|
Malesian Euphorbiaceae Descriptions |
|
Barker, C. 2001. Margaritaria (Euphorbiaceae) in Malesia. Blumea 46: 505–512.
Goto on this page:
Margaritaria L.f., Suppl. Pl. (1781) 66; Airy Shaw, Kew Bull. 20 (1966) 386; Kew Bull. Add. Ser. 4 (1975) 175; G.L.Webster, J. Arnold Arbor. 60 (1979) 403; Airy Shaw, Kew Bull. Add. Ser. 8 (1980) 173; G.L.Webster, Ann. Missouri Bot. Gard. 81 (1994) 44; Radcl.-Sm., Gen. Euphorbiacearum (2001) 37; C.Barker, Blumea 46 (2001) 506; C.Barker & Welzen in Welzen & Chayam., Fl. Thailand 8, 2 (2007) 440; G.L.Webster in Kubitzki, Fam. Gen. Vasc. Pl. 11 (2014) 75. — Type: Margaritaria nobilis L.f.
Prosorus Dalzell, Hooker's J. Bot. Kew Gard. Misc. 4 (1852) 345. — Type: Prosorus indicus Dalzell, as `indica' [= Margaritaria indica (Dalzell) Airy Shaw].
Zygospermum Thwaites ex Baill., Étude Gén. Euphorb. (1858) 620. — Type: Zygospermum zeylanicum Thwaites ex Baill. [= Margaritaria cyanosperma (Gaertn.) Airy Shaw].
Calococcus Kurz ex Teijsm. & Binn., Natuurk. Tijdschr. Ned.-lndië 27 (1864) 48. — Type: Calococcus sundaicus Kurz apud Teijsm. & Binn. [= Margaritaria indica (Dalzell) Airy Shaw].
Dioecious shrubs or trees, usually deciduous, new leaves appearing with the flowers. Bark lenticellate. Leaves distichous, shortly petiolate, simple, entire, penninerved, usually chartaceous; stipules entire or denticulate, caducous or subpersistent. Flowers in clusters near the axils of young leafy branches, males several per cluster, females few or solitary. Staminate flower: pedicels capillary; calyx lobes 4, biseriate, unequal, the outer pair often smaller; petals absent; disc annular, entire, adnate to base of calyx; stamens 4, filaments free, anthers blunt, extrorse, dehiscing longitudinally; pistillode absent. Pistillate flower: pedicel terete; calyx, corolla and disc as in the male; ovary 2–6-locular (3-locular in Malesia), ovules 2 per locule, hemitropous; styles free or connate at the base, bifid or bipartite. Fruits subglobose, capsular, usually 3- or 4lobed, dehiscing irregularly, the exocarp usually separating from the hyaline, brittle, papery endocarp. Seeds usually coherent in pairs in each locule, plano-convex, ecarunculate; sarcotesta fleshy, glistening bluish purple; sclerotesta thick, woody or bony, smooth or rugose, invaginated at the chalazal end; endosperm copious; embryo straight or slightly curved; cotyledons thin, flat, much larger than the radicle.
Distribution — 14 species of which 2 occur in Malesia. Pantropical excluding the Pacific Islands.
Habitat — Deciduous forest, riparian forest, evergreen forest and dry forest, usually in secondary vegetation, or in scrub vegetation; occasionally on limestone; altitude up to 1000 m.
Ecology — Flowers visited by bees (Podzorski SMHI 2036). The fleshy seeds with their distinctive glistening bluish purple sarcotesta are probably dispersed by birds. Note-The precocious flowering behaviour of Margaritaria may help to explain why so few flowering specimens are collected. They may possibly simply be overlooked until the distinctive fruits appear. Consequently the distribution of the species could be wider than that deduced from herbarium specimens.
|
1a. |
Leaves large, up to 17 cm long; petiole channelled adaxially. Fruits 9–12 mm diam., thinly crustaceous; endotesta of seed usually distinctly rugose |
|
|
1b. |
Leaves small, up to 4 cm long; petiole not channelled adaxially. Fruits 6–8 mm diam., firm in texture; endotesta of seed smooth |
Margaritaria indica (Dalzell) Airy Shaw, Kew Bull. 20 (1966) 398; 25 (1971) 492; C.Barker, Blumea 46 (2001) 507; C.Barker & Welzen in Welzen & Chayam., Fl. Thailand 8, 2 (2007) 440, Fig. 40. — Prosorus indicus Dalzell, Hooker's J. Bot. Kew Gard. Misc. 4 (1852) 345. — Phyllanthus indicus (Dalzell) Müll.Arg., Linnaea 32 (1863) 52. — Type: Dalzell s.n. (holo K), India, Deccan.
