Creochiton anomalus (King & Stapf ex King) Veldk.

Kartonegoro, A. & Veldkamp, J. F., 2013, Revision of Creochiton (Melastomataceae), Blumea 58 (3), pp. 217-227 : 220-221

1. Creochiton anomalus (King & Stapf ex King) Veldk. ― Map 1

Creochiton anomalus (King & Stapf ex King) Veldk.(1978) 431; Veldk.& M.P. Nayar (1978) 438. ― Anplectrum anomalum King & Stapf ex King (1900) 58; Ridl. (1922) 800. ― Enchosanthera anomala (King & Stapf ex King) Guillaumin (1913) 341, f. 1, 2. ― Anplectrella anomala (King & Stapf ex King) Furtado (1963) 106. ― Lectotype (Veldkamp 1978): King’s Collector 5779 (holo CAL n.v.; iso K, L, P, SING), Malay Peninsula, Perak, Gopeng.

Epiphytes or woody climbers, 10–40 m high; branchlets terete, covered by stellate brown scales, glabrescent; nodes thickened with an interpetiolary ridge. Leaves coriaceous, obovate to elliptic, apex rounded to retuse, base acute; above glabrous, light green, sparsely stellate scaly on the midrib, below densely covered with stellate tomentose hairs, yellowish green, dark brown when dry; 1.5–4 by 1–3 cm; nervation with 1–2 pairs of lateral nerves from above the base; petiole 3–8 cm long, covered with stellate scales, 2–6 mm long. Inflorescences terminal, paniculate, few- to many-flowered; main axis angular, covered with stellate scales, furfuraceous; secondary axes, 1–6 mm long; bracts minute or linear; bracteoles linear, not enveloping the flower buds, covered with brown scales, 2–3 mm; pedicel covered with stellately furfuraceous hairs, 8 –11 mm long. Hypanthium campanulate to nearly urceolate, 4–5 by 2–3 mm, stellate furfuraceous, green, becoming brown when dry; calyx rim truncate, furfuraceous with 4 small undulations 0.5 mm long; petals elliptic, white or pink, 4–5 by 2–2.5 mm. Stamens 8, unequal, the alternipetalous ones: filament flat, 3 mm long; anther elongate, yellow, glabrous, 7 mm long; connective with a triangular to sagittate, crest 2 mm long, purple; lateral appendages paired, ligular, 1–1.5 mm long; the oppositipetalous ones: filament flat, 3 mm long; anther elongate, 5 mm long; connective with a ligular crest, 1 mm long; lateral appendages absent; ovary globose, glabrous, 3 mm long; style glabrous, slender, straight, 5–7 mm long; extra-ovarial chambers 8, half as long as the ovary. Fruits subglobose, glabrous to sparsely furfuraceous, green to yellowish green, 4–6 by 3–4 mm diam; seeds c. 0.6 mm long.

Distribution ― Peninsular Malaysia (Johor, Perak) and Sumatra (Riau, Bangka).

Ecology & Habitat ― Lowland or swampy primary rainforest between 100–550 m altitude.

Note ― Creochiton anomalus differs from all species by the terminal paniculate inflorescences. It has linear bracteoles which partially cover the flower bud. The species has 8 heteromorphous stamens that are similar to those of C. monticola from Borneo, but the oppositipetalous stamens are smaller and have no lateral appendages. Similar to C. brevibracteatus but differs by its shorter petiole and leaves.

Figures

Map 1 Distribution of Creochiton anomalus.