Litchi chinensis subsp. philippinensis

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Litchi chinensis subsp. philippinensis

Description

Tree, up to 35 m high, dbh up to 1.25 m. Branchlets 1.5-3 mm in diam., (yellowish to silvery-)grey, glabrous. Leaves 1-3-, mostly 2-jugate; Inflorescences 6-14 cm long, often tufted (terminal one with 2 slightly smaller ones at the same level from the upper leaf axils, axillary ones with up to 4 smaller ones or with 2 strong branches from the base); Stamens (6 or) 7; Ovary 1 by 3.5 mm; Fruit 2.5-3 by 2-2.5 cm, densely set with acute, pyramidal warts c. 4 mm diam. and up to 3 mm high.

Distribution

Asia-Tropical: Philippines (Philippines present), Luzon present, Mindanao present, Northern Prov present, SE New Guinea present, Samar present, Sibuyan present
Malesia: Philippines (Luzon, Sibuyan, Samar, Mindanao), SE New Guinea (Northern Prov.: Hoogland 3684).

Uses

The wood is hard and durable and is used for house poles.

Notes

1. The above description has been based exclusively upon L. philippinensis f. genuina Radlk. The only collection known from Mindanao, Elmer 13270, was described by Radlkofer as a separate form, f. mindanaensis. It differs in a few characters, as follows: Branchlets 3-4 mm in diam. Leaves 1- or 2-jugate; petiole 1-2 mm in diam.; index of leaflets 2-2.5, veins and veinlets beneath hardly visible, the whole lower surface being dull-papillose. As only this one specimen is known, and only 8 specimens of 'f. genuina‘, it is impossible to decide on the taxonomic status of this form.
2. Subsp. philippinensis is not cultivated, and this makes it more probable that the only specimen known from New Guinea, collected from a 20 m high tree in the rain forest, was really wild.
3. Subsp. philippinensis is closely allied to subsp. chinensis; its small, prickly fruits are quite similar to those of the 'mountain lychee'. Its arillode is said to be short, covering only part of the seed. It is not certain, however, whether the fruits from which this character was noted were fully mature, and in subsp. chinensis, too, the arillode develops only very late.
4. Contrary to the opinion of Merrill (1918) and of most subsequent authors but in accordance with Radlkofer (1932), I am of the opinion that Euphoria didyma Blanco is synonymous with Litchi chinensis subsp. philippinensis and not with Dimocar-pus longan var. malesianus. My arguments are: 1) in the description no mention is made of the corolla which in Philippine Dimocarpus longan is very conspicuous, and 2) Dimocarpus longan var. malesianus was already described by Blanco under the name of Euphoria lit-chi.