Sindora supa
Description
Tree 15 m high and 30 cm in diam.; bark black to nearly brown in colour, shed in large scales and exposing pink coloured patches.
Leaves (2- or) 3- (or 4-)jugate; petiole 1.2-2.5 cm and rachis (1.5-)3-6(-7.2) cm long, both minutely puberulous, glabrescent, or almost glabrous.
Stipules lanceolate or subfalcate, 12- 14 mm long, much unequally sided, pubescent, glabrescent on the outside, glabrous inside, base hemi-auriculate, caducous.
Inflorescences paniculate, up to 15(-20) cm long, lateral branches up to 5(-10) cm long, both rachis and branches densely tawny pubescent; bracts lanceolate, (4-)6-8 mm, bracteoles resembling bracts but about half the size, both with some distinctly spiny outgrowths (up to c. 4 mm long), densely appressed puberulous on both surfaces; pedicels c. 1.5(-4) mm, densely puberulous.
Petal narrowly elliptic or lanceolate, 10-12 mm long, densely puberulous outside and villose on the margins, glabrous inside.
Stamens: united basal parts of filaments c. 3 mm high; free filaments and staminodes up to e. 18 mm, puberulous on the lower 1/2-1/3; perfect anthers 2 (biggest), ellipsoid, c. 3.5 mm long, the others (much) smaller.
Ovary stiped (c. 3 mm), rhomboid, c. 3 by 2 mm, woolly mingled with many dot-like outgrowths (dissecting microscope or hand-lens!); style up to c. 23 mm, slightly hairy on about the lower 10 mm, otherwise glabrous; stigma capitate.
Seeds (not seen, observed from the impressions) broadly elliptic, c. 3 by 2 cm (fide Merrill, l.c. 1906: seeds 2 to 4, ovate, hard, black, with an arillate funicle).
Distribution
Asia-Tropical, Luzon present, Tayabas Prov. present
Malesia: Philippines (Luzon, Tayabas Prov.).
Morphology
The present species is characterized by: 1) leaves often 3-jugate, 2) leaflets usually almost glabrous with finely and closely reticulate venation, 3) bracts, bracteoles and calyx lobes bearing spinescent outgrowths on the outer surface, 4) fruits having almost evenly spaced, straight, sharp spines, and 5) stipules foliaceous, much unequally sided, lanceolate, or subfalcate and hemi-auriculate at the base.
Uses
An important timber tree. Its wood is used for naval and general constructions and is often substituted for the more valuable Ipil wood .
A light yellow or straw-coloured oil is secured from the wood of the living tree. It is used in the manufacture of paint, especially for use on ships, varnish for sailing boats and as an illuminant. See
A light yellow or straw-coloured oil is secured from the wood of the living tree. It is used in the manufacture of paint, especially for use on ships, varnish for sailing boats and as an illuminant. See