Horsfieldia sparsa
Content
Description
Tree 15-40 m.
Leaves crowded towards the apex or not, in 3-5 rows, thickly membranous to chartaceous, oblong(-lanceolate), (10-) 18-24 by 3.5-7 cm, base long-attenuate, apex acute-acuminate;
Inflorescences behind the leaves, subglabrous or glabrescent, with weak hairs 0.1-0.2 mm;
Fruits 2-4 per infructescence, ovoid-ellipsoid, 3-5.5 by 2.5-4.5 cm, glabrous, drying blackish, finely granulate, sometimes ± tuberculate;
Distribution
Asia-Tropical: Malaya (Peninsular Malaysia present, Singapore present); Sumatera (Sumatera present), Peninsular Thailand present
Peninsular Thailand; in Malesia: Sumatra, Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore.
Taxonomy
Horsfieldia sparsa is distinguishable from similar species with pale twigs as, e. g., H pallidicaula and H. sucosa, by stoutness of the twigs, dispersed and ± chartaceous leaves, sometimes crowded towards the thickish, short, apical leaf bud, and relatively long petioles; also by the nearly glabrous inflorescences, the 3- or 4-lobed flowers, the not or only indistinctly articulated male pedicels, and the rather distinctly stalked androecium (androphore), generally without an apical cavity. Dry fruits reach 5.5 cm; according to the field labels fresh fruits may reach up to 11 cm, with thick fleshy-juicy pericarps, which obviously shrink considerably on drying. Horsfieldia pallidicaula differs in a sessile androecium; H. sucosa has articulated pedicels.