Dolichandrone spathacea
Description
Evergreen, glabrous tree, 5-20 m;
Leaves usually 3-4-jugate, 15-35 cm, stalked, in the herbarium nigrescent as all other parts;
Flowers not articulated.
Stamens not exserted.
Capsule flattened-cylindrical, ± ribbed, straight or ± arcuate, or twisted, tipped, 25-70 by 2-3 cm;
Seeds dark grey, rectangular, in many rows, 12-18 by 6-8 mm including the thick corky wings;
Distribution
Asia-Tropical: New Guinea present, Australasia, Korror present, Micronesia present, New Caledonia present, New Hebrides present, Polynesia absent, Solomons present, Tomil I present, Tropical SE. Asia present, W. Carolines present, Yap present, coast of Malabar present
From the coast of Malabar throughout tropical SE. Asia and the whole of Malesia to New Guinea, Micronesia (W. Carolines: Korror; Yap: Tomil I.), the Solomons, the New Hebrides and New Caledonia, not found in Australia and Polynesia. , records this species for the first time from Australia: the northern tip of Cape York Peninsula (2 localities). .
Ecology
Confined to the back-mangrove and banks of tidal rivers and estuaries. RIDLEY () recorded it common in low-lying rice-fields near Kanga village, Lower Siam, as the predominant tree, which he ascribed as "relics of the time when this whole country was a tidal swamp, gradually filled up after the disappearance of the sea". Other seashore plants were also found in these paddy fields, such as Euphorbia atoto. This inland occurrence is also stressed by CORNER (l.c. 164) who found it "frequently in coastal rice-fields; in Perlis it is indeed a feature of the country; also in North Kedah, as soon as one reaches Kodiang it attracts attention, standing in the paddies as an upright poplar and flanks the roads which lead to Kangar and Singgora. Old tree trunks are massive and fluted at the base, the crown tapering upward. The old, opened twisted pods remain for a long time on the tree."
BRASS found it very abundant in Daru I. (S. New Guinea), while K. J. WHITE found almost pure stands in Umboi I. (Morobe Distr.) in swamps behind the mangrove. He recorded it also from freshwater swamps in the Markham Valley. At the Bogor Botanic Gardens it is successfully cultivated in freshwater.
The calyx is filled with water in bud. The very young inflorescence and developed ovary is often slightly glossy varnished in the herbarium, similarly as is found in Radermachera, certainly by the exudate of glands which are found at the apex of the calyx. Fl. fr. , flowers and fruits not rarely found together. KOORDERS (1894 l.c.) and HEYNE (Nutt. Pl. 1371) say that in the dry season it may be at times nearly leafless fruiting in Central and East Java.
BRASS found it very abundant in Daru I. (S. New Guinea), while K. J. WHITE found almost pure stands in Umboi I. (Morobe Distr.) in swamps behind the mangrove. He recorded it also from freshwater swamps in the Markham Valley. At the Bogor Botanic Gardens it is successfully cultivated in freshwater.
The calyx is filled with water in bud. The very young inflorescence and developed ovary is often slightly glossy varnished in the herbarium, similarly as is found in Radermachera, certainly by the exudate of glands which are found at the apex of the calyx. Fl. fr. , flowers and fruits not rarely found together. KOORDERS (1894 l.c.) and HEYNE (Nutt. Pl. 1371) say that in the dry season it may be at times nearly leafless fruiting in Central and East Java.
Pollination
Flowers open at dusk and drop before sunrise; they must be pollinated by hawk-moths with very long tongues to attain the honey. In each inflorescence one flower is open at a time (CORNER).
Dispersal
The corky seeds float readily and must be dispersed by seawater. In this respect it is strange that the species is not found in northern Australia and Polynesia.
Uses
Of little use other than fire-wood; in N. Borneo a collector deemed the wood useful for making clogs and matches; in the Carolines (Koror I.) leaves and fruit are said to be used as a substitute for betel leaves in chewing. HEYNE (Nutt. Pl. 1371) said that the wood is not durable, but light and easy to work for small things in the house; pieces of branches are sometimes used for floats of fishing nets in East Java and the Karimon Djawa Is.; in the Minahassa it is used for scabbards, in Madura I. for masks for the toping. In Madura a cold concoction of the leaves is also used against mouth sprew. RUMPHIUS said that in Ambon twigs of lignum equinum (translation of kaju kuda) were used for making hedges.
Notes
Especially leaflets of saplings may, at times, show some serrulations on the margin and may also be slightly hairy.
Citation
K. & V. 1894: Bijdr.: 69
C.T. WHITE 1929 – In: J. Arn. Arb.: 265
Corner 1940: Ways. Trees: 163: Atlas pi. 26-27
K.SCH. 1928 – In: Bull. Jard. Bot. Btzg: 227
SPRAGUE 1919: Kew Bull.: 304
Merr. 1912: Fl. Manila: 429
BLANCO 1878: p. 284. – In: Fl. Filip., ed. 3: t. 242
Ridl. 1923 – In: Fl. Mal. Pen.: 549
Merr. 1935: Comm. Lour.: 355
HEINE 1976: p. 81. – In: Fl. Nouv.-Caled.: pl. 18
K.SCH. 1918: Sp. Blanc.: 349
RETZ. 1788 – In: Obs. Bot.: 5
GAMBLE 1905 – In: J. As. Soc. Beng.: 377
SPAN. 1841 – In: Linnaea: 326
K.SCH. 1917: Int. Herb. Amb.: 469
Clarke 1884 – In: Fl. Br. Ind.: 379
KURZ 1877 – In: Fl. Burma: 234
Miq. 1858 – In: Fl. Ind. Bat.: 754
DC. 1845 – In: Prod.: 206
THUNB. 1825: Fl. Ceil.: 7
STEEN. 1927: Thesis: 937
BLANCO 1837: Fl. Filip.: 499