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Malesian Euphorbiaceae Descriptions |
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Key to the Philippine and Lesser Sunda species
Sauropus Blume, Bijdr. (1825) 595; Mόll.Arg. Linnaea 32 (1863) 72; in DC., Prodr. 15, 2 (1866) 239; Hook.f., Fl. Brit. India 5 (1887) 332; Benth. & Hook.f., Gen. Pl. 3 (1880) 271; Pax & K.Hoffm. in Engl., Pflanzenr. IV.147.xv (1922) 215; Backer & Bakh.f., Fl. Java 1 (1963) 471; Airy Shaw, Kew Bull. 23 (1969) 42; Kew Bull. 26 (1972) 330; Whitmore, Tree Fl. Malaya 2 (1973) 130; Airy Shaw, Kew Bull. Add. Ser. 4 (1975) 190; Kew Bull. Add. Ser. 8 (1980a) 199, 221; Kew Bull. 35 (1980b) 669; Kew Bull. 36 (1981) 342; Kew Bull. 37 (1982) 34; Alphab. Enum. Euph. Philip. Is. (1983) 44; G.L.Webster, Ann. Missouri Bot. Gard. 81 (1994) 46; Welzen, Thai For. Bull. 28 (2000) 57, Fig. 10; Radcl.-Sm., Gen. Euphor. (2001) 30; Welzen, Blumea 48 (2003) 331. --- Sauropus Blume subgen. Holosauropus Pax & K.Hoffm. in Engl., Pflanzenr. IV.147.xv (1922) 216, nom. illig. --- Sauropus Blume sect. Eusauropus Mόll.Arg., Linnaea 32 (1863) 72; in DC., Prodr. 15, 2 (1866) 240; Hook.f., Fl. Br. India 5 (1887) 332, nom. illig.. --- Lectotype (G.L.Webster, 1994): Sauropus albicans Blume [= Sauropus androgynus (L.) Merr.]
Agyneia auct. non L.: Vent., Decr. Pl. Nouv. (1800) 23, t. 23; A.Juss., Euphorb. Gen. (1824) 24; Hook.f., Fl. Br. India 5 (1887) 285. --- Type: Agyneia impubes Vent., non L. [= Sauropus bacciformis (L.) Airy Shaw].
Ceratogynum Wight, Icon. Pl. Ind. Orient. 5 (1852) 26. --- Type: Ceratogynum rhamnoides Wight [= Sauropus quadrangularis (Willd.) Mόll.Arg.
Diplomorpha Griff., Not. Pl. Asiat. 4 (1854) 479. --- Type: Diplomorpha herbacea Griff. [= Sauropus bacciformis (L.) Airy Shaw].
Synostemon F.Muell., Fragm. Phyt. Austral. 1 (1858) 32; ; Backer & Bakh.f., Fl. Java 1 (1963) 470; Airy Shaw Kew Bull. 26 (1972) 343; Whitmore, Tree Fl. Malaya 2 (1973) 130; Airy Shaw, Kew Bull. Add. Ser. 4 (1975) 199; L.C.Wheeler, Taxon 24 (1975) 537; Airy Shaw, Kew Bull. Add. Ser. 8 (1980a) 205. --- Lectotype (L.C.Wheeler, 1975): Synostemon ramosissimus F.Muell. [= Sauropus ramosissimus (F.Muell.) Airy Shaw]
Sauropus Blume sect. Cryptogynium Mόll.Arg., Linnaea 32 (1863) 73; in DC., Prodr. 15, 2 (1866) 243 (Ceratogynum); Hook.f., Fl. Br. India 5 (1887) 334 (Ceratogynum); Pax & K.Hoffm. in Engl., Pflanzenr. IV.147.xv (1922) 222 (Ceratogynum); Airy Shaw, Kew Bull. 23 (1969) 43. --- Type: Sauropus rigidus Thwaites (Referred originally to Wights genus name Cryptogynum, but as the oldest available name in its rank is erroniously Cryptogynium, it must be maintained; Airy Shaw, 1969).
Sauropus Blume sect. Hemisauropus Mόll.Arg. in DC., Prodr. 15, 2 (1966) 243; Airy Shaw, Kew Bull. 23 (1969) 55. --- Sauropus Blume subgen. Hemisauropus (Mόll.Arg.) Pax & K.Hoffm. in Engl., Pflanzenr. IV.147.xv (1922) 225. --- Type: Sauropus rostratus Miq.
Aalius Rumph. [Herb. Amboin. (1743) 207; Lam., Encycl. Mιth. Bot. 1, 1 (1783)1.] ex Kuntze, Rev. Gen. Pl. 2 (1891) 590, nom. superfl. --- Type: Aalius androgynus (L.) Kuntze [= Sauropus androgynus (L.) Merr.].
Sauropus Blume sect. Sphaeranthi Pax & K. Hoffm. in Engl., Pflanzenr. IV.147.xv (1922) 220. --- Type species: Sauropus stipitatus Hook.f.
Sauropus Blume sect. Retroversi Pax & K. Hoffm. in Engl., Pflanzenr. IV.147.xv (1922) 221. --- Type: Sauropus retroversus Wight [= Sauropus androgynus (L.) Merr.].
Sauropus Blume sect. Schizanthi Pax & K. Hoffm. in Engl., Pflanzenr. IV.147.xv (1922) 221. --- Lectotype (Welzen, 2003): Sauropus trinervius Wall. ex Mόll.Arg.
Breyniopsis Beille, Bull. Soc. Bot. France 72 (1925) 157; in M.H.Lecomte, Fl. Indo-Chine 5 (1927) 630. --- Type: Breyniopsis pierrei Beille [= Sauropus pierrei (Beille) G.L.Webster].
Heterocalymnantha Domin, Biblioth. Bot. 89 (1927) 313. --- Type species: Heterocalymnantha minutifolia Domin [= Sauropus rigens (F.Muell.) Airy Shaw].
Sauropus Blume sect. Glochidioidei Airy Shaw, Kew Bull. 23 (1969) 51. --- Type: Sauropus villosus (Blanco) Merr.
Herbs to shrubs (to trees), monoecious; stem often with 4 raised ribs. Indumentum mainly absent, rarely simple hairs, often asperities present on stem, petioles or leaf margins. Stipules triangular, late caducous. Leaves distichous, on side branches, simple, symmetric, petiole usually short, base emarginate to acute, margin entire, blade without glands; venation usually indistinct, veins looped and closed near margin. Inflorescences ramiflorous or cauliflorous racemes or thyrses to usually axillary fascicles of usually 1 to a few bracteate flowers, all pendent, staminate flowers usually appearing before pistillate ones, staminate ones usually lower on the branches, pistillate ones usually apically. Flowers minute, actinomorphic; calyx lobes 6, imbricate; petals absent, disc absent or modified to scales in staminate flowers, and pistillode absent. Staminate flowers: calyx lobes obovoid to obtruncate, minute, three types: 1. apically straight and rounded to deeply incised with erect scale near base, anthers relatively small, horizontal; 2. inflexed, without scales and apex of three sepals grown together with blade, anthers relatively large, half patend; or 3. Lobes free, without scales, stamens of Breynia type, erect along androphore (S. sphenophyllus); stamens 3, united in androphore, apex of latter usually split 3 ways, horizontally to half patent, anthers underneath, with (2)4 thecae (except S. sphenophyllus). Pistillate flowers: sepals ovate, persistent in fruit; ovary 3-locular, subapically lobed, real apex emarginate, crater-like; ovules 2 per locule; style absent; stigmas 3, on wall of crater, split to halfway (erect and not split in S. sphenophyllus), flat and crescent-moon like in most species. Fruits capsules, not lobed, tardily dehiscent, usually thin-walled and woody when dry to fleshy and inflated in a few species, smooth. Seeds triangular in transverse section with sarcotestal tissue near subapical cavity on inner rigde.
Distribution: A genus of 50 or more species, with a single species on Mauritius, all other ranging from India and Sri Lanka to S. China, S.E. Asia (main diversity), Malesia, to Australia (main diversity of what used to be called Synostemon). Fourteen species in Malesia. The infrageneric classification, basically by Pax & Hoffmann (1922), does not satisfy (Airy Shaw, 1980b), therefore, I will refrain from an infrageneric division.
(For the Philippines and the Lesser Sunda Islands see also next key)
(Mal. = Peninsular Malaysia, Sum. = Sumatra, Jav. = Java, Bor. = Borneo, Phil. = Philippines, Sul. = Sulawesi, LSI. = Lesser Sunda Islands, Mol. = Moluccas, NG. = New Guinea.)