Calococcus sundaicus Kurz ex Teijsm. & Binn., Natuurk. Tijdschr. Ned.-Indië 27 (1864) 48. — Phyllanthus sundaicus (Kurz ex Teijsm. & Binn.) Müll.Arg. in DC., Prodr. 15, 2 (1866) 1272. — Diasperus sundaicus (Kurz ex Teijsm. & Binn.) Kuntze, Revis. Gen. Pl. 2 (1891) 599. — Type: Teijsmann s.n. (holo BO?, n.v.; iso G?, n.v.), Java, Karimonjava Isl.
Tree up to 30 m, bole up to 15 m, up to 45 cm diam.; buttresses few, up to 1.2 m upwards, up to 15 cm outwards and up to 25 cm thick. Outer bark brown, red-brown or orange-brown, smooth, finely cracked, flaking in places or peeling strongly; inner bark pink, white or pale brown; sapwood yellow, cream or white. Twigs with reddish tinge when young and covered with elongate white lenticels. Stipules elliptic, up to 4.5 mm long, membranaceous, apex acuminate. Leaves: petiole 3.5–7(–11) mm long, glabrous, channelled adaxially; blade elliptic to obovate, often narrowly so, up to 17 by 8.3 cm; base attenuate to rounded and decurrent with the petiole; margin entire, sometimes incurved or finely undulate; apex acuminate, occasionally apiculate or obtuse to rounded; midrib channelled above, concave below; secondary veins 6–12 pairs, slightly raised above, pinnate, looped; tertiary veins reticulate, prominulous on both surfaces. Staminate flowers minute, in clusters of 2–28; pedicels up to 7 mm long; sepals: the outer pair ovate, 0.8–1.3 by 0.8–1 mm wide, the inner pair obovate, 1.2–1.6 by 1–1.4 mm wide; disc large, flattened, slightly lobe, 0.6–1.3 mm diam.; stamens: filaments 0.8–1.5 mm long, anthers oblong, 0.7–0.8 mm long. Pistillate flowers in clusters of 1–7; pedicels up to 2.2 cm long; sepals: the outer pair c. 1.5 by 1 mm, the inner pair obovate to oblong, c. 2 by 1.8 mm; disc 1.8–2.6 mm diam.; styles spreading, 1.5–2 mm long, bifid. Fruits (6–)9–12 mm diam., drying ochreous brown, very shallowly 3-lobe with a fine suture running longitudinally along the centre of each lobe, surface reticulate; styles persistent, columalla occasionally persistent. Seeds 3.8–4.8 by 2.8–3.8 mm wide.
Distribution — India, Sri Lanka, China (one collection: Kwangtung), Thailand, Vietnam (Tonkin), Australia (N Queensland: Cook District); Malesia: Peninsular Malaysia (two collections only, both from islands east of the Peninsula: Tioman Island, Berhala Island; not found on the mainland), Sumatra, Java, Borneo, Philippines (Luzon, Palawan, Mindanao, Sulu Islands), Lesser Sunda Islands (Sumba), Moluccas (Sula Islands: Mangoli, Tanimbar Island), New Guinea (Aru Islands only, not the mainland).
Habitat & Ecology — Rare, very scattered in primary forests, in riverine forests and peat swamps. Frequently on limestone, also on sand, clay; up to 650 m altitude. Flowering in July and August in Borneo and Java (though one specimen was seen from Sarawak which had flowered in April) and in April and May in the Philippies. Fruiting throughtou the year, most commonly from July to November.
Uses — Poisonous (Burkill, 1935). The wood has been reported to be very hard (PNH (Sulit) 12478).
Note — Some specimens form the Philippines, Lesser Sunda Islands and Moluccas have the large leaves of M. indica but rather smaller (c. 6 mm diam.), firmer fruits than typical (e.g., FB (Alejandro 27438 (Luzon), FB (Natividad) 23361 (Palawan), Weber 1195 and FB (Miranda) 22943 (Mindanao), McDonald & Sunaryo 4314 (Sumba), Buwalda 4215 and bb 24268 (Tanimbar Island)). Perhaps dimorphism of the fruits occurs or possibly some intergradation with M. luzoniensis has taken place.
1a.
Plant completely glabrous. Fruiting pedicels c. 0.3 mm diam. and up to 2 cm long. Leaf apex acuminate to apiculate; leaves drying dark brown
1b.
