Volume 8 > Part 2 > Year 2007 > Page 324 > Euphorbiaceae > Glochidion

15. Glochidion obscurum (Roxb. ex Willd.) Blumewfo-0000973449

Bijdr.: 585. 1825; Hook.f., Fl. Brit. Ind. 5: 317. 1887; J.J. Sm., Meded. Dep. Landb. 10: 122. 1911 (see for full synonymy); Ridl., Fl. Malay. Penin. 3: 207. 1924; Beille in Lecomte, Fl. Indo-Chine 5: 623. 1927; Henderson, J. Malayan Branch Roