Thottea straatmanii

Primary tabs

Thottea straatmanii

Description

Plant c. 2.5 m high. Leaves not preserved, (from a sketch) ovate-oblong, c. 30 cm long. Inflorescence cauligerous, spiciform, 2 cm long, puberulous, inter-nodes 7-10 mm long; Stamens in 2 whorls: Capsule siliquiform, slightly curved, 15-21 cm long, slightly 4-angular, narrowed at both ends, puberulous. Seeds broad-ellipsoid, triangular, 3.5 by 2 mm, transverse-rugose, deeply grooved.

Distribution

Asia-Tropical, Laut Tador present, NE. Sumatra present
Malesia: NE. Sumatra (East Coast: Laut Tador).

Notes

In flower size the second largest in the genus (perianth c. 7 cm in diam.), next to T. grandiflora (12.5 cm).
Closely related to T. reniloba with which it shares the spaced bracts and distinct internodes, the deeply lobed perianth, 2-whorled stamens, pubescent capsules and deeply grooved seeds, but different by larger, ± orbicular perianth lobes, the higher number of stamens (upper whorl c. 18, lower c. 24) and the transverse-rugose seeds.
The forest of the type locality is now destroyed.