Streblus glaber
Content
Description
Tree up to 40 m tall or shrub, dioecious.
Leaves distichous;
stipules 0.2-0.5 cm long, minutely whitish appressedly puberulous, caducous.
flowers 1-3(-9);
flowers (1-)3-15 or up to 30;
ovary 1.5-2 mm long, stigmas c. 2 mm long;
Fruit ellipsoid to ovoid, 0.8-1.2 cm, dark red to purple at maturity.
Morphology
1Two subspecies can be recognised in the Malesian region: the typical subspecies widespread in lowland to submontane and a montane one confined to eastern New Guinea. The main differentiating morphological character is the presence or absence of teeth in the margin of the lamina. However, in Sabah subsp. glaber, which has normally an entire lamina margin, can have a dentate one. There is an overlap of the altitudinal ranges of the two subspecies and transitional forms are encountered.
2The number of inflorescences in the leaf axils is more than the common pair, as short-shoots are formed in the leaf axils with solitary or paired inflorescences on the nodes. This axillary leafless shoot sometimes becomes longer and may bear up to 12 inflorescences.
3The Australian material of S. glaber (Merr.) Corner, Gard. Bull. Singapore 19 (1962) 221 (— Paratrophis australiana C.T. White, Contr. Arnold Arbor. 4 (1933) 15) occurring at altitudes up to 1000 m, differs from both subspecies in the usually crenate-dentate margin of the lamina. It was referred to S. glaber var. australianus (C.T. White) Corner (Gard. Bull. Singapore 19 (1962) 221) and is currently recognised as subsp. australianus (C.T. White) C.C. Berg (Blumea 50 (2005) 548).