Dysoxylum alliaceum
Description
Tree to 38 m, often of poor form; bole to 80 cm diam., fluted to c. 4 m with buttresses to 60 cm tall and 1 m out.
Bark thin, lenticellate to finely fissured and shedding irregular strips; inner bark red-brown, yellower within, usually with strong smell of onions; sapwood fawnish; heartwood red-brown.
Leaves to 60(–120) cm, usually smelling of onions when crushed, 3–6(–8)-jugate, subglabrous, subcoriaceous, petiole 5–15 cm, flattened adaxially, weakly swollen at base.
Petals 4 or 5, 5–8 mm long, linear, valvate, glabrous or pubescent within, white, or pinkish, drying black.
Staminal tube glabrous or puberulous without, ± hairy within, margin subtruncate to 8- (or 10-)denticulate; anthers 8 (10), c. 1 mm long, included.
Ovary glabrous to hirsute, 3-locular, each locule 2-ovulate, style terete; stylehead subdiscoid, ± dimpled.
Capsule to 7.5 cm diam., subglobose or lobed and constricted between seeds or beaked, occasionally markedly so (the beak to 15 mm) when 1-seeded, greenish white when unripe, red at maturity, drying black.
Seeds 1–4 per capsule; oblong-globose, testa red, exarillate, when cut producing white latex and usually strong smell of onions; cotyledons superposed to collateral.
Distribution
Andamans present, peninsular Thailand, present, throughout Malesia to the Solomon Islands and Queensland present
Andamans, peninsular Thailand,, throughout Malesia to the Solomon Islands and Queensland.
Morphology
The type of Dysoxylum dempoense is a very delicate twig though, in all other respects apparently fitting here.
In north-east New Guinea, more clearly isolated within this complex, however, is the following:
This is a polymorphic species which cannot be readily subdivided formally. It is closely related to Dysoxylum excelsum Blume, sterile material of the two being particularly difficult to separate. Large-flowered forms of D. alliaceum approach the small-flowered forms of D. excelsum, though the latter never have the onion smell, have larger bracts and bracteoles and generally smaller infructescences than D. alliaceum. Furthermore, in the Moluccas and Lesser Sunda Islands, materials have been collected of trees which have fruits resembling more those of D. excelsum but flowers like D. alliaceum. These include Kuswata & Soepadmo 56 & 185 from West Ceram, Kostermans 18096, 18193, 18284, 18289, 18369, 18620, 18748, 19068, 19080, 19095, 19158 (all from Mt Batulanteh and at L) and Schmutz 2808 from Flores. These might be considered worthy of specific rank, but in view of the complex nature of both D. alliaceum and D. excelsum, it is my opinion that to recognize such a species would be irresponsible. Nevertheless, there are forms on Sumbawa at least more typical of both D. alliaceum and D. excelsum.
Uses
The timber is utilized but is not greatly valued. The strongly scented leaves have been said to be used to flavour food in New Guinea.
Citation
Koord. & Valeton 1896 – In: Bijdr. Booms. Java: 55
Merr. 1917: Int. Rumph.: 308
Koord. 1912 – In: Exk. Fl. Java: 442
Miq. 1859 – In: Fl. Ind. Bat.: 537
C.DC. 1878 – In: DC., Monogr. Phan. 1: 481
K. Heyne 1950: Nutt. Pl. Indon., ed. 3: 894.
Miq. 1868 – In: Ann. Mus. Bot. Lugd.-Bat.: 23
Miq. 1859 – In: Fl. Ind. Bat.: 537.
Miq. 1859 – In: Fl. Ind. Bat.: 536.
Ridley 1922 – In: Fl. Malay Penins.: 395.
Harms 1941 – In: Notizbl. Bot. Gart. Berl.: 478.
Elmer 1937 – In: Leafl. Philipp. Bot.: 3376.
Burkill 1935: Dict. Econ. Prod. Malay Penins.: 885
Mabb. 1989 – In: Tree Fl. Malaya: 240.
Backer & Bakh. f. 1965 – In: Fl. Java: 123
Koord. & Valeton 1896 – In: Bijdr. Booms. Java: 54
Hochr. 1904: Pl. Bogor. Exsicc: 69: incl. var. angustifolium Valeton, var. genuinum Valeton (nom. superfl. pro var. alliaceum) & var. lanceolatum Koord. & Valeton
Koord. 1912 – In: Exk. Fl. Java: 441.
C.DC. 1878 – In: DC., Monogr. Phan. 1: 503.
C.DC. 1878: p. 482. – In: DC., Monogr. Phan. 1: incl. var. laxiflorum (Blume) C.DC.
Backer 1911: Schoolfl. Java: 204
C.E.Parkinson 1923: For. Fl. Andam: 120: incl. var. andamanicum King
Ridley 1922 – In: Fl. Malay Penins.: 393
C.DC. 1878 – In: DC., Monogr. Phan. 1: 752
C.DC. 1878 – In: DC, Monogr. Phan. 1: 503
Koord. & Valeton 1896: p. 47. – In: Bijdr. Booms. Java: incl. var. lanceolatum Koord. & Valeton, var. laxiflorum (Blume) C.DC. & var. pauciflorum Koord. & Valeton
Elmer 1937 – In: Leafl. Philipp. Bot.: 3373.
K. Heyne 1950: Nutt. Pl. Indon., ed. 3: 893.
Merr. 1921 – In: J. Str. Br. Roy. As. Soc: 320
Merr. 1923 – In: Enum. Philipp. Flow. Pl.: 363
M.Roem. 1846 – In: Synops. Monogr.: 101
Ridley 1922 – In: Fl. Malay Penins.: 394
C.DC. 1878 – In: DC, Monogr. Phan. 1: 483
Backer 1911: Schoolfl. Java: 204
Backer 1911: Schoolfl. Java: 204
Backer & Bakh. f. 1965 – In: Fl. Java: 123.
Backer 1911: Schoolfl. Java: 204.
Koord. 1912 – In: Exk. Fl. Java: 441.
M. Roem. 1846 – In: Synops. Monogr.: 101
Koord. 1913 – In: Atlas: t.180
M.Roem. 1846 – In: Synops. Monogr.: 101
G.Don 1831 – In: Gen. Syst.: 683
Merr. 1923 – In: Enum. Philipp. Flow. Pl.: 364.
Busgen 1905: p. 74. – In: Flora: t. 4
K. Heyne 1950: Nutt. Pl. Indon., ed. 3: 892
Koord. & Valeton 1896 – In: Bijdr. Booms. Java: 53
Koord. 1912 – In: Exk. Fl. Java: 441
Koord. & Valeton 1896 – In: Bijdr. Booms. Java: 67
Miq. 1859 – In: Fl. Ind. Bat.: 536
C.DC. 1878 – In: DC., Monogr. Phan.: 525
Backer 1911: Schoolfl. Java: 207.
Miq. 1859 – In: Fl. Ind. Bat.: 536.
Koord. 1913 – In: Atlas: t. 170
Backer 1911: Schoolfl. Java: 206
Burkill 1935: Dict. Econ. Prod. Malay Penins.: 886
Pellegr. 1948 – In: Fl. Indo-Chine: 718
M.Roem. 1846 – In: Synops. Monogr.: 101
Hô 1992 – In: I11. Fl. Vietnam: 496.
King 1895: p. 42. – In: J. As. Soc. Berg: incl. var. andamanicum King
G.Don 1831 – In: Gen. Syst.: 683
Merr. 1923 – In: Enum. Philipp. Flow. Pl.: 365
Miq. 1868 – In: Ann. Mus. Bot. Lugd.-Bat.: 21
King 1895 – In: J. As. Soc. Beng.: 43
Merr. 1923 – In: Enum. Philipp. Flow. Pl.: 365
Koord. 1923 – In: Fl. Tjibodas: 129