Artocarpus lacucha
Description
Tree up to 40 m tall, deciduous.
Leaves distichous;
stipules lateral, 0.3-0.5(-1) cm long, brownish to whitish puberulous, caducous (or subpersistent), or persistent, at the shoot-apices forming the terminal buds (or also in the leaf axils and forming the lateral buds).
stamen 0.5-0.8 mm long, anther 0.1-0.2 mm long;
fruits ellipsoid, 1-1.2 cm long.
Distribution
Aru Islands present, Asia-Temperate: China South-Central (Yunnan present), Asia-Tropical: Bangladesh (Bangladesh present); Borneo present; East Himalaya (Bhutan present); India present; Malaya (Peninsular Malaysia present); Maluku (Maluku present); New Guinea present; Philippines (Philippines present); Sulawesi (Sulawesi present); Sumatera (Sumatera present); Thailand (Thailand present), Myanmar present, Solomon Islands present
Bhutan, India, Bangladesh, China (Yunnan), Myanmar, Thailand, Indochina, Solomon Islands; in Malesia: Sumatra, Malay Peninsula, Borneo, Philippines, Celebes, Moluccas (incl. Aru Islands), New Guinea.
Morphology
2The pistillate inflorescences vary in length of the peduncle, the shedding of the interfloral bracts, and the surface of the head in fruiting state which ranges from smooth to finely ribbed or sometimes with the free parts of the apices of the pistillate flowers short-pyramidate and hardened. Long peduncles, up to 8 cm long are found in northern Borneo (in material that was identified as A. peltatus) and in the Philippines (in material identified as A. ovatus). The peduncle becomes mostly up to 4 or 4.5 cm long. It is often shorter in the Asian mainland (in material that was identified as A. lacucha by Jarrett 1960). The interfloral bracts are often absent in the fruiting state and may be already shed at anthesis. However, infructescences with persistent apices can be found throughout the range of the species.
1The species as currently defined includes material that Jarrett () placed in A. dadah, A. fretessii, A. ovatus, A. vrieseanus var. papillosus and var. refractus, as well as A. peltatus, which was separated from A. dadah in the Flora Malesiana manuscript. The species can be recognised by features indicating intermittent growth (in combination with deciduousness) such as the presence of terminal buds formed by some persistent stipules, the scars of which in addition to colour differences mark previous seasons’ growth of branches from the current growth. The stipules are often subpersistent on opening-shoots and relatively long, to 1 cm. The lamina is chartaceous to subcoriaceous and the margin is denticulate at the apex, sometimes only at the acumen. The base of the lamina is more or less unequal, and varies from cordate through subcordate, rounded, and obtuse to cuneate. The latter state occurs most frequently in the northern part of the species range. The lamina varies in the lateral veins: the lower veins either distant or 2 or 3 pairs departing the midrib close together as often seen in the eastern part of the species range. Patterns of variation in length, direction, and colour of the indumentum are less clear, but the hairs are often more or less appressed, shorter and paler in the eastern part of the species range. The areoles of the lower surface are sometimes minutely bullate in the Malay Peninsula, more frequently further northwards. In Borneo the base of the lamina is sometimes peltate (with a narrow strip of lamina tissue connecting the two sides of the base of the lamina). This was the distinguishing character of A. peltatus.
4The following informal entities can be distinguished:
The reticulum of the lamina lower surface is prominent in the few collections between c. 1000 and 2000 m in New Guinea. This form also includes the type of A. vrieseanus Miq. var. papillosus F.M. Jarrett. The epidermis of the petiole in this form sometimes flakes off, whereas rarely in the forms treated above.