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1a. |
Plants with hairy stems and (partly) leaves. |
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1b. |
Plants completely glabrous (except sometimes for the inflorescence). |
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2a. |
Leaves round to ovate, blade 1.42.8 by 12.3 cm, length/width ratio 1.21.4, very thin, almost translucent, apex emarginate to subacute, mainly hairy along margin, nerves 68, complete venation extremely distinct on both sides.---Mal. |
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2b. |
Leaves ovate, blade 16.5 by 0.61.9, length/width ratio (1.5)3.4, papery, not translucent, apex acute, completely hairy beneath and often also above, nerves 913, venation rather distinct.---Mal., Sum., Phil. |
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3a. |
Inflorescences cauliflorous to axillary, up to 41 cm long. |
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3b. |
Inflorescences axillary fascicles (groups of flowers) or racemes of less than 2 cm long. |
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4a. |
Inflorescences up to 15 cm long, glabrous. Older branches without cork. |
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4b. |
Inflorescences up to 41 cm long, slightly hairy. Older branches with thick, longitudinally fissured, soft, brown cork.---Mal. |
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5a. |
Inflorescences up to 7.5 cm long. Staminate flowers 1213 mm in diameter; calyx disc-like, hardly lobed, lobes very broadly triangular, 11.5 by c. 4.5 mm. Pistillate flowers c. 11 mm in diameter; pedicel c. 13 mm long.---Mal. |
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5b. |
Inflorescences up to 14 cm long. Staminate flowers 5.58 mm in diameter; calyx deeply lobed, lobes narrowly triangular, c. 3 by 0.91 mm. Pistillate flowers c. 4 mm in diameter; pedicel c. 2.2 mm long.---Bor. |
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6a. |
Staminate flowers at least (1.5)2 mm in diameter (when 1.5 mm in diameter then leaves 514 cm long). Leaves round to ovate to elliptic to obovate, blade 0.720 cm long. Fruits generally broader than high. |
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6b. |
Staminate flowers 1.21.5 mm in diameter. Leaves elliptic, blade 0.652.5 cm long. Fruits higher than broad.---Mal., Jav., Bor., Phil., LSI. |
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7a. |
Staminate flowers with 3 hooded sepals (apex incurved and grown with blade), the other 3 sepals apically incurved. Stamens: anthers free, almost erect, large: 0.71 by 0.81.7 mm. Leaves ovate. Stigmas erect, apically split (unknown for S. shawii). |
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7b. |
Staminate flowers with flat sepals, apically not incurved to incurved but then not grown with rest of lobe. Stamens either with 3 horizontal branches with stamens underneath (0.20.6 by 0.20.6 mm) or stamens completely united and erect (c. 0.8 by 0.3 mm, NG.). Leaves round to ovate to obovate. Stigmas erect and not split (NG.) or horizontal and apically split. |
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8a. |
Leaf blades 2.97 by 0.92.6 cm, leaf length/width ratio 1.93.2, apex gradually acute, midrib sharply raised above, whitish when dry, especially beneath.---Sum., Bor. |
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8b. |
Leaf blades 6.811.2 by 3.84.9 cm, leaf length/width ratio 1.82.3, apex acuminate to cuspidate, midrib hardly raised, not differently coloured when dry.--- Bor. |
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9a. |
Leaves round to ovate to obovate (on NG.: ovate to elliptic). Stamens not complely united, anthers on three horizontal branches. Stigmas horizontal, split. |
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9b. |
Leaves obovate. Stamens completely united and erect (Glochidion-like). Stigmas erect, apically not split.---NG. |
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10a. |
Leaves round to ovate to obovate, blade up to 3.3 cm long. Staminate flowers distinctly lobed, 24.2 mm in diameter. Fruits less than 1 cm broad.---Either: leaves very thin with extremely distinct venation or young branches with asperities between ribs. |
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10b. |
Leaves ovate (to elliptic), blade 1.820 cm long, papery to coriaceous, with at most distinct venation. Staminate flowers (in case of small leaves) not to hardly lobed, 1.525 mm in diameter. Fruits 1.23.1 cm broad. Young branches lacking asperities. |
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11a. |
Leaves (ovate to elliptic to) obovate, base cuneate, not peltate, venation mainly only visible beneath. Young branches usually with asperities between ribs.---Mal. |
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11b. |
Leaves round to ovate, base emarginate to truncate, subpeltate, venation extremely distinc on both sides. Young branches without asperities.---Mal. |
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12a. |
Pistillate pedicel 3.220 mm long. Stipules 1.83.5(6) by 0.81.5(2.2) mm; when stipules 36 mm long then staminate flowers c. 1.5 mm in diameter, otherwise staminate flowers 2.525 mm in diameter. |
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12b. |
Pistillate pedicel 2575 mm long. Stipules 2.38.5 by 1.32.8 mm. Staminate flowers 2.34.5 mm in diameter.---Malesia. |
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13a. |
Staminate flowers 2.525 mm in diameter. Stipules 1.83.5 by 0.81.5 mm. Leaves drying (greyish) light greenish beneath, not to hardly papillate beneath, venation distinct on both sides; apex gradually acute or acuminate to cuspidate. |
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13b. |
Staminate flowers c. 1.5 mm in diameter. Stipules 36 by 12.2 mm long. Leaves drying greyish green beneath, papillate beneath, venation very indistinct; apex acuminate.---Sum. |
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14a. |
Leaves gradually tapering to acute apex, sinuses below apex absent or indistinct, blade 1.89.5 cm long. Staminate flowers 2.56(20 Thailand) mm in diameter. Pistillate flowers 410 mm in diameter. Fruits 1217 by 914 mm.---Malesia. These two species are difficult to separate in the Philippines and especially the Lesser Sunda Islands, both species have pistillate flowers with the same diameter (LSI.) and leaves with the same shape, though those of S. rhamnoides usually somewhat larger. Sauropus rhamnoides has a long and sharp leaf apex, while S. androgynus has a much shorter more rounded to acute apex. |
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14b. |
Leaves apically with 2 sinuses, apex cuspidate, exceptionally (Phil., LSI) gradually tapering towards apex; blade 2.217.2 cm long. Staminate flowers 4.519(25) mm in diameter. Pistillate flowers 6.527 mm in diameter. Fruits 1331 by 1323 mm.---Malesia (absent in Sul., Mol., NG.).* |
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1a. |
Plants completely glabrous (except sometimes for the inflorescence). |
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1b. |
Plants with hairy stems and (partly) leaves.---Phil. |
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Staminate flowers at least 2.5 mm in diameter. Leaves ovate (to elliptic), blade 2.220 cm long. Fruits generally broader than high. |
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2b. |
Staminate flowers 1.21.5 mm in diameter. Leaves elliptic, blade 0.652.5 cm long. Fruits higher than broad. |
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Pistillate pedicel 327 mm long. Stipules 1.83.5 by 0.81.5 mm. Staminate flowers 325 mm in diameter. |
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3b. |
Pistillate pedicel 2575 mm long. Stipules 2.38.5 by 1.32.8 mm. Staminate flowers 2.34.5 mm in diameter. |
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Leaves gradually tapering into a short, obtusely acute apex, blade 1.84.6 cm long. Staminate flowers 2.54.5 mm in diameter. Pistillate flowers 45.5 mm in diameter. Fruits c. 15 by 1315 mm. |
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4b. |
Leaves gradually tapering into a long, very sharply acute apex, blade 2.211 cm long. Staminate flowers 6.512 mm in diameter. Pistillate flowers 6.512 mm in diameter. Fruits 1321 by 1318 mm. |
Sauropus androgynus (L.) Merr., Bull. Bur. Forest. Philipp. Is. 1 (1903) 30; J. Straits Branch Roy. Asiat. Soc. 76 (1917b) 92; Pax & K.Hoffm. in Engl., Pflanzenr. IV.147.xv (1922) 217; Merr., Enum. Philipp. Fl. Pl. 2 (1923) 405; Gamble, Fl. Madras 2 (1925) 1303; S.Moore, J. Bot. 63, Suppl. (1925) 93; Beille in M.H.Lecomte, Fl. Indo-Chine 5 (1927) 645; Backer & Bakh.f., Fl. Java 1 (1963) 471; Airy Shaw, Kew Bull. 26 (1972) 333; Whitmore, Tree Fl. Malaya 2 (1973) 130; Airy Shaw, Kew Bull. Add. Ser. 4 (1975) 193; Kew Bull. Add. Ser. 8 (1980a) 199; Kew Bull. 36 (1981) 342; Kew Bull. 37 (1982) 34; Alph. Enum. Euph. Philipp. Isl. (1983) 44; Polunin, Pl. Fl. Singapore (1987) 150, Fig. 153; Pl. Fl. Malaysia (1988) 138, Fig. 138; Levang & Foresta, Econ. Pl. Indonesia (1991) 66; Du Puy & Telford, Fl. Australia 50 (1993) 263; I.M.Turner, Gard. Bull. Singapore 45 (1993) 87; Kapil & Bhatnagar, Ann. Missouri Bot. Gard. 81: 145; M.H.Bergh in Siemonsma & Piluek, PROSEA 8, vegetables (1994) 244; Wightman, Astuti & Munawaroh, Northern Territory Bot. Bull. 19 (1994) 15; Chakrab. & M.G.Gangop., J. Econ. Tax. Bot. 20 (1996) 519, Fig. 1: gj; C.Q.Lin et al., J. Trop. Subtrop. Bot. 7 (1999) 255, 256; Philcox, Rev. Handb. Fl. Ceylon 13 (1999) 102; Hung et al., Ann. Nucl. Med. Sc. 13: 197; Smitinand, Thai Pl. Names, rev. ed. (2001) 466; Welzen, Blumea 48 (2003) 340, fig. 1a, map 3. --- Clutia androgyna L., Mant. Pl. 1 (1767) 128. --- Aalius androgynus (L.) Kuntze, Revis. Gen. Pl. (1891) 591 (androgyna). --- Lectotype: Hb. Linnaeus 1206.14 (holo LINN).
Sauropus albicans Blume, Bijdr. (1825) 596; Hassk., Retzia 1 (1855) 162; Mόll.Arg. in DC., Prodr. 15, 2 (1866) 240; Kurz, Forest Fl. Burma 2 (1877) 349; Hook.f., Fl. Br. India 5 (1887) 332; Ridl., J. Straits Branch Roy. Asiat. Soc. 59 (1911) 176; Craib, Bull. Misc. Inform. (Dec. 1911) 457; Ridl., Fl. Malay Penins. 3 (1924) 220. --- Sauropus albicans Blume var. genuinus Mόll.Arg. in DC., Prodr. 15, 2 (1866) 241, nom. inval. --- Lectotype (Welzen, 2003): Blume s.n. (holo L, barcode L 0138130), Indonesia, Java, Bantam.
Phyllanthus strictus Roxb., Fl. Ind. 3, ed. 1832 (1832) 670. --- Syntypes: Roxburgh Icones pl. 1685 (K); Roxburgh s.n. (Hb. Forsyth) (K), India; Wallich 7933A (K-W), Wallich 7933B (G-DC, K-W, K); Wallich 7933E (K-W, K), India, Sillet.
Sauropus retroversus Wight, Icon. Pl. Ind. Orient. 6 (1853) t. 1951 (left); Thwaites, Enum. Pl. Zeyl. (1864) 284; Mόll.Arg. in DC., Prodr. 15, 2 (1866) 241; Hook.f., Fl. Br. India 5 (1887) 333; Pax & K.Hoffm. in Engl., Pflanzenr. IV.147.xv (1922) 221; Beille in M.H.Lecomte, Fl. Indo-Chine 5 (1927) 651; Chakrab. & M.G.Gangop., J. Econ. Tax. Bot. 20 (1996) 537, Fig. 9: eh; Philcox, Rev. Handb. Fl. Ceylon 13 (1999) 104. --- Aalius retroversus (Wight) Kuntze, Revis. Gen. Pl. (1891) 591 (retroversa). --- Syntypes: Anonymous s.n. (K), Sri Lanka; Thwaites CP 3134 (G-DC, K), Sri Lanka, Central Prov., Oodoopussalawa (Thwaites, 1864); Walker 274 (K), Sri Lanka.
Sauropus gardnerianus Wight, Icon. Pl. Ind. Orient. 6 (1853) t. 1951 (right); Thwaites, Enum. Pl. Zeyl. (1864) 284. --- Sauropus albicans Blume var. gardnerianus (Wight) Mόll.Arg., Linnaea 32 (1863) 72; in DC., Prodr. 15, 2 (1866) 241. --- Type: Gardner 472 (n.v.), Sri Lanka (Ceylon), Hantane.
Sauropus zeylanicus Wight, Icon. Pl. Ind. Orient. 6 (1853) t. 1952 (left). --- Sauropus albicans Blume var. zeylanicus (Wight) Mόll.Arg. in DC., Prodr. 15, 2 (1866) 241. --- Type: R. Wight s.n. (n.v.), Sri Lanka (Ceylon). (A possible syntype, Gardner s.n. in K).
Sauropus indicus Wight, Icon. Pl. Ind. Orient. 6 (1853) t. 1952 (right); Hassk., Retzia 1 (1855) 164; Miq., Fl. Ned. Ind. I, 2 (1859) 366. --- Type: Wight s.n. (n.v.), India, Courtallum and Shevagherry Hills.
