Volume 2 > Part 4 > Year 1981 > Page 456 > Symplocaceae > Symplocos

4. Symplocos celastrifolia Griff. ex C.B.Clarkewfo-0000491199

in Hook.f. Fl. Br. Ind. 3: 575. 1882; H.R.Fletcher in Fl. Siam. En. 2: 385. 1938; Noot., Rev. Symploc.: 138. 1975.

Accepted Name : This is currently accepted.

Description : Shrub or small tree, rarely up to 30 m high and 40 cm diam; twigs glabrous; terminal buds glabrous or pubescents. Leaves glabrous, or rarely sparsely fine-hairy on midrib and nerves beneath, often the upper surface dark coloured to nearly black when dry and the undersurface olive brown, ± elliptic, with cuneate-attenuate base, crenate margin and mostly abruptly acuminate apex, 5.5–15 by 2.2–6 cm; acumen 5–15 mm; nerves 5–9 pairs, usually meeting in the intramarginal reticulation; reticulation rather fine or coarse; petiole 3–15 mm. Raceme often basally branched, axis fine-hairy to appressed-pubescent, 3–12 cm; bracts and bracteoles soon caducous, 2–3 and ca 1.5 mm long respectively; pedicels with same indumentum as on axis, 1–5 mm. Calyx glabrous, 1.5–2.5 mm; lobes ciliate, when young 1–1.5 mm, becoming longer by tearing apart. Corolla 4–6 mm. Stamens 40 to ca 60. Disk glabrous to sparsely hairy or pilose, especially after anthesis. Ovary glabrous, ca 1 mm high; style glabrous, 4–5 mm. Fruit orbicular, pink, green, yellow, or dark blue (sec. coll.) 4–10(–20) by 3–8(–15) mm; mesocarp thin, fleshy; stone smooth, cells 3, but usually only 1 fertile, the sterile cells larger than the fertile ones, filled with air towards the base. Seed and embryo U-shaped.

Thailand : PENINSULAR: Phangnga (Ko Yao Yai); Ranong (Pak Chan); Satun(Tarutao).

Distribution : Malesia (except Java, Malacca – type), the Lesser Sunda Islands, and the northern part of the Philippines.

Ecology : Usually in coastal forests, especially in the transition between mangroves and fresh water swamp, also along river banks and in peat swamp forests, low altitudes. The fruits are obviously buoyant, the sterile cells being large and filled with air.