Flora of Thailand

Euphorbiaceae

 

79. Strophioblachia

 

P.C. van Welzen

 

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Genus description

Species description

 

Strophioblachia

 

Boerl., Handl. Fl. Ned. Indiλ 3, 1: 235. 1900; Pax & K.Hoffm. in Engl., Pflanzenr. IV.147.iii: 35. 1911; Gagnep. in Lecomte, Fl. Indo-Chine 5: 408. 1926; Airy Shaw, Kew Bull. 26: 341. 1972; G.L.Webster, Ann. Missouri Bot. Gard. 81: 107. 1994; Nguyen Nghia Thin, Vu Hoai Duc & Welzen, Blumea 43: 484. 1998; Radcl.-Sm., Gen. Euphorbiacearum: 305. 2001; Welzen in Welzen & Chayam., Fl. Thailand 8, 2: 559. 2007; G.L.Webster in Kubitzki, Fam. Gen. Vasc. Pl. 11: 176. 2014.

 

Small shrubs to treelets, monoecious. Indumentum of simple hairs. Stipules absent. Leaves simple, alternate; blade panduriform to cordate to obovate, papery, symmetric, without glands, base emarginate to rounded, margin entire; venation pinnate, basally with 2 (or 4) basal nerves, nerves looped and closed near the margin, veins and veinlets indistinctly reticulate. Inflorescences terminal racemes to thyrses, either staminate with often more than 10 flowers (1-5 per node), pistillate with up to c. 5 flowers (often more per node), or mixed (pistillate flowers basally, staminate ones apically). Flowers actinomorphic, petals shorter than sepals; sepals 5, imbricate, free, ovate. Staminate flowers: petals (0 or) 5; disc lobes 5 (or 10); stamens 15-50, free; pistillode absent. Pistillate flowers: sepals: margin usually fringed with long glandular fimbriae in 1 (or 2) rows, when (partly) absent margin pilose; petals absent (to sepal-like); disc ring-like; ovary 3- (or 4)-locular, ovules one per locule. Fruits lobed rhegmas, glabrous; sepals persistent, accrescent. Seeds marbled, carunculate.

    Monotypic, found in mainland S.E. Asia (S. China, Thailand, Kampuchea, Vietnam) and Malesia (Philippines and Sulawesi). Classification: Subfam.: Crotonoideae, tribe Codieae.

 

Strophioblachia fimbricalyx Boerl., Handl. 3, 1: 236, 284. 1900; Pax & K.Hoffm. in Engl., Pflanzenr. IV.147.iii: 36. 1911; IV.147.v: 285. 1912; Nguyen Nghia Thin, Vu Hoai Duc & Welzen, Blumea 43: 485, fig. 1-4, map 1. 1998; Welzen in Welzen & Chayam., Fl. Thailand 8, 2: 559, Fig. 84-86. 2007.— Strophioblachia glandulosa Pierre ex Pax in Pax & K.Hoffm. in Engl., Pflanzenr. IV.147.iii: 36, fig. 10. 1911; Airy Shaw, Kew Bull. 26: 341. 1972.— Strophioblachia glandulosa Pierre ex Pax var. tonkinensis Gagnep. in Lecomte,Fl. Indo-Chine 5: 410. 1926.— Strophioblachia fimbricalyx Boerl. var. fimbricalyx: Airy Shaw, Kew Bull. 25: 544. 1971.— Strophioblachia fimbricalyx Boerl. var. efimbriata Airy Shaw, Kew Bull. 25: 544. 1971.— Strophioblachia glandulosa Pax var. glandulosa: Airy Shaw, Kew Bull. 25 (1971) 544.— Strophioblachia glandulosa Pierre ex Pax var. cordifolia Airy Shaw, Kew Bull. 25: 545. 1971; Kew Bull. 26: 34. 1972.

 

Strofimb-habit.gif (61550 bytes)    Strofimb-leaf.gif (70925 bytes)    Strofimb-male.gif (57927 bytes)    Strofimb-males.gif (124640 bytes)    Strofimb-female.gif (47281 bytes)    Strofimb-bract.gif (18584 bytes)    Strofimb-sepals.gif (130800 bytes)    Strofimb-fruit.gif (83266 bytes)

 

Shrubs to treelets up to 2 m high. Leaves: petiole 0.5-7 cm long; blade 2.6-19 by 1.3-9.5 cm, length/width ratio 2-2.3, apex acuminate to caudate, the tip rounded to acute, nerves 6 or 7 per side between footnerves and apex. Inflorescences up to 7 cm long, axes green. Staminate flowers 4-4.5 mm in diameter; pedicel 5-20 mm long; sepals 3-4 by 2-3.5 mm, cream-white; petals (0-)1-2.8 by (0-)1.2-3.8 mm; disc lobes 0.7-1.2 by 0.3-0.8 mm; stamens white to light yellow, anthers 0.3-0.6 by 0.3-0.5 mm. Pistillate flowers 5-15 mm in diameter; pedicel up to 13 mm long; sepals and fimbriae green to pale yellow, blade 4-8.5 by 2.8-4 mm, fimbriae up to 1 mm long; ovary 1.2-2 by 1.7-2 mm. Fruit 11-13 by 8-10 mm, (dark) green; sepals 12-15 by 7.5-10 mm with the fimbriae up to 4.2 mm long. Seeds globose, 6-7 by 5.5-6 by 4.5-5 mm.

    T h a i l a n d.— NORTH-EASTERN: Maha Sarakham (Chiang Yun), Khon Kaen (Ban Nawng Khuean); EASTERN: Nakhon Ratchasima (Ban Pai); SOUTH-WESTERN: Prachuap Khiri Khan (Huai Yang) CENTRAL: Saraburi (Saraburi); SOUTH-EASTERN: Chon Buri (Chon Buri, Chundaten, Sattahip).

    D i s t r i b u t i o n.— Thailand, S. China, Kampuchea, Vietnam, the Philippines, and Sulawesi (type). A typical dry monsoon distribution.

Strofimb-map.gif (183226 bytes)

    E c o l o g y.— Secondary forest, but also at the margin of primary forest, in dry evergreen forest, deciduous forest, and (occasionally burned) bamboo forest; solitary to common; soil: rocky, granitic, calcareous or sand. Altitude: sea level up to 250 m.

    V e r n a c u l a r.— Dok khrui (ดอกครุย) (General); ba sat (บ๊าซาด) (North-eastern).

    U s e s.— Dry seeds are use in fermented drinks in the Philippines, Mindoro.