Agyneia ovata Miq., Fl. Ned. Ind. I, 2 (1859) 367. --- Type: Zollinger s.n. (U, holo, barcode U 0002081), Indonesia, Java.
Sauropus sumatranus Miq., Fl. Ned. Ind., eerste bijv. (1861) 179, 446; Ridl., Fl. Malay Penins. 3 (1924) 220. --- Aalius sumatranus (Miq.) Kuntze, Revis. Gen. Pl. (1891) 591 (sumatrana). --- Type: Teysmann s.n. (holo U, barcode U 0002082; iso A, G-DC), Indonesia, Sumatra, Rau Distr. (= Riau Prov.).
Sauropus albicans Blume var. intermedius Mόll.Arg., Linnaea 32 (1863) 72; in DC., Prodr. 15, 2 (1866) 241. --- Type: Wallich 273? (holo G-DC, n.v.; IDC microfiche DC herbarium 2461-5), India, Prome.
Sauropus oblongifolius Hook.f., Fl. Br. India 5 (1887) 333. ---Syntypes: Griffith KD 4824 (K), India, East Bengal, Mishmee; Masters s.n. (n.v.), India, Upper Assam, Dailoon in the Mishmi Hills.
Andrachne sp.: Merr., Philipp. J. Sci. 1, Suppl. (1906) 74. --- Sauropus scandens C.B.Rob., Philipp. J. Sci. 4 (1909) 72; Pax & K.Hoffm. in Engl., Pflanzenr. IV.147.xv (1922) 224; Merr., Enum. Philipp. Fl. Pl. 2 (1923) 405; Airy Shaw, Alph. Enum. Euph. Philipp. Isl. (1983) 44. --- Type: FB (Borden) 1934 (holo PNH, ; iso K, NY, US), Philippines, Luzon, Bataan Prov., Mt. Mariveles, Lamao River.
Sauropus parviflorus Pax & K.Hoffm. in Engl., Pflanzenr. IV.147.xv (1922) 218; Beille in M.H.Lecomte, Fl. Indo-Chine 5 (1927) 646. --- Type: Warburg 5057 (holo B, ), Thailand (Siam), Bangkok.
Sauropus macranthus auct. non Hassk.: Fern.-Vill., Nov. App. (1883) 187 (pro Vidal s.n., Philippines, Luzon, Tayabas).
Sauropus sp., ? aff. S. stipitato Hook.f.: Airy Shaw, Kew Bull. 26 (1972) 339, p.p. [pro Kerr 8522 (BK, K), Thailand (Siam), Nong Kai (Nawng Kai), Chaiyaburi]. See note 3.
Herbs to shrubs (to treelets), up to 4 m high, dbh up to 3 cm; young branches with 2 or 4 ribs, green, flowering branches 12 mm thick. Indumentum absent. Bark light brown to grey. Stipules triangular, 1.83.2 by 0.81.3 mm, basally somewhat eared, usually thin, usually caducous. Leaves: petiole 23 mm long, flattened above; blade ovate (to elliptic), 1.89.5 by 0.64 cm, length/width ratio 1.53.8, papery (to pergamentaceous), base rounded to truncate, margin flat to recurved, apex (round to bluntly) acute, at most with slight sinuses below the apex, often mucronulate, dark green above, (grey-)light green and often somewhat papillate underneath; nerves usually distinct on both sides, nerves 610, veins somewhat scalariform, veinlets reticulate. Inflorescences axillary fascicles (or flowers in up to 8 mm long racemes), flowers single or few together, usually all of same sex. Staminate flowers 2.56(20) mm in diameter; pedicel 4.513 mm long, green; calyx flat, (small and somewhat lobed to) wide, reflexed and hardly lobed, light yellowish green to maroon outside, maroon inside, lobes indistinct to ovate, 0.73 by 1.35 mm; stamens: androphore 0.10.3 mm long, cream, stamens 0.40.6 by 0.40.6 mm. Pistillate flowers 4.510 mm in diameter; pedicel up to 3.211(14 in fruit) mm long, apically up to 1 mm thick, green; calyx lobes usually obovate, green with maroon to maroon outside, dark maroon inside, smaller ones 1.83.5(4 in fruit) by 1.83.8(5.5 in fruit) mm, larger ones 2.25.5 by 27 mm; ovary 1.11.5 by 12 mm; stigmas up to 1.2 mm long, light yellow (with maroon), horizontal, split till halfway, bend, forming less than a circle. Fruits globose (to obovoid), inflated, somewhat fleshy but pergamentaceous when dry, 1217 by 915 mm, white to finally maroon; column 810 mm long with apically heart-shaped remnants of the septae. Seeds triangular in transverse section, hollow adaxially, 710 by 4.56.5 by 34.5 mm, white to black.
Distribution --- India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh?, Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, Viet Nam, Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore, Sumatra, Java, Cocos Islands, Christmas Island (Indian Ocean), Borneo, Philippines, Sulawesi, Lesser Sunda Islands, Moluccas, New Guinea (Irian Jaya).
Habitat & Ecology --- Monsoon (deciduous) forest, secondary forest, swamp forest, open areas and clearings, in scrubs and thickets, waste grounds, hedges, fruit gardens, gardens and house yards, along forest edges, rivers, and roads, near the beach, often a weed or cultivated; in dry to wet soil: shale, (coral) limestone, sand, weathered phyllite, andesite, sandy loam, granite. Altitude: 01500 m. Flowering and fruiting whole year through, though less fruiting in Jan. to Mar.
Uses --- Young shoots, leaves, but also flowers and fruits are eaten, raw, cooked or in the soup, as a vegetable throughout the region; they taste sweet and have a nice or very typical odour. The plant is often cultivated in small fields, as hedges, or allowed as weed near the house. Stripped leaves and young shoots are sold in the market. Dried and crushed root is used medicinally in Chiang Mai (Thailand) against head ache, but seemingly also acts against fever or urinary problems; the leaves are thought to stimulate milk production and recover the womb after child birth. In Java the leaves are also used to treat wounds and against colds (Harini 35). A green dye, used in foo are used as a green dye in food products. (Partly after van den Bergh, 1994). According to Levang & Foresta (1991) the plant is used as a vegetable, fruit, medicinally, as dye, and ornamentally.
Chemical compounds --- Lin et al. (1999) report that the major chemical essential oil constituents of the leaves are: Carvacrol methyl ether (49.35 %), Thymol (14.67 %) and Butylated hydroxytoluene (10.5 %); all other oil compounds are usually less than 2 %. The plant is exceptionally rich in several vitamins and contains the alkaloid Papaverine in harmless quantities (Polunin, 1987, 1988). Hung et al. (2000) relate that in Taiwan S. androgynus is used to slim down and then the amounts of Papaverine become too high and cause Bronchiolitis Obliterans (a fibrosing process of the lungs).
Vernacular names --- Myanmar: Yaung-mapywet; yo-ma-hin-yo (Kurz, 1877). Laos: Pahk wan. Thailand: Cha phak wan, kan tong, ma yom pa, phak kan thong, phak wan, phak wan ban (official Thai name), phak wan tai bai; tho-lui-ka-ne-doh (Karen); na-na siam (Malay). Vietnam: Bu lot, cβy bu ngot, cβy chum ngot, cβy cu de, cβy dau ngot, cu ve, dom nghob, ran ngot (Beille, 1927). Peninsular Malaysia: Assin-assin, chekop, chekop manis, chekor manis, kasim, kencur manis; thavasi murunggai (Tamil) (partly after Ridley, 1924). Indonesia: cekop manis, katu, katuk, memata (Levang & Foresta, 1991). Sumatra: Bait memata oetan, daun katu, lakioi, nasi-nasi, simanie, si topoe manoek; katoe (Akar, Malay). Java: Boemo, kera kuhr, katoek/katuk; babing, katukan, katu (Javanese; Levang & Foresta, 1991); daun katuk, katuk (Sundanese; Levang & Foresta, 1991), katuk utan (Sundanese, Djasilin dialect). Borneo: Kalimantan Timur: Daun katuk; Sabah: Chang kok manis (Malay); sayor manis (Dusun). Philippines: Tawitawi (Basilan Island). Moluccas: Katoek.
Notes --- 1. S. androgynus is a widespread, often cultivated species, and, probably therefore, very variable. Usually the leaves are rather small, less than 5 cm long, but many exceptions exist; the apex usually gradually narrows into an acute acumen, the staminate flowers are usually hardly lobed (though often somewhat lobed in N. Thailand and Laos, and exceptionally in other areas), the pistillate sepals are somewhat dimorph, and the fruits are inflated and somewhat fleshy.
2. This species is difficult to distinguish from S. macranthus, and S. rhamnoides. These two species usually have acuminate leaves with very distinct sinuses near the apex, while S. androgynus has acute leaves, gradually narrowing towards the apex without distinct sinuses. However, S. androgynus may have slight sinuses and Philippine S. rhamnoides may almost lack the sinuses. Sauropus macranthus has larger leaves, longer and more persistent stipules, and different staminate flowers. Compared with S. androgynus, S. rhamnoides usually has (much) larger leaves (big overlap), wider staminate flowers (overlap, especially due to some exceptional specimens of A. androgynus in Thailand and Borneo), pistillate sepals usually larger and distinctly dimorph, and larger fruits.
3. S. spec. (Airy Shaw, 1972) is referred to S. androgynus, because staminate flowers with distinct, incurved lobes are often encountered.
Sauropus asymmetricus Welzen, Blumea 48 (2003) 344, map 4 --- Type: Yates 1241 (holo BM, barcode BM000606476), Indonesia, Sumatra.
Small shrub; young branches with 2 faint ribs, flowering branches 1.52.5 mm thick. Indumentum absent. Stipules triangular, 36 by 12.2 mm, basally eared, rather stiff and persistent. Leaves: petiole c. 4 mm long, above channeled; blade ovate, 5.113.5 by 3.65.2 cm, length/width ratio 1.42.6, papery, base assymetric, rounded to very broadly cuneate, margin flat, apex acuminate, mucronulate, upper surface drying dark green, lower surface drying greyish green, densely papillate; venation indistinct on both sides, hardly raised beneath, nerves 810 per side, veins and veinlets indistinct. Inflorescences axillary fascicles (to short racemes of less than 1 cm long), flowers single or few staminate ones together. Staminate flowers c. 1.5 mm in diameter; pedicel c. 2.5 mm long; calyx c. 1.2 mm deep, smaller lobes c. 0.8 by 0.6 mm, apex incurved, acute, larger lobes c. 0.8 by 0.7 mm, apex further incurved, rounded; stamens: androphore 0.30.4 mm long, anthers c. 0.3 by 0.5 mm. Pistillate flowers unknown; fruiting pedicel c. 10 mm long; calyx lobes c. 1.5 by 1.2 mm. Fruits subglobose, 1619 by 1617 mm, wall rather thin, somewhat corky, apically with small hole between stigmas; column not seen. Seed triangular in cross section, c. 13 by 6 by 6 mm.
Distribution --- Sumatra.
(S. asymmetricus: dots; S. micrasterias: stars;
S. shawii:
triangles)
Habitat & Ecology --- Primary hill forest and secondary forest; soil: limestone, red soil. Altitude: 500 m. Flowering: December; fruiting: OctoberMay.
Vernacular names --- Sumatra: Kajoe ira.
Notes --- This species resembles S. shawii from Borneo and at first sight seems to be part also of the Hemisauropus group, because the staminate calyx lobes are inflexed. However, the apices of three staminate calyx lobes are not grown with the blade as in the Hemisauropus group, nor are the stamens large and more or less erect as in the Hemisauropus group, the stamens show the usual Sauropus type with horizontal branches with underneath the anthers. The leaves also have a somewhat different shape like those of S. shawii, both are basally asymmetric, but the leaf base of S. asymmetricus is much wider and the leaves are generally somewhat larger.
Sauropus bacciformis (L.) Airy Shaw, Kew Bull. Add. Ser. 8 (1980a) 221; Kew Bull. 35 (1980b) 685; Kew Bull. 36 (1981) 343; Kew Bull. 37 (1982) 34; Chakrab. & M.G.Gangop., J. Econ. Tax. Bot. 20 (1996) 523, Fig. 1: af; Philcox, Rev. Handb. Fl. Ceylon 13 (1999) 100; Smitinand, Thai Pl. Names, rev. ed. (2001) 467; Welzen, Blumea 48 (2003) 345, map 5. --- Phyllanthus bacciformis L., Mant. Pl. (1767) 294. --- Agyneia bacciformis (L.) A.Juss., Euphorb. Gen. (1824) 24, t. 6.; Blume, Bijdr. (1825) 595; Mόll.Arg. in DC., Prodr. 15, 2 (1866) 238; Hook.f., Fl. Br. India 5 (1887) 285; Pax & K.Hoffm. in Engl., Pflanzenr. IV.147.xv (1922) 213; Beille in M.H.Lecomte, Fl. Indo-Chine 5 (1927) 642, Fig. 76; Merr. & Chun, Sunyatsenia 5 (1940) 91; Steenis, Bull. Jard. Bot. Buitenzorg ser. 3, 17 (1948) 410. --- Agyneia phyllanthoides Spreng., Syst. Veg. 3 (1826) 19, nom. illig. --- Diplomorpha bacciformis (L.) Kuntze, Revis. Gen. Pl. (1891) 603. -- Synostemon bacciformis (L.) G.L.Webster, Taxon 9 (1960) 26, in adnot.; Backer & Bakh.f., Fl. Java 1 (1963) 471; Airy Shaw, Kew Bull. 26 (1972) 343; Whitmore, Tree Fl. Malaya 2 (1973) 133; Airy Shaw, Kew Bull. Add. Ser. 4 (1975) 199. --- Type: Koenig s.n. (n.v.), S. India, Tranquebaria.
Phyllanthus racemosus L.f., Suppl. Pl. (1781) 415. --- Emblica racemosa (L.f.) Spreng., Syst. Veg. 3 (1826) 20. 1826. --- Type: Koenig s.n. (n.v.), Sri Lanka (Ceylon).
Agyneia impubes Vent., Descr. Pl. Jard. Nouv. (1800) 23, tab. 23. --- Type: Bojer s.n. (K), Mauritius.
Diplomorpha herbacea Griff., Not. Pl. Asiat. 4 (1854) 479. --- Type: Not indicated (n.v.), India.
Phyllanthus goniocladus Merr. & Chun, Sunyatsenia 2 (1935) 260, t. 51. --- Type: F.C. How 70913 (holo NY; iso A), China, Hainan, Yaichow (Ngai Yuen).
Sauropus gramineus Airy Shaw, Kew Bull. 35 (1980b) 389. --- Type: Kerr 8472 (holo K; iso BM), Thailand (Siam), Northeastern (Udawn Circle), Nakhon Phanom Prov. (Nakawn Panom), Ta Uten. See note 1.
Herbs to subshrubs up to 50 cm high, pale green, branches with mainly 4 ribs, flowering branches c. 1.5 mm thick. Indumentum absent. Stipules triangular to falcate, 1.73 by 0.51.5 mm, papery, rather persistent, often with very small asperities along margin and midrib beneath. Leaves: petiole less than 1 mm long, flattened above; blade elliptic, 6.525 by 1.57(13) mm, length/width ratio 1.57.8, pergamentaceous (fleshy when fresh), base rounded, margin flat, without asperities, apex rounded to acute, lower surface somewhat papillate and glaucous; nerves very indistinct, only midrib distinct beneath. Inflorescences axillary fascicles; flowers green to light purple, several together (staminate) or single (pistillate), pistillate flowers at end of branches. Staminate flowers 1.21.5 mm in diameter; pedicel c. 0.6 mm long; calyx lobes deeply divided, ovate, 0.40.6 by 0.30.4 mm, scales subapically on inside, apex entire, rounded; stamens: androphore c. 0.2 mm high; stamens c. 0.2 by 0.20.3 mm Pistillate flowers 35.5 mm in diameter; pedicel 34 mm long; sepals free, ovate, 22.8 by 11.4 mm, apex acute, reflexed in fruit; ovary obtruncate, 11.3 by 0.91 mm, apically with fleshy extensions basally to styles; styles c. 0.5 mm long, erect, upper half split, hardly coiled. Fruits ovoid, 55.2 by 5.56.5 mm, green, with apically lobed rim around stigmas; column 3.23.3 mm long, with ellipsoid thickening above middle till apex. Seeds triangular in section, 4.54.9 by 1.21.8 by 1.21.5 mm, surface strobiculate.
Distribution --- Mauritius, Maldives, India, Sri Lanka, S. China, S.E. Asia main land, W. Malesia: Malay Peninsula, Java, Borneo, Philippines, and Lesser Sunda Islands (Timor).
Habitat & Ecology --- Especially along or near beaches, usually in sun, also recorded to be common in wet, grassy roadsides, edges of rice fields, along path through mangrove, tidal flats and in open waste grounds; soil: usually silty sand, clay, limestone. Altitude: sea level up to 200(1800) m. Flowering en fruiting whole year through.
Vernacular names --- Thailand: Ma pharo nok khao, soi nok khao (official Thai name), thong laeng.
Note --- Airy Shaw (1980b) states that, even though the habit and leaves of S. gramineus resemble those of S. bacciformis, the staminate flowers are like those of S. quadrangularis. However, a study of the type showed a perfect match of the staminate flowers with those of S. bacciformis. Therefore, the name S. gramineus is synonymized with S. bacciformis.
Sauropus brevipes Mόll.Arg., Linnaea 32 (1863) 73; in DC., Prodr. 15, 2 (1866) 242; Hook.f., Fl. Br. India 5 (1887) 335; Pax & K.Hoffm. in Engl., Pflanzenr. IV.147.xv (1922) 222; Beille in M.H.Lecomte, Fl. Indo-Chine 5 (1927) 653; Airy Shaw, Kew Bull. 23 (1969) 44; Kew Bull. 26 (1972) 334; Whitmore, Tree Fl. Malaya 2 (1973) 130; Chakrab. & M.G.Gangop., J. Econ. Tax. Bot. 20 (1996) 524, Fig. 3; Smitinand, Thai Pl. Names, rev. ed. (2001) 467; Welzen, Blumea 48 (2003) 348, map 7. ---Aalius brevipes (Mόll.Arg.) Kuntze, Revis. Gen. Pl. (1891) 591. --- Type: Wallich 23? (holo G-DC, n.v., 2 sheets, IDC microfiche DC herbarium 2461/12, 13), India, Prome.
Sauropus parvifolius Ridl., J. Straits Branch Roy. Asiat. Soc. 49 (1911) 175; Fl. Malay Penins. 3 (1924) 221; M.R.Hend., J. Malayan Branch Roy. Asiat. Soc. 17 (1939) 72. --- Type: Ridley 15187 (holo K; iso BM), Malaysia, Kedah, Alor Sta.
Woody herbs to shrubs, up to 1.5 m tall, often smelling of fenugreek when dry; branches with 2 relatively broad ribs, often with asperities between the ribs, glabrescent; flowering branches c. 0.5 mm thick. Indumentum absent. Stipules triangular to basally eared and falcate, 0.53.1 by 0.41.5 mm, membraneous, persistent. Leaves: petiole 1.32.5 mm long, flattened above to squarish in transverse section; blade (ovate to elliptic to) obovate, 0.93.3 by 0.62.3 cm, length/width ratio 1.12.9, papery to chartaceous, base (emarginate to truncate to) cuneate, margin lat (to revolute), apex rounded to acuminate, mucronulate, upper surface dark green, lower surface light dull green, papillate; venation mainly well visible beneath, nerves 68 per side, not raised, veins and veinlets reticulate. Inflorescences axillary fascicles, usually single or few staminate ones together, pale green to bright red. Staminate flowers 25 mm in diameter; pedicel 2.56.2 mm long; calyx 12.7 mm deep, lobes 0.51.2 by 0.72.5 mm, apex slightly emarginate to rounded; stamens: androphore 0.20.3 mm long, anthers 0.20.3 by 0.20.3 mm. Pistillate flowers 57(9 in fruit) mm in diameter; pedicel 1.82.7 mm long; calyx lobes obovate, not spade-like to spade-like, 2.23.2 by 1.32.5 mm, 3 slightly smaller; ovary 0.61 by 1.51.8 mm; stigmas horizontal, up to 1.3 mm long, split for 0.6 mm, usually curled for less than a full circle. Fruits ovoid, c. 5 by 4 mm; column c. 4 mm long, tapering towards apex. Seeds triangular in transverse section, c. 3.7 by 2.3 by 2.3 mm.
Distribution --- Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, N. Peninsular Malaysia (Perlis, Kedah, Penang).
Habitat & Ecology --- Mixed dry dipterocarp forest, decidous forest, bamoo-evergreen forest, evergreen thickets, by streams, forest edges, sandy shores; soil: limestone, sand, red clay, granite. Altitude: 0700 m. Flowering: Feb., MaySept., Nov.; fruiting: Feb., May.
Vernacular name --- Thailand: Kraduk kai dam (official Thai name); kham kao.
Notes --- Extremely similar to S. quadrangularis, but differing in smell of fenugreek (though this smell disappears with age of the specimen), the apically hardly to non-lobed staminate sepals, and the horizontal stigmas. The latter is the most typical difference, especially in the north of Thailand. Also, S. brevipes often has asperities along the stem between the ribs, these are absent in the glabrous specimens of S. quadrangularis (check youngest branchlets).
