Lepisanthes amoena

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Lepisanthes amoena

Description

Tree, up to 10 m high, dbh up to 15 cm, or shrub up to 6 m. Leaves imparipinnate, 7-42-jugate, up to 90 cm long, usually glabrous to thin-tomentose on axial parts, sometimes axial parts densely fulvous-tomentose, rarely moreover hirsute, glabrescent; Inflorescences terminal and axillary, pyramidal, up to 60 cm long, sparsely to densely short fulvous-hairy, the axial parts in vivo often reddish, rachis and main branches sharply 3-angu-lar; Flowers mostly reported to be white, sometimes creamy to yellow or pink to red, not scented. Sepals red, outside thinly appressed short-hairy to glabrous, inside glabrous to sparsely appressed short-hairy in the basal half, usually sparsely partly glandular ciliolate mainly towards the base, outer two ovate to oblong, 1.5-3.5 by 1.2-2 mm, inner 3 ± orbicular, 2.5-4 by 2-3.5 mm. Petals white or red, usually up to ⅔ mm clawed, outside very sparsely to densely appressed long-hairy, inside variably hairy, claw and at least base of blade densely to very sparsely ciliate, blade subdeltoid to suborbicular, up to 1.5 by 1.2 mm, at base with 2 incurved, ± connected lobes. Stamens 7-9; Ovary 3-celled, densely velvety to nearly glabrous, cream to reddish; Fruits slightly 3-lobed, widest in or above the middle, 2-2.5 by 2.2-2.8 cm (fresh 2.5 by 3 cm), apiculate by the style base, (sometimes hardly) scurfy, thinly short-hairy to glabrous, in vivo light green, spotted brown when unripe, to brownish or purple when ripe, pulp yellowish to white. Seeds oblique-ellipsoid, hilum orbicular to lanceolate, small.

Distribution

Asia-Tropical: Borneo present; Malaya (Peninsular Malaysia present); Sumatera (Sumatera present), Pahang present, Selangor present, Timor present, W Java present
Malesia: Sumatra, Malay Peninsula (Pahang, Selangor), Borneo, W Java, Timor (one collection).

Uses

In Java sometimes planted as an ornamental tree. The bark as well as the young leaves contain saponin and are applied against ulcers (Borneo) or an extract of the bark is used against hoarseness. The wood is reported to be very hard and was used for making hooks to catch crocodiles. The fruitpulp is sweet and edible. See .

Notes

1. Lepisanthes amoena occupies a central position in sect. Otophora and is more or less closely related to all the other species. It is itself a variable species but, apart from one race in Sumatra East Coast, no clearly delimited infraspecif-ic taxa can be distinguished. That race, represented by Lörzing 4164, 5219 and 11988, all from around Sibolangit, differs from the above description constantly in a few characters: twigs 1.5 cm thick; leaves 40-50-jugate, 1-2 m long (from young, unbranched treelets), leaflets 12-13 by 1.8-2.2 cm, index 6-7, above midrib densely fulvous-tomentose, beneath mainly on the midrib thin-hirsute, base slightly cordate, nearly equal, apex long acute-acuminate, nerves rather dense, 0.5-1 cm apart, all looped and joined at some distance from the margin; calyx light green to whitish; blade of petals 2.8-3 by 2.5 mm, scale sometimes hardly developed, glabrous; anthers glabrous; fruits densely ferrugineous velvety, rarely glabrescent. What taxonomic status should be given to this race is not yet clear. It is doubtless nearest to what was described as Otophora pubescens.
2. Other variability is only somewhat discontinuous. Three 'forms' are more or less distinguishable, clearest in Borneo where they are also geographically more or less restricted. Outside of Borneo, the differences are often less clear, however. These races are: 'amoena': leaves rather many-jugate, leaflets not very narrow, linear, often greyish green above, reddish brown beneath. Throughout the area. — 'imbricata': leaves few-jugate, leaflets large, relatively wide, the sides not parallel, obtuse at base, brown. The series of intergrades between pseudo-stipules and leaflets on which Otophora imbricata was based, is exceptional. E Borneo and Java. — 'pubescens': leaves many-jugate, leaflets small and narrow, linear, cordate at base, mostly dark brown above, midrib usually hirsute beneath. W Borneo and Sumatra.

Citation

Hassk. 1845: Aanteek. Nut Java: 17
Koord. & Valeton 1903 – In: Bijdr. Booms. Java: 172
Radlk. 1932 – In: Engl., Pflanzenr. 98: 771
Radlk. 1932 – In: Engl., Pflanzenr. 98: 770
Radlk. 1932 – In: Engl., Pflanzenr. 98: 772
Backer & Bakh. f. 1965 – In: Fl. Java: 135
Backer 1911: Schoolfl. Java: 263
Radlk. 1932 – In: Engl., Pflanzenr. 98: 770
Ridley 1922 – In: Fl. Malay Penins.: 495
Koord. & Valeton 1903 – In: Bijdr. Booms. Java: 171
Blume 1913 – In: Atlas: f. 130
Radlk. 1932 – In: Engl., Pflanzenr. 98: 773
Hassk. 1843 – In: Tijd. Nat. Gesch. Phys.: 139