At least fruiting pedicels sparsely but clearly pubescent. Fruiting pedicels c. 1 mm diam. and up to 2.8 cm long. Leaf apex obtuse to rounded; leaves drying olive-green
a. forma indica
Margaritaria indica (Dalzell) Airy Shaw forma indica: C.Barker, Blumea 46 (2001) 509, Fig. 1a-f, Map 1.
For references and type see under species.
Leaves drying dark brown; petiole 3.5–7(–11) mm long, glabrous; blade elliptic to obovate, often narrowly so; apex acuminate to apiculate; midrib glabrous. Fruiting pedicel up to 2 cm long by c. 0.3 mm diam., glabrouos. Fruits (6–)9–12 mm diam.
Distribution — As for the species.
l = Margaritaria indica f. indica; o = M. indica f. vestita (E. Java).
b. forma vestita (J.J.Sm.) C.Barker
Margaritaria indica (Dalzell) Airy Shaw forma vestita (J.J.Sm.) C.Barker, Kew Bull. 53 (1998) 755; Blumea 46 (2001) 509, Fig. 1g, Map 1. — Phyllanthus indicus (Dalzell) Müll.Arg. forma vestitus J.J.Sm. in Koord. & Valeton, Bijdr. Kennis Boomsoorten Java 12 (1910) 87, as 'vestita'. — Margaritaria indica auct. non Airy Shaw: G.L.Webster, J. Arnold Arbor. 60 (1979) 425. — Type: Koorders 2660 (holo BO), Java, Gunung Watudodol.
Leaves drying olive-green; petiole 3.5–7(–11) mm long, very sparsely pubescent; lamina elliptic to obovate; apex obtuse to rounded; midrib abaxially very sparsely pubescent on proximal half. Fruiting pedicel up to 2.8 cm long by c. 1 mm diam., sparsely pubescent. Fruit c. 9 mm diam., very sparsely pubescent.
Distribution — East Java.
Notes — 1. The short, straight, spreading, multicellular hairs are cleary visible through a hand lens. They are most obvious on the fruiting pedicel, but are also found, though more sparsely, on the underside of the leaf, the petiole and the fruit.
2. Although no collector's number was given in the original description of for vestita, the specimen cited as holotype has the correct locality information and is assumed to be the specimen to which Smith was referring.
3. Only two specimens of form vestita have been seen.
Margaritaria luzoniensis (Merr.) Airy Shaw, Kew Bull. 20 (1966) 387; C.Barker, Blumea 46 (2001) 510. — Phyllanthus luzoniensis Merr., Philipp. J. Sci., Bot. 7 (1912) 404. — Prosorus luzoniensis (Merr.)Airy Shaw, Kew Bull. 16 (1963) 343. — Lectotype (designated by C.Barker, 2010): FB (Curran) 17698 (holo: A; iso K, L), Philippines, Luzon, Prov. Pampanga.
Tree up to 10 m high. Twigs with scattered brown hairs when young, glabrous with age, lenticellate. Stipules lanceolate, up to 1.3 mm long, membranaceous. Leaves: petiole 3-6.5 mm long, hirtellous, not channelled adaxially; blades narrowly obovate to elliptic, up to 4 by 2.2 cm; base narrowly cuneate and slightly decurrent with the petiole; margin entire, slightly incurved; apex rounded to obtuse; upper and lower surface sparsely hirsute, glabrescent, slightly paler beneath; midrib narrowly grooved above, concave below; secondary veins 4 or 5 pairs, pinnate, looped; tertiary veins reticulate, prominulous on both surfaces. Staminate flowers minute, several per axillary cluster; pedicels up to 5.2 mm long, minutely hirtellous with multicellular hairs; sepals: minutely hirtellous, the outer pair ovate, 1.1–1.5 by 0.7–0.9 mm, the inner pair obovate, 1.3–1.8 by 1.1–1.4 mm; disc thin, 0.5–0.7 mm diam.; stamens: filaments up to 1.5 mm long, anthers oblong, c. 0.6 mm long. Pistillate flowers not seen; fruiting pedicels up to 12 mm long. Fruits 6–8 mm diam., columella usually persistent after dehiscence with remnants of 3 hyaline septa. Seeds 4.2–4.8 by 2.5–3 mm.
Distribution - Malesia: Philippines (Luzon). Endemic.
Habitat & Ecology - Dry hills up to 50 m altitude. Flowering: April to June. Fruiting: August to September.
Note - In the early 1900s this species was reported to be one of the dominants over considerable areas of Bataan, Pampanga and Nueva Ecija Provinces (Merrill, 1912). However, only 4 collections have been seen, with 5 others being mentioned in literature (Merrill, 1912). Details of female flowers are unavailable.
