanthium. The axillary umbellate inflorescences and 8 equal stamens in this species are similar to C. pudibundus but it differs from the latter by being glabrous or with sparsely stellate hairs in most parts and by the coriaceous leaves. Previously the species was known only as epiphytic shrubs or climbers in the western part of Java, but in 1917 one collection was made in Mautipass, Ceram, that is indistinguishable from the Java specimens (Rutten 1970, BO).

Figures

Map 2 Distribution of Creochiton bibracteatus (●) and C. pudibundus (■).

Fig. 1 Creochiton bibracteatus (Blume) Blume. a. Habit; b. flower; c, d. stamen in flower bud (c = abaxial; d = adaxial); e. cross section fruit; f. mature fruit; g. flower bud with a pair of bracteoles; h. bracteole (all: Backer 10623, BO).