Myristica gigantea
Content
Description
Tree 17-40 m.
Leaves chartaceous or thinly coriaceous, elliptic-oblong or ± lanceolate, 7-15 by 2-4 cm (to 22 by 8 cm of sapling shoots), base rounded or attenuate, apex rounded, rather blunt, or acute;
Inflorescences generally below the leaves, pedunculate, with shaggy hairs (0.2-)0.5-l mm, sometimes glabrescent;
Fruits 1 or 2, broadly ovoid, 5-8 by 4.5-5 cm, early or late glabrescent, hairs mealy, 0.2-0.3 mm, persistent at the base;
Distribution
Asia-Tropical: Borneo present (Sabah present, Sarawak present); Malaya (Peninsular Malaysia present, Singapore present); Sumatera (Sumatera present), Labuan present, Nunukan present, W, E & NE Kalimantan present
Malesia: Sumatra, Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore, Borneo (Sarawak, Sabah, W, E & NE Kalimantan, Labuan, Nunukan).
Taxonomy
1 Strange enough, of this apparently fairly common tree, only Scortechini 1949, and one recent collection (Borneo), bear well-developed male flowers. Female flowers have never been collected.
2 Variable in length of the hairs on the sterile leaf bud, either 0.1-0.2 mm only or up to 2 mm long; because of this, M. gigantea appears twice in the keys. Whether this difference has taxonomic implications is not known.
3 Related to M. maingayi, but with smaller inflorescences, flowers and fruits. It reaches a large size as a tree, and is known as the tallest Malayan Myristica. Myristica maingayi has a lower stature, stouter twigs, larger leaves with acute apex, larger male inflorescences and flowers, androecium with sterile apex, and slightly longer glabrescent fruits.