Symplocos johniana
Content
Description
Shrub or small tree, to 3 m.
Leaves spirally arranged or alternate, rather densely patently hirsute beneath, or only midrib and nerves hairy, acuminate to caudate with rounded to cordate base and usually rather coarsely sharp-dentate margin, ovate, 2½-7 by 1¼-3½ cm;
Flowers in 1-flowered raceme, axis ½ mm, with 1½ mm long bract and the c. 1 mm long bracteoles loosely appressedly rusty hirsute.
Stamens 60-90.
Ovary rusty hirsute, c. 1 mm high;
Fruit narrowly flask-shaped, often sparsely hairy, intense indigo-blue, c. 13 by 4 mm, the persistent calyx not included.
Seed 1, straight, narrowly elliptic, embryo straight.
Distribution
Asia-Tropical: Borneo present (Sabah present), G. Kemul present, Mt Kinabalu present, W. Kuteir present
Malesia: Borneo (Sabah: Mt Kinabalu; W. KuteirG. Kemul).
Notes
The distribution is interesting because this species, which was assumed to be a Kinabalu endemic, is also found on an old, worn-down, rather low summit in W. Kutei, in a mountain range which is probably older than Mt Kinabalu. This feature is also found in some other mountain plants, e.g. Lobelia borneensis, which were found on Mt Murud, in Sarawak (cf. ). VAN STEENIS concluded that Kinabalu plants possibly in the past had a wider distribution in Borneo when there were more higher peaks in the island, and that the few present stations on the low mountains are relict stations (cf. also ).