Micromeles corymbifera
Content
Description
Trees up to 30 m, or shrubs, sometimes hemi-epiphytic, deciduous, bark brown, scaly.
Leaves oblong to elliptic-oblong, rarely ovatish, 7-13 by 4-7.5 cm, base acute, more rarely rounded, margin shallowly serrate with usually the basal quarter entire, apex acute to acuminate, herbaceous, with 8-11 pairs of nerves, venation transverse, not very prominent, sometimes with small, cylindrical glandular outgrowths on midrib above, very young leaves sometimes (see Note) ferruginous-woolly, but also in that case mature leaves entirely glabrous, the indumentum disappearing completely.
Stipules early falling, very small and brisde-like, but sometimes on the basal leaves of a shoot well-developed and up to 6 by] mm.
Inflorescence up to 7 cm long, branched up to the third order with the lower pimary branches axillary to normal leaves, all axes, including the up to 5 mm long pedicels, glabrous, sometimes with few hairs, rarely densely hairy (see Note).
Flowers 5-merous, fragrant.
Sepals triangular, 1.5-2.5 by 1.5-3 mm, glabrous.
Petals (broadly) elliptic, ovate or obovate, 4.5-6 by 3-4.5 mm, white, glabrous.
Stamens 19-24, filaments up to 6 mm, anthers 0.7-1 mm long.
Ovary (2-)3(-4)-celled, styles distinctiy connate in lower part, up to 5.5 mm long.
Fruits globular to ellipsoid, sometimes more ovoid or obovoid, rare-lv pear-shaped (see Note), with a large circular scar at apex, usually still present when young flush appears, 9-19 by 8-17 mm, exocarp brownish, always with corky lenticels, mesocarp very hard and woody.
Seeds 1 or 2 per cell, flat, up to 5 by 3.5 mm, testa firm-membranous, glabrous.
Distribution
Asia-Temperate: China South-Central (Yunnan present), Asia-Tropical: Assam (Assam present); Cambodia (Cambodia present); India present; Laos (Laos present); Malaya (Peninsular Malaysia present); Sumatera (Sumatera present); Thailand (Thailand present); Vietnam (Vietnam present), continental Asia present
Continental Asia: India (Assam), China (Yunnan), Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam; Malesia: Sumatra, Peninsular Malaysia.
Ecology
One of the few examples of the hemi-epiphytic life-style. The plant may start as an epiphytic shrub, later sending down roots and acquir- ing the tree-habit. It does not seem to be a strangler, killing its host, as some Ficus do. See , and .
Notes
Some collections have (traces of) a dense woolly indumentum on inflorescences and leaves, but mostly the specimens are (almost) glabrous, the indumentum that may have been present at a young stage having disappeared rapidly and thoroughly.
In only one collection from Sumatra (van Steenis 10031) the fruits are pyriform as in var. turbinata Cardot which is known from the continent.
In only one collection from Sumatra (van Steenis 10031) the fruits are pyriform as in var. turbinata Cardot which is known from the continent.