Sauropus calcareus M.R.Hend., Gard. Bull. Straits Settlem.7 (1933) 121; J. Malayan Branch Roy. Asiat. Soc. 17 (1939) 72; Whitmore, Tree Fl. Malaya 2 (1973) 130; Welzen, Blumea 48 (2003) 350, map 8. --- Type: SF (Henderson) 22316 (holo SING; iso K (4 sheets), KEP, NY), Malaysia, Pahang, Gunung Senyum limestone hill.
Shrublets, less than 50 cm tall; branches not ribbed, branches blackish, glabrous or hirsute, flowering branches 0.70.9 mm thick. Indumentum absent or of simple hairs. Stipules triangular, 1.52.3 by 0.81.2 mm, stiff, rather persistent. Leaves: petiole c. 1.5 mm long, roundish in transverse section, glabrous or hirsute; blade round to ovate, 1.42.8 by 12.3 cm, length/width ratio 1.21.4, very thin, almost translucent, base emarginate to truncate, very slightly peltate, margin flat, glabrous or especially basally hairy, apex emarginate to subacute, not mucronulate?, upper surface drying greyish green, lower surface drying more olive green, not papillate; venation raised on both sides and very distinct, nerves 68 per side, veins and veinlets reticulate, especially distinct near margin. Inflorescences axillary fascicles to very short racemes (up to 5 mm long); flowers single or few together, red. According to Henderson (1933): Staminate flowers 1.62 mm in diameter; pedicel up to 8 mm long, apex thickened; calyx 6-lobed, either lobes almost completely united, c. 0.5 by 1 mm, broad, apex rounded (glabrous specimen), or lobes almost free, very narrow, scale broader than lobes (hairy specimen); staminal column very short and broad. Pistillate flowers c. 3.5 mm in diameter; pedicel 23 mm long; calyx lobes c. 1.9 by 1.5 mm; ovary c. 1 mm long; stigmas flat, bifid tips free, recurved. Fruits depressed globose, c. 4.5 mm in diameter; black when dry. Seeds straw-coloured.
Distribution --- Malaysia (Pahang, Perak).
(S. calcareus: dots; S. discocalyx Welzen: stars)
Habitat & Ecology --- On limestone. Flowering and fruiting: July.
Note --- The species is known only from the glabrous (and rather poor) type, of which the isotypes in Kew still possess some staminate flowers. A second, unfortunately also scrappy specimen from Malaysia, Perak, B. Molsworth-Allen s.n. (SING), is very hairy and comprises one young staminate flower. Only one other Sauropus species has hairy and glabrous specimens: S. quadrangularis; usually the species is hairy or glabrous only. There is a big difference in staminate flowers between the two specimens, the glabrous type has hardly lobed staminate flowers, like many Sauropus species. The hairy specimens has staminate flowers like in S. assimilis Thwaites, S. trinervius Mόll.Arg., and S. micrasterias: almost free calyx lobes which are very narrow with a scale broader than the free lobal part. The same has been found for S. androgynus and S. rhamnoides in the Philippines. On the other hand, it may also be that these two specimens belong to separate species and that the limestone habitat caused the resembling leaves.
Sauropus discocalyx Welzen, Blumea 46 (2001) 501, fig. 1; Blumea 48 (2003) 351, fig. 6, map 8. --- Type: van Beusekom & Phengkhlai 566 (holo L; iso AAU, BKF, C, E, K, P), Thailand, (Peninsular,) Khao Saideng, near Ranong.
Sauropus bonii auct. non Beille: Smitinand, Thai Pl. Names, rev. ed. (2001) 467.
Shrublet with ascending habit, up to 0.5 m high; young branches with 4 distinct ribs. Indumentum absent. Stipules triangular, basally eared, 2.53 by 22.5 mm, stiff, rather persistent. Leaves: petiole 2.54 mm long, flattened above with 3 longitudinal (indistinct) ridges; blade (ovate to) elliptic, 11.517.5 by 5.87.2 cm, length/width ratio 22.3, papery, base attenuate, descending into petiole, margin flat, apex cuspidate, usually mucronulate, lower surface not papillate; venation flat to somewhat sunken above, distinct beneath, nerves 1215, veins and veinlets reticulate. Inflorescences cauliflorous at ground level to axillary, racemes (to panicles), up to 7.5 cm long, with per node groups of staminate flowers and a single pistillate flower; flowers sometimes on short, up to 2 mm long, branches with (sub)apically the pistillate flower. Flowers reddish green. Staminate flowers 1213 mm in diameter; pedicel 13.515 mm long; calyx hardly lobed, disc-like, translucent when mature; lobes very broadly triangular, 11.5 by c. 4.5 mm, patent, apex rounded, scales small; stamens: androphore c. 0,3 mm high, anthers c. 0.3 by 0.7 mm. Pistillate flowers c. 11 mm in diameter; pedicel c. 13 mm long; calyx almost completely split, lobes only basally attached, obovate, c. 5 by 3 mm, more or less with claw, apex rounded; ovary obtriangular, c. 2 by 2 mm, basally very narrow, green; stigmas horizontal, c. 2 mm long, split till halfway, forming more than a circle, green. Fruits red, not seen. Seeds unknown.
Distribution --- Thailand (Northern part Peninsular floristic district: Chumphon, Ranong Prov.). Perhaps also in Malaysia (Perak).
(S. discocalyx: stars; S. calcareus M.R.Hend.: dots)
Habitat & Ecology --- Wet evergreen forest. Altitude: 4001500 m. Flowering: Feb., May.
Vernacular name --- Thailand: Mayom bon.
Notes --- 1. The two known specimens resemble S. racemosus Beille. The type of that species (Balansa 3202, P) is quite unlike S. discocalyx in the leaves (smaller and narrower: up to 10.5 by 3.5, length/width ratio c. 3) and the staminate flowers (also broad, c. 15 mm in diameter, but very distinctly lobed, with lobes till about halfway the calyx). A second specimen from Paris, doubtfully identified as S. racemosus (leaves basally rounded instead of narrowly cuneate), has pistillate flowers with short, up to 2.2 mm long, pedicels and an ovary which is basally rounded and not narrow, also the diameter of the flower is much smaller, c. 7 mm in diameter and the calyx lobes are c. 3.5 by 2 mm.
2. A third specimen from Malaysia (Goping/Gopeng in Perak, Kings collector 477) bears a strong resemblance to the Thai specimens in the leaves. The staminate flowers are still too young. The pistillate flowers are also somewhat younger.
Sauropus macranthus Hassk., Retzia 1 (1855) 166; Hort. Bogor. Descr. (1858) 52; Mόll.Arg. in DC., Prodr. 15, 2 (1866) 240; Backer & Bakh.f., Fl. Java 1 (1963) 471; Airy Shaw & Radcl.-Sm., Dansk Bot. Ark. 25 (1967) 34, fig. 13; Airy Shaw, Kew Bull. 26 (1972) 336; Whitmore, Tree Fl. Malaya 2 (1973) 131; Airy Shaw, Kew Bull. Add. Ser. 4 (1975) 193; Kew Bull. Add. Ser. 8 (1980a) 200; Kew Bull. 35 (1980b) 681; Kew Bull. 36 (1981) 343; Alph. Enum. Euph. Philipp. Isl. (1983) 44; Chakrab. & M.G.Gangop., J. Econ. Tax. Bot. 20 (1996) 529, Fig. 6; Smitinand, Thai Pl. Names, rev. ed. (2001) 467; Welzen, Blumea 48 (2003) 358, fig. 3b, map 12. --- Aalius macranthus (Hassk.) Kuntze, Revis. Gen. Pl. 2 (1891) 591 (macrantha). --- Type: Teysmann s.n. (L, barcode L 0138428), Indonesia, Hortus Bogoriensis.
Sauropus spectabilis Miq., Fl. Ned. Ind., eerste bijv. (1861) 446; Mόll.Arg. in DC., Prodr. 15, 2 (1866) 240; Pax & K.Hoffm. in Engl., Pflanzenr. IV.147.xv (1922) 219; Ridl., Fl. Malay Penins. 3 (1924) 220; Beille in M.H.Lecomte, Fl. Indo-Chine 5 (1927) 647; M.R.Hend., J. Malayan Branch Roy. Asiat. Soc. 17 (1939) 30, 72. --- Aalius spectabilis (Miq.) Kuntze, , Revis. Gen. Pl. (1891) 591. --- Type: Teysmann HB 4481 (holo U), Indonesia, Sumatra, Lampung Prov. (Lampong), Radja-bassa.
Sauropus macrophyllus Hook.f., Fl. Br. India 5 (1887) 333, pro parte; Pax & K.Hoffm. in Engl., Pflanzenr. IV.147.xv (1922) 226. --- Aalius macrophyllus (Hook.f.) Kuntze, Revis. Gen. Pl. (1891) 591 (macrophylla). --- Lectotype (Welzen, 2003): Griffith KD 4834 (K), India, Upper Assam, Mishmi Hills at Laee Pane and Yen. (Other, former, syntype, Griffith KD 4828 = S. rhamnoides).
Sauropus forcipatus Hook.f., Fl. Br. india 5 (1887) 334; Pax & K.Hoffm. in Engl., Pflanzenr. IV.147.xv (1922) 218;.Ridl., Fl. Malay Penins. 3 (1924) 220. --- Aalius forcipatus (Hook.f.) Kuntze, Revis. Gen. Pl. (1891) 591 (forcipata). --- Type: Scortechini 1254 (holo K), Malaysia, Perak.
Glochidion umbratile Maiden & Betche, Proc. Linn. Soc. New South Wales 30 (1905) 370. --- Type: E. Betche s.n., Aug. 1901, barcode NSW247350 (holo NSW), Australia, North Queensland, Atherton.
Sauropus robinsonii Merr., Philipp. J. Sci. 7 (1912) 407; Pax & K.Hoffm. in Engl., Pflanzenr. IV.147.xv (1922) 220; Merr., Enum. Philipp. Fl. Pl. 2 (1923) 405. --- Type: Philippines: Elmer 6441 (holo PNH, ; iso BM, K (2sheets), L, P), Luzon, Benguet Subprov., Kias.
Sauropus wichurae Mόll.Arg. ex Pax & K.Hoffm. in Engl., Pflanzenr. IV.147.xv (1922) 220. --- Lectotype (Welzen, 2003): Wichura 2104 (holo G), Indonesia, Java, Tjisurupan.
Sauropus grandifolius Pax & K.Hoffm. in Engl., Pflanzenr. IV.147.xv (1922) 222; Beille in M.H.Lecomte, Fl. Indo-Chine 5 (1927) 648. --- Henry 11765A (holo K; iso K, 2 sheets), China, Yunnan, Szemao.
Sauropus grandifolius Pax & K.Hoffm. var. tonkinensis Beille in M.H.Lecomte, Fl. Indo-Chine 5 (1927) 648. --- Type: Balansa 3842 (holo P; iso K), Viet Nam, Tonkin, vallιe de Lankok, mont Bavi.
Sauropus longipedicellatus Merr. & Chun, Sunyatsenia 2 (1934) 34. --- H.Y. Liang 61709 (holo NY; iso A), China, Hainan, Seven Finger Mountain.
Shrubs to treelets, up to 5 m high, up to 22 mm dbh; branches spreading horizontally, with 2, often indistinct ribs, flowering branches 24 mm thick. Indumentum absent. Bark thin, smooth, tan to greyish brown. Stipules triangular, 2.38.5 by 1.32.8 mm, basally eared, dark brown when dry with yellowish margin, stiff, breaking off easily, not caducous. Leaves: petiole 35 mm long, cracked when dry, flattened above but with marginal and midrib ridges; blade ovate (to elliptic), 3.820 by 1.98.2 cm, length/width ratio 1.63.5, papery, base broadly cuneate, margin flat, apex (gradually) cuspidate, usually mucronulate, upper surface glossy dark green above, lower surface lighter bright green, never papillate; venation distinct on both sides but hardly raised, nerves 1017, veins more or less scalariform, veinlets reticulate. Inflorescences axillary fascicles, flowers pendent, usually single or few together of same or mixed sexes. Staminate flowers 2.54.5 mm in diameter, red; pedicel 7.515 mm long; calyx 1.52.8 mm deep, 6-lobed, lobes triangular, 0.51.2 by 12 mm, leathery, apex rounded to emarginate, scales low; stamens: androphore c. 0.2 mm high, anthers c. 0.3 by 0.30.6 mm. Pistillate flowers 3.512 mm in diameter, greenish red to red to purplish; pedicel up to 7.5 cm long in fruit, apically more than 1 mm thick; calyx lobes 6, only at very base attached, thick, 3 smaller, c. square to ovate, 2.23 by 2.33 mm; larger ones elliptic, 35.3 by 2.23.1 mm; ovary bell-shaped to ellipsoid, 22.5 by 2.23 mm, stigmas horizontal, c. 2 mm long, upper 2/3rd split, thick, curled in more than a complete circle, free from ovary. Fruits flattened globose to somewhat lobed, 1722 by 1013 mm, broader than high, (pink to) red to purplish, wall thin, mericarp white and edible; column c. 9 mm long, tapering towards the apex. Seeds triangular in transverse section, hollow adaxially, 1010.5 by 6.58 by 56 mm, black or brown.
Distribution --- NE India to S China, SE Asia, throughout Malesia to N Australia (Queensland).
Habitat & Ecology --- (Dry) evergreen forest, primary forest, secondary forest (with much bamboo), scrub; very dry to swampy, along rivers, ridges, on steep slopes; soil: deep fertile soil, humus rich to swampy boulder strewn soil; limestone bedrock. Altitude: 2002000 m. Flowering and fruiting whole year through, though somewhat less in Dec.Feb.
Uses --- On Java planted as ornamental. Mericarp edible. Leaves sometimes used as vegetable, but less popular than S. androgynus.
Vernacular names --- Thailand: Mayom khao. Sumatra: Gening-gening (Karo). Java: Manis manisan. Irian Jaya: Nibasam (Andjai).
Note --- This species has within Sauropus large leaves. However, especially in Australia the leaves are usually much smaller (less than 10 cm). On Java the pistillate pedicels remain shorter, within the range of S. rhamnoides. The latter species can relatively easily be distinguished from S. macranthus, even when in pistillate flower only, as it has caducous stipules and a very different kind of staminate flower (calyx enlarged, circular, hardly lobed).
Sauropus micrasterias Airy Shaw, Kew Bull. 14 (1960) 354; Kew Bull. 16 (1963) 344; Kew Bull. Add. Ser. 4 (1975) 194; Welzen, Blumea 48 (2003) 360, fig. 2b, map 4. --- Type: Jacobs 5179 (holo K; iso L), Sarawak, 1st Division, rock formation (Bau series) W. and E. of passage of Sungei Serin (30 miles S of Kuching).
Shrub (with creeping habit), up to 1.5 m high, sprouting from long roots; young branches with 2 faint ribs, flowering branches at least 4 mm thick. Indumentum absent. Stipules triangular, basally eared, 2.53 by 1.11.3 mm, stiff, rather persistent. Leaves: petiole 34 mm long, flattened above; blade elliptic (to somewhat obovate), 1420.5 by 6.38.5 cm, length/width ratio 2.22.4, papery, base cuneate, descending into petiole, margin flat, apex cuspidate, not mucronulate, lower surface not papillate; venation rather distinct on both sides, especially beneath, nerves 1215, veins more or less scalariform, veinlets reticulate. Inflorescences cauliflorous near ground to axillary, racemes (to panicles), up to 14 cm long, red, often with some asperities, with per node groups of staminate flowers and a single pistillate flower; staminate flowers sometimes on short, up to 5 mm long, branches. Flowers dull raspberry red to dark red. Staminate flowers 5.58 mm in diameter; pedicel 56 mm long; calyx c. 4 mm deep; lobes narrowly triangular, c. 3 by 0.91 mm, erect, apex rounded, scales slightly broader than lobes; stamens: androphore c. 0,3 mm high, anthers c. 0.5 by 0.7 mm, cream. Pistillate flowers c. 4 mm in diameter; pedicel c. 2.2 mm long; calyx almost completely split, lobes only basally attached, obovate, 3 smaller, c. 2 by 1.3 mm, 3 larger, c. 2.5 by 1.3 mm, apex rounded; ovary c. 1 by 1.3 mm, pinkish; stigmas horizontal, c. 1 mm long, split till halfway, forming less than a circle. Fruits and seeds unknown.
Distribution --- Endemic in Sarawak, near Kuching.
(S. micrasterias: stars; S. asymmetricus: dots;
S. shawii:
triangles)
Habitat & Ecology --- Primary and secondary forest at foot of limestone hills, land wet (recorded once) with scattered limestone boulders; soil: yellow clay loam, limestone. Altitude 70400 m. Flowering: Mar., Aug., Oct.
Sauropus rhamnoides Blume, Bijdr. (1825) 596; Mόll.Arg. in DC., Prodr. 15, 2 (1866) 240; J.J.Sm., Meded. Depart. Landb. Ned.-Indiλ 10 (1910) 191; Merr., J. Straits Branch Roy. Asiat. Soc., special numb. (1921) 329; Pax & K.Hoffm. in Engl., Pflanzenr. IV.147.xv (1922) 219; S.Moore, J. Bot. 63, Suppl. (1925) 93; Merr., Pl. Elmer. Born. (1929) 139; Backer & Bakh., Fl. Java 1 (1963) 471; Airy Shaw, Kew Bull. Add. Ser. 4 (1975) 194; Kew Bull. 32 (1977) 81; Chakrab. & M.G.Gangop., J. Econ. Tax. Bot. 20 (1996) 539, Fig. 11; Smitinand, Thai Pl. Names, rev. ed. (2001) 468; Welzen, Blumea 48 (2003) 367, fig. 1b, c, 3a, 8, map 16. --- Aalius rhamnoides (Blume) Kuntze, Revis. Gen. Pl. 2 (1891) 591 (rhamnodes). --- Lectotype (Welzen, 2003): Blume s.n. (L, barcode L 0138511), Indonesia, Java, Montis Salak.
Sauropus lanceolatus Hook.f., Fl. Br. India 5 (1887) 333. --- Type: Griffith KD 4825 (K; 4828 on sheet), India, East Bengal, Mishmee. (N.B. there are more sheets of Griffith KD 4828 in K, one is paratype of S. macrophyllus Hook.f.).
Sauropus hayatae Beille in M.H.Lecomte, Fl. Indo-Chine 5 (1927) 650. --- Type: Hayata s.n. (holo P), Viet Nam, Annam, Bum-mo.
Sauropus rostratus auct. non Miq.: Airy Shaw, Kew Bull. 37 (1982) 35.
Herbs to (scandent) shrubs to treelets to small vines, up to 6(10) m high, dbh up to 4(12) cm; young branches with 2 or 4 ribs, flowering branches 0.82 mm thick. Indumentum absent. Stipules triangular, 23.5 by 0.81.5 mm, basally usually eared, usually thin with membranous margin, usually caducous, sometimes torn-like. Leaves: petiole 34 mm long, flattened and grooved along midrib above; blade ovate (to elliptic), 2.217.2 by 18.4 cm, length/width ratio 1.23.2, papery, base cuneate to somewhat oblique, margin flat to recurved, apex (gradually to) suddenly smaller with 2 sinuses acuminate to cuspidate (see note 2 and 3), often mucronulate, dark green above, pale light green, usually not papillate underneath; venation well-visible on both sides, nerves 710, veins somewhat scalariform, veinlets reticulate. Inflorescences axillary fascicles, sometimes short staminate racemes of up to 5 mm long, flowers usually single or few together, usually all of same sex. Staminate flowers 4.519(25, Philippines) mm in diameter; pedicel 6.212 mm long, green to white; calyx not or hardly lobed and circular (to lobed and more star-shaped in SE Thailand and the Lesser Sunda Islands, or sometimes deeply lobed in the Philippines; see note 2 and 3), white to striped pinkish or reddish to reddish, lobes 11.6 by 1.52.5 mm, somewhat leathery, apex entire; stamens: androphore 0.10.4 mm long, anthers 0.30.5 by 0.30.4 mm, blackish. Pistillate flowers 6.527 mm in diameter; pedicel 7.520 mm long, apically 11.5 mm thick, very pale greenish; calyx lobes thick, only at very base attached, obovate, yellowish or light green to red, smaller inner ones (4)610 by (3.3)68 mm, larger outer ones (4)716 by (4)711 mm; pistil light yellow to whitish, ovary bell-shaped, 1.83.6 by 1.52.7 mm; stigmas 1.32.3 mm long, horizontal, thick, upper half curved, forming more than a complete circle. Fruits ellipsoid to obovoid, inflated, somewhat fleshy but pergamentaceous when dry, 1331 by 1323 mm, white to pale yellow to finally red, somewhat higher than broad, wall thin except near sutures; column 1719 mm long, in upper 2/3rd with heart-shaped remnants of septae. Seeds triangular in section, hollow adaxially, c. 11 by 67 by 45.5 mm, blackish.
Distribution: India, Myanmar, Thailand (Southeastern and Peninsular floristic districts), Cambodia, S Viet Nam, Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Java, Borneo, Philippines, Lesser Sunda Islands (Sumbawa, Flores).
Habitat & Ecology --- Evergreen forest, mixed Dipterocarp forest, lower montane forest, secondary forest to open vegetations, along rivers or forest edges, swamp forest edges, ladang edges, also as village hedge, terrain level to hilly to mountainous; soil: rich in clay, sometimes black in colour, sometimes rocky, sometimes covered with guano, andesite; bedrock: basalt, granite, limestone. Altitude: 51750 m. Flowering and fruiting whole year through.
Uses --- The fruits are edible and the leaves are sometimes used as vegetable.
Vernacular --- Thailand: Mayom liam. Malay Peninsula: Asing asing hutan. Sumatra: Alor anteu anteu, katoei. Java: Djiendjieng (Javanese); katoek-badak, katoek endog, telor kotok (Sundanese) (Smith, 1910; Moore, 1925). Borneo: Kalimantan: Kabo, oroh mi(h), rangkok rimba; Sabah: Obah (Malay); Sarawak: Changkok manis (hutan) (Malay). Lesser Sunda Islands: Mintje, tago potjo (Flores).
Notes --- 1. Airy Shaw (1977) tentatively added Thailand to the distribution of S. rhamnoides, which was correct. All specimens of SE and Peninsular Thailand, formerly referred to S. garrettii, all appeared to be S. rhamnoides. The Malay Peninsular appeared to be a gap in the distribution of S. rhamnoides, but here also, the species was not recognised properly, it was mixed with S. androgynus (for differences see note under S. androgynus).
2. S. rhamnoides is also present in India and Myanmar, but difficult to separate from S. androgynus. The leaves are generally somewhat larger, have a sinuous and sharper apex. The staminate flowers, pistillate calyx lobes and fruits are not so much larger than those of S. androgynus. Sauropus rhamnoides in India is recognised under many different names: a paratype of S. macrophyllus, S. lanceolatus, S. androgynus, S. garrettii.
2. The specimens from SE Thailand are somewhat different in that the staminate flowers have a distinctly lobed, hardly spreading calyx. The same syndrome can be found on the Lesser Sunda Islands and more extremely so in the Philippines (see next note).
3. The Philippine specimens of S. rhamnoides are very similar to those of S. androgynus (much smaller leaves), because S. rhamnoides lacks its distinct subapical, laminar sinuses (apex gradually cuspidate). The same can be observed on the Lesser Sunda Islands. However, the very apex remains much shaper than in S. androgynus. The staminate flowers of S. rhamnoides in the Philippines can become very large, up to 25 mm in diameter, which is distinctly different from those of S. androgynus (up to 6 mm in diameter), or they become deeply divided. The specimens with the deeply divided staminate flowers are very exceptional, they are found on Samar (BS 24500), Leyte (Wenzel 370, Wenzel 1583), and in the Camarines Sur Prov. On Luzon (Ahern 288). One Philippine specimen of S. androgynus (BS 26491) shows the same phenomenon of a deeply divided staminate calyx (like the Sri Lankan S. assimilis Thwaites, the Indian S. trinervius Mόll.Arg., and Bornean S. micrasterias).
4. For differences between S. rhamnoides and S. macranthus see note under latter.
Sauropus rostratus Miq., Fl. Ned. Ind., eerste bijv. (1861) 179, 447; Mόll.Arg. in DC., Prodr. 15, 2 (1866) 243; Pax & K.Hoffm. in Engl., Pflanzenr. VI.147.xv (1922) 225; Airy Shaw, Kew Bull. 23 (1969) 55; Kew Bull. 36 (1981) 343; Welzen, Blumea 48 (2003) 370, map 17. --- Aalius rostratus (Miq.) Kuntze, Revis. Gen. Pl. 2 (1891) 591 (rostrata). --- Lectotype (selected here): Teysmann HB 3678 (holo U), Sumatra, Palembang Prov., River Lamatang near Koeripan (Kuripan).
Sauropus temii Welzen & Chayamarit [ex Smitinand, Thai Pl. Names, rev. ed. (July 2001) 468, nom. nud.] Kew Bull. 56 (Oct. 2001) 654. --- Type: Smitinand 2877 (BKF), Thailand, Peninsular, Surat Thani, Bang Bao. See note 2.
Shrub, up to at least 60 cm tall; young branches with 2 broad rims and sometimes 2 additional vague ones, many asperities between and on rims, flowering branches 0.81 mm thick. Indumentum absent. Stipules triangular, 12.2 by 0.71.2 mm, often basally eared, stiff, rather persistent. Leaves: petiole 1.32 mm long, with asperities, somewhat flattened above; blade ovate (to elliptic), 2.97 by 0.92.6 cm, length/width ratio 1.93.2, chartaceous, base broadly cuneate, margin flat to revolute, apex gradually acute, mucronulate, drying greyish above, brownish or greenish below, not distinctly papillate, venation indistinct, midrib sharply raised above, nerves 79, basal one ending far below middle, veins and veinlets indistinct, reticulate. Inflorescences axillary fascicles or in short staminate racemes, less than 5 mm long; flowers single or in small groups, both sexes at same time, green. Staminate flowers 22.5 mm in diameter; pedicel 1.22 mm long; calyx lobes without scales, rather small, cupular, 3 lobes folded inwards and apex grown together with raised midrib, 0.50.7 by 1.21.5 mm, other 3 lobes with incurved apex, 0.50.7 by 0.30.7 mm; stamens: androphore c. 0.7 mm long, anthers erect, c 1 by 0.8 mm. Pistillate flowers 2.55(8 in fruit) mm in diameter; pedicel 12 mm long; calyx cupular, hardly lobed, smaller three lobes 0.52 by 13 mm, larger three lobes 0.82.7 by 1.55.5 mm, apex spade-like; ovary bell-shaped with flat apex on which 3 rims between stigmas, 11.5 by 1.22 mm; stigmas 11.4 mm long, split in upper 0.50.6 mm, recurved. Fruit ellipsoid, wider than high, c. 6 by 3.7 mm; column broadly triangular, c. 0.5 mm high. Seeds triangular in transverse section, half-moon-shaped, c. 3.3 by 2.4 by 2.8 mm.
Distribution --- Thailand (Peninsular floristic district), Sumatra, Borneo.
Ecology & Habitat --- Scattered in evergreen forest. Altitude under 100 m. Flowering: Aug.
Vernacular name --- Thailand: Mak bang bao.
Notes --- 1. The specimens from the Lesser Sunda Islands, as mentioned by Airy Shaw (1982), are certainly not S. rostratus, but an atypical form of S. rhamnoides. They have a very different type of staminate flower (the normal Sauropus stamens: low androphore, 3 horizontally spreading branches with anthers underneath) and much larger fruits (up to 2 cm diameter).
2. Smitinand 2877 (BKF) from Thailand was originally selected as a new species. It is a very scrappy specimen but easily recognisable as a distinct entity. However, extension of the revisions of Sauropus to the complete Malesian area showed it to be similar to S. rostratus.
Sauropus shawii Welzen, Blumea 48 (2003) 372. --- Type: P.F. Stevens et al. 513 (holo L; iso A, KEP), Malaysia, Sabah, Lahad Datu, Ulu Sungei Segamat.
Sauropus pierrei auct. non (Beille) Croizat: Airy Shaw, Kew Bull. Add. Ser. 4 (1975) 194. See note 4.
Treelet up to 2.1 m high, bole up to 1.2 m high, dbh up to 2.5 cm; branches horizontal, flowering branches 2.53 mm thick, youngest branches with 2 ridges. Outer bark smooth, grey, soft, c. 1 mm thick; inner bark grey and yellow, soft, fibrous. Indumentum absent. Stipules triangular, basally strongly narrowing into a spike-like blade, 1.42 by 11.5 mm, rather persistent. Leaves: petiole c. 3 mm long, flattened above; blade ovate, 6.811.2 by 3.84.9 cm, length/width ratio 1.82.3, papery, base cuneate, strongly asymmetric, margin flat, apex acuminate to cuspidate, mucronulate, upper surface dark shiny green, lower surface paler, shortly and densely papillate; venation hardly distinct on both sides, nerves 6 or 7, veins + scalariform, veinlets indistinct. Inflorescences axillary fascicles, staminate flowers sometimes in short, up to 2 mm long, racemes. Staminate flowers c. 2.5 mm in diameter; pedicel c. 3.5 mm long; calyx lobed till halfway, obovate, 3 smaller, outer lobes c. 1 by 11.2 mm, apex incurved, rounded; 3 inner, larger lobes 0.70.8 by 1.51.7 mm, apex incurved and grown with blade; stamens erect, androphore c. 0.2 mm long, anthers c. 1.3 by 1 mm. Pistillate flowers unknown; pedicel in fruit 813 mm long; calyx cupular, 911 mm deep in fruit, lobes obovate, 56 by 56 mm., apex spade-like; stigmas free from each other, c. 1.2 mm long, erect, split in upper half, apices recurved for less than a full circle. Fruits ovoid, wider than high, 1516 by 17--19 mm; wall thick, up to 2.5 mm; apically hole between stigmas. Seeds triangular in transverse section, half-moon-shaped, c. 5 by 3.5 by 3.3 mm.
Distribution --- Borneo (Sabah: Tawau & Lahad Datu Distr.).
(S. shawii: triangles; S. asymmetricus: dots;
S. micrasterias:
stars)
Habitat & Ecology --- Primary forest, once recorded near river. Altitude: 170500 m. Flowering: January; fruiting: February to April.
Notes --- 1. This entity resembles S. rhamnoides in leaf shape and size, but the leaves are basally asymmetric, the venation is indistinct and the lower surface is very glaucous. S. shawii clearly belongs to the Hemisauropus group, but it is unlike the other species in this group in several respects. The strongest resemblance is with S. pierrei (different in leaf size, but just as asymmetric), S. subterblancus (different in the more cuspidate apex, asymmetry, and leaf size), and S. rostratus (larger leaves, lack of asperities).
2. The name is in honour of H.K. Airy Shaw, who described and revised most Malesian Euphorbiaceae and who was the first to note that two SAN collections from Borneo represented something new (Airy Shaw, 1975, under S. pierrei).
3. See note under S. asymmetricus.
Sauropus sphenophyllus (Airy Shaw) Airy Shaw, Kew Bull. Add. Ser. 8 (1980a) 221; Kew Bull. 35 (1980b) 686; Welzen, Blumea 48 (2003) 374, map 19. --- Synostemon sphenophyllus Airy Shaw, Kew Bull. 33 (1978) 37; Kew Bull. Add. Ser. 8 (1980a) 205. --- NGF (Henty & Katik) 38763 (holo BRI; iso L), Papua New Guinea, Western Prov., Morehead Subprov., Sibidiri, Mai Kussa River, 142.15 E, 8.59 S.
Shrub, up to 1.5 m tall; branches with 2 small ribs, with asperities when young, flowering branches 0.20.3 mm thick. Indumentum absent. Stipules triangular, 0.81.2 by 0.50.6 mm, pergamentaceous, whitish/yellowish when dry except for the base, rather persistent. Leaves: petiole 0.51 mm long, flattened above; blade obovate, 12.8(4) by 0.71.1 cm, length/width ratio 1.43.6, pergamentaceous, base cuneate, margin recurved, apex emarginate to rounded, mucronulate, upper surface green when dry, lower surface lighter green, papillate; venation raised and distinct on both sides, nerves 69 per side, veins and veinlets reticulate. Inflorescences axillary fascicles; flowers usually solitary, yellowish. Staminate flowers c. 3 mm in diameter; pedicel c. 4 mm long; calyx c. 1.2 mm deep, lobes almost free, obovate, 11.1 by 0.71.2 mm, apex rounded, scales lacking; stamens of Breynia-type: androphore c. 1.3 mm long, basal part c. 0.5 mm long, apically not split into horizontal branches but erect, anthers c. 0.8 by 0.3 mm, along androphore, elongation of connective c. 0.2 mm long. Pistillate flowers c. 4.5 mm in diameter; pedicel c. 6.5 mm long; calyx lobes obovate, 2.22.5 by 0.81.1 mm, apex rounded; ovary obtrapezoid, c. 1 by 1.2 mm, apically forming three cushions around the subapical stigmas; stigmas c. 1 mm long, erect, free, apically not split but slightly bent. Fruits not seen.
Distribution --- Endemic to Papua New Guinea (Western Prov.).
Habitat & Ecology --- Woodland on low hill. Altitude: 150 m. Flowering and fruiting: July.
Notes --- 1. According to Airy Shaw (1978, 1980a) strongly resembling S. albiflorus (F.Muell. ex Mόll.Arg.) Airy Shaw, of eastern Queensland. The latter species has less cuneate, smaller leaves which are seemingly more glaucous; the branches lack the asperities.
2. S. sphenophyllus, like S. bacciformis, belonged to the former genus Synostemon. This group apparently forms a transition between Sauropus and Breynia. Sauropus bacciformis shows the typical Sauropus stamens, while S. sphenophyllus shows typical Breynia stamens. It is questionable whether S. sphenophyllus should be maintained in Sauropus (the stigmas are also much more like those in Breynia). A cladistic analysis, including molecular data, should clarify this matter.
Sauropus suberosus Airy Shaw, Kew Bull. 23 (1969) 42; Kew Bull. 25 (1971) 500; Kew Bull. 26 (1972) 338; Whitmore, Tree Fl. Malaya 2 (1973) 130; Smitinand, Thai Pl. Names, rev. ed. (2001) 468; Welzen, Blumea 48 (2003) 375, map 20. --- Type: Hansen & Smitinand 12030 (holo K; iso L, SING), Thailand, Peninsular, Phuket, Khao Thong Lang, NW of Nai Chong.
Shrubs, up to 4 m high, simply branched; stems at most with indististinct ribs when very young, sometimes with small asperities, older branches with thick, longitudinally fissured, soft, brown cork. Indumentum simple hairs only, glabrous except for inflorescences. Stipules triangular, 3.56 by 1.24, basally eared, very thick, light margin, stiff, easily breaking off, otherwise persistent. Leaves: petiole 24 mm long, flattened dorsoventrally, especially above, sometimes minute asperities; blade elliptic to obovate, 7.725 by 2.67.3 cm, length/width ratio 33.6, papery, base cuneate, margin flat to revolute, apex acute to cuspidate, often mucronulate, venation relatively distinct on both sides, nerves 12 or 13, veins and veinlets reticulate. Inflorescences racemes, cauliflorous in basal part of stem, sometimes over ground, up to 41 cm long, slightly hairy, 4-ribbed or somewhat flattened, rachis dark reddish, with groups of flowers of which one or two pistillate; flowers pink, dark reddish, dark purplish or yellowish. Staminate flowers 3.74 mm in diameter; pedicel up to 5.5 mm long; calyx lobes 0.81 by 11.6 mm, up to one third of calyx height, rounded, often folded inward; stamens: androphore c. 0.2 mm long, anthers 0.40.5 by 0.40.5 mm. Pistillate flowers 4.37.7 mm in diameter; pedicel 2.54.5 mm long, glabrous to hairy; calyx lobes thick, mostly obovate, three smaller outer ones 1.22.5 by 2.14 mm, inner larger ones 1.53 by 24.2 mm; ovary 1.11.8 by 1.12 mm; stigmas 11.3 mm long, horizontal, split in upper half, forming more than a complete circle. Fruits unknown.
Distribution --- Thailand (Peninsular floristic district), Peninsular Malaysia (Perak).
Habitat & Ecology --- Thicket in moist, evergreen forest on mountain ridge; soil: limestone, rocky with a fair amount of accumulated soil. Altitude: 80800 m. Flowering: Nov. till Jan.
Vernacular name --- Thailand: Mayom yak.
Sauropus villosus (Blanco) Merr., Contrib. Arn. Arb. 8 (1934) 86; Airy Shaw, Kew Bull. 23 (1969) 49; Kew Bull. 26 (1972) 339; Whitmore, Tree Fl. Malaya 2 (1973) 130; Airy Shaw, Kew Bull. 36 (1981) 343, Fig. 12A14; Alph. Enum. Euph. Philipp. Isl. (1983) 44; Smitinand, Thai Pl. Names, rev. ed. (2001) 468; Welzen, Blumea 48 (2003) 380, map 21. --- Kirganelia villosa Blanco, Fl. Filip. (1837) 712; ed. 2 (1845) 493; ed. 3, 3 (1879) 116, t. 399; Merr., Sp. Blancoan. (1918) 217. --- Neotype (Welzen, 2003): Merrill Species Blancoanae 931 (holo L; iso A, BM, K, NSW, NY, P, US), Philippines, Luzon, Rizal Prov.
[Phyllanthus pubescens Klotzsch (in Meyen, Observ. Bot.), Nova Acta Phys.-Med. Caes. Leop.-Carol. Nat. Cur. 19, Suppl. 1 (1843) 420 [non Moon, Cat. Pl. Ceylon (1824) 65; non Wall., Numer. List (1847) 7917 A, B], nom. illig.] --- Glochidion llanosii Mόll.Arg., Linnaea 32 (1863) 68; Ridl., J. Straits Branch Roy. Asiat. Soc. 59 (1911) 173; Merr., Enum. Philipp. Fl. Pl. 2 (1923) 400. --- Phyllanthus llanosii (Mόll.Arg.) Mόll.Arg., Flora 48 (1865) 387; in DC., Prodr. 15, 2 (1866) 308. --- Sauropus llanosii (Mόll.Arg.) Gage, Rec. Bot. Surv. India 9 (1922) 223; Ridl., Fl. Malay Penins. 3 (1924) 221; M.R.Hend., J. Malayan Branch Roy. Asiat. Soc. 17 (1939) 30, 72. --- Syntypes: Cuming 593 (n.v.), Philippines; Cuming 595 (G-DC, K, TCD), Philippines; Llanos s.n. (G-DC, n.v., IDC microfiche DC herbarium 2473/18), Philippines, 1858; Meyen s.n. (K (ex-B), 2 sheets), Philippines, Manila; (the types of Klotzschs Phyllanthus pubescens were not indicated and probably lost in B during the second world war except for the Meyen specimens in K).
Woody herbs to shrubs, up to 2 m tall, d.b.h. up to 2 cm; branches hirsute, light green, round, many, often longer than the stem; flowering branches 12 mm thick. Indumentum of simple hairs, hirsute, sparse to dense on most parts. Stipules triangular, 1.34 by 0.20.5 mm, subhirsute outside, glabrous inside. Leaves basally smaller than apically on branches; petiole 1.22 mm, dorsoventrally flattened, hairy; blade ovate, margins gradually tapering towards each other towards the apex, 16.5 by 0.61.9 cm, length/width ratio (1.5)3.4, papery, not translucent, base emarginate to cuneate, sometimes somewhat oblique, margin often revolute, apex acute, often mucronulate, upper surface glabrous to subhirsute, especially when young, dark green, lower surface papillate, pale light green, sparsely to densely hairy; venation flat above, slightly raised below, nerves 913, rather distinct, veins and veinlets rather indistinct, reticulate. Inflorescences axillary fascicles, flowers usually few (to many) together of same or mixed sexes. Staminate flowers 13 mm in diameter, yellow, glabrous except for a few hairs sometimes on pedicel and calyx outside; pedicel 1.24 mm long, glabrous; calyx flat, slightly 6-lobed, lobes up to 1.2 by 0.4 mm, hairy outside, glabrous inside; scales distinct or indistinct and united with lobes, providing a thick apex, apex usually erose; stamens erect, united along long side, androphore c. 0.2 mm long, pinkish, anthers 0.60.7 by c. 0.4 mm, connective sometimes slightly elongated. Pistillate flowers 1.22 mm in diameter, yellow-green (to white); pedicel 0.71(2.5 in fruit) mm long, hairy; calyx lobes 0.40.7 by 0.50.7 (in fruit up to 1.3 by 1.3) mm, yellow-green, apex acute, hairy outside, glabrous inside; ovary 0.71 by 0.80.9 mm, light green, glabrous; stigmas 0.61.2 mm long, horizontal, upper 0.50.7 mm free and in more than a complete circle, yellow green. Fruits flattened ellipsoid, 811 by 46 mm, broader than high, yellow to orangish red when mature, apically without a ring; column 1.22 mm long, tapering towards apex. Seeds triangular in transverse section, 4.55.5 by 34 by 2.83.2 mm.
Distribution: Thailand (Southeastern and Peninsular Dist.), Viet Nam (Annam), N Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Philippines.
Habitat & Ecology --- Locally abundant in especially disturbed sites like secondary growths, meadows, open thickets, scrubs, savannah, coconut plantations, open forest, but also in semi-deciduous forest; often near the sea shore; soil: sand. Altitude: 0600 m. Flowering and fruiting: Sept.June.
Uses --- Philippines: Trunk makes good construction material for, for instance, flooring.
Vernacular names --- Thailand: Ngap yai, tan ngan khao (official Thai name). Sumatra: Bebaho (Alas). Philippines: Lanitaga (Bisaya).
Note --- The staminate scales are separate from the calyx lobes in Thailand, but in other areas they are grown together, giving a thick lobe apex with in the middle a constriction. The plants of Sumatra usually have a denser indumentum than those of other areas.
Sauropus convexus J.J.Sm., Bull. Jard. Bot. Buitenzorg ser. 3, 6 (1924) 82. --- Syntypes: Living collections at Bogor Botanical Garden XV.J.B.IV.1 ( 1950), XV.J.B.V.5 ( 1945), Indonesia, cultivated in Kebun Raya (Bogor Botanical Garden), originally from Leiden Botanical Garden.
Note --- Probably a synonym of the very variable S. androgynus (or the closely related S. rhamnoides) to which it is compared by Smith. A correct interpretation of this species is impossible, because the living plants already died several decades ago and no dried specimens were taken from them (not in BO, nor in the Kebun Raya collections).
Sauropus elegantissimus Ridl., Bull. Misc. Inform. (1926) 476; Whitmore, Tree Fl. Malaya 2 (1973) 130. --- Type: Hume 9366 (SING), Malaysia, Selangor, Ulu Gombak. = Breynia retusa (Dennst.) Alston