The ‘fretessii’-form and ‘refractus’-form are similar in the small subglobose, shortly pedunculate staminate inflorescences. They differ in the frequency of staminate inflorescences on short-shoots on the older wood. The ‘refractus’-form grades into a ‘stenophyllus’-form, comprising several collections which Jarret in her Flora Malesiana manuscript called the eastern variants ‘stenophyllus α and β of A. vrieseanus and related to the ‘refractus’ variant’. In this form, the indumentum is relatively sparse and on leafy twigs and lamina predominantly whitish and mostly intermixed with (± retrorse) uncinate hairs. The petiole is usually 0.5-0.8 cm long and its epidermis exfoliates. The leafy twigs are rather slender, mostly 2-3 mm thick, the trees are often less than 10 m tall without buttresses, and no clear indication of intermittent growth. The peduncle of the pistillate inflorescence is up to 5 cm long. — New Guinea, most frequently in the eastern part, but also found in Biak, Yapen, and in the Solomon Islands. The sympatric occurrence of the ‘refractus’-form and the ‘stenophyllus’-form together with the nature of the differentiating characters cast doubt on the distinctiveness of the latter. Future studies with more material are needed to clarify their taxonomic status. The ‘stenophyllus’-form resembles A. nitidus from New Guinea and the Solomon Islands, but differs in the patent hairs on the lamina lower surface and the usually denticulate margin towards the apex. 3The staminate inflorescences vary more in their position, direction, length of the peduncle, and shape and size of the head. Long peduncles, up to 4.5 cm long, are correlated with long peduncles of pistillate inflorescences. They are often deflexed in the Philippines. The inflorescences are normally axillary or just below the leaves, mostly solitary, sometimes in pairs, but often (also) borne on short-shoots on the older wood in Celebes and the Moluccas, less often in the Philippines and (western) New Guinea. The head varies considerably in shape, from subglobose to ellipsoid to clavate, or sometimes to pulvinate or spicate, and ranges in size from c. 0.3 cm in length or diameter, to 4 cm long in clavate to spicate ones or to 1.5 cm in diameter in subglobose ones.
- ‘lacucha’-form with the apex of the lamina often abruptly short-acuminate, the base of the lamina often subcuneate and clearly unequal. Staminate inflorescences axillary, solitary; peduncle 2-5 mm long; head ellipsoid to obovoid (to clavate) 1-2.5 cm long, 0.5-1.5 cm diameter. Pistillate inflorescences: peduncle to 1.5(-2.5) cm long; interfloral bracts caducous or persistent, the free apices of the pistillate flowers sometimes short-pyramidate and hardened. — India, (north-eastern & Andaman Islands), Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, China (Yunnan), Indochina. — In evergreen, semi-evergreen or moist deciduous forest mostly at low altitudes.
- ‘dadah’-form with the base of the lamina mostly obtuse to subcordate, slightly unequal. Staminate inflorescences axillary (or just below the leaves) solitary, patent; peduncle 0.4-1.5 cm long; head subglobose (to pulvinate), 0.4-1.5 cm diameter. Pistillate inflorescences: peduncle to 3.5 cm long; interfloral bracts usually (early) caducous; free parts of apices of pistillate flowers occasionally short-pyramidate and hardened; surface of syncarp usually finely ribbed. — Myanmar (?), Thailand, Sumatra, Malay Peninsula, Borneo. — In forest at low altitudes.
- ‘peltatus’-form with the base of the lamina rounded to subcordate, slightly unequal, sometimes peltate. Staminate inflorescences axillary or just below the leaves, solitary, patent; peduncle 2.5-3.5 cm long; head ellipsoid to subglobose, 0.7-2 cm diameter. Pistillate inflorescences: peduncle up to 8 cm long; heads of interfloral bracts caducous; surface of ‘syncarp’ usually finely ribbed. — Borneo (northern). — In evergreen forest at altitudes up to 1000 m.
- ‘ovatus’-form with the base of the lamina usually cordate to subcordate, slightly unequal. Staminate inflorescences axillary, below the leaves, solitary, paired, or sometimes up to 5 together on short-shoots on the older wood, often deflexed; peduncle (0.5-)1-4.5 cm long; head obovoid to clavate, 1-3 cm long, 0.3-1.3 cm diam.; interfloral bracts persistent. Pistillate inflorescences: peduncle up to 8 cm long, deflexed at anthesis (?); interfloral bracts persistent. — Philippines. — In forest at low altitudes.
The ‘peltatus’-form and ‘ovatus’-form are largely similar and distinguished by the patent versus deflexed staminate inflorescences. - ‘fretesii’-form with the base of the lamina usually rounded to cordate, slightly unequal. Staminate inflorescences predominantly on short-shoots on the older wood, 1-5 together, patent (or deflexed?); peduncle 0.3-0.7 cm long; head ellipsoid to subglobose, 0.3-0.7 mm diameter. Pistillate inflorescences: peduncle to 4.5 cm long; head subglobose to obovoid; interfloral bracts early caducous to persistent. — Celebes, Moluccas. - At low altitudes.
- ‘refractus’-form with the base of the lamina usually rounded to cordate, slightly unequal. Staminate inflorescences usually axillary or just below the leaves, solitary, or sometimes 1-4 on short-shoots on the older wood, patent; peduncle 0.3-1.2 cm long; head subglobose 0.3-0.6 cm diam.; interfloral bracts persistent. Pistillate inflorescences: peduncle to 5 cm long; interfloral bracts usually caducous; surface of ‘syncarp’ smooth (= not finely ribbed). — New Guinea, Solomon Islands. — Forest at altitudes up to 2000 m.
The reticulum of the lamina lower surface is prominent in the few collections between c. 1000 and 2000 m in New Guinea. This form also includes the type of A. vrieseanus Miq. var. papillosus F.M. Jarrett. The epidermis of the petiole in this form sometimes flakes off, whereas rarely in the forms treated above.
The ‘fretessii’-form and ‘refractus’-form are similar in the small subglobose, shortly pedunculate staminate inflorescences. They differ in the frequency of staminate inflorescences on short-shoots on the older wood. The ‘refractus’-form grades into a ‘stenophyllus’-form, comprising several collections which Jarret in her Flora Malesiana manuscript called the eastern variants ‘stenophyllus α and β of A. vrieseanus and related to the ‘refractus’ variant’. In this form, the indumentum is relatively sparse and on leafy twigs and lamina predominantly whitish and mostly intermixed with (± retrorse) uncinate hairs. The petiole is usually 0.5-0.8 cm long and its epidermis exfoliates. The leafy twigs are rather slender, mostly 2-3 mm thick, the trees are often less than 10 m tall without buttresses, and no clear indication of intermittent growth. The peduncle of the pistillate inflorescence is up to 5 cm long. — New Guinea, most frequently in the eastern part, but also found in Biak, Yapen, and in the Solomon Islands. The sympatric occurrence of the ‘refractus’-form and the ‘stenophyllus’-form together with the nature of the differentiating characters cast doubt on the distinctiveness of the latter. Future studies with more material are needed to clarify their taxonomic status. The ‘stenophyllus’-form resembles A. nitidus from New Guinea and the Solomon Islands, but differs in the patent hairs on the lamina lower surface and the usually denticulate margin towards the apex. 3The staminate inflorescences vary more in their position, direction, length of the peduncle, and shape and size of the head. Long peduncles, up to 4.5 cm long, are correlated with long peduncles of pistillate inflorescences. They are often deflexed in the Philippines. The inflorescences are normally axillary or just below the leaves, mostly solitary, sometimes in pairs, but often (also) borne on short-shoots on the older wood in Celebes and the Moluccas, less often in the Philippines and (western) New Guinea. The head varies considerably in shape, from subglobose to ellipsoid to clavate, or sometimes to pulvinate or spicate, and ranges in size from c. 0.3 cm in length or diameter, to 4 cm long in clavate to spicate ones or to 1.5 cm in diameter in subglobose ones.
Citation
S. Vidal 1886: Revis. Pl. Vasc. Filip.: 254
Merr. 1923 – In: Enum. Philipp. Flow. Pl.: 40
Kochummen 2000 – In: Tree Fl. Sabah & Sarawak: 194
F.M. Jarrett 1960 – In: J. Arnold Arbor. 41: 92
F.M. Jarrett 1960 – In: J. Arnold Arbor. 41: 84
Elmer 1909 – In: Leafl. Philipp. Bot.: 621
Mabb. 1977 – In: Taxon: 529
Merr. 1918: Sp. Blancoan.: 125
Elmer 1909 – In: Leafl. Philipp. Bot.: 620
King 1889 – In: Ann. Roy. Bot. Gard. (Calcutta): 15
Corner 1939 – In: Gard. Bull. Singapore 10: 282
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F.M. Jarrett 1960 – In: J. Arnold Arbor. 41: 91
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Merr. 1923 – In: Enum. Philipp. Flow. Pl.: 40
Kochummen 2000: p. 205. – In: Tree Fl. Sabah & Sarawak: t. 4
Kochummen 1978: p. 126. – In: Tree Fl. Malaya: t. 4
W.H. Br. 1921: p. 70. – In: Min. Prod. Philip. For.: f. 23
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S. Moore 1925 – In: J. Bot.: 112
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F.M. Jarrett 1960 – In: J. Arnold Arbor. 41: 113
1879: 3: 73: plate
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F.G. Browne 1955: For. Trees Sar. & Brunei: 352
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Renner 1907 – In: Bot. Jahrb. Syst.: 370
A.J.C. Grierson & D.G. Long 1983 – In: Fl. Bhutan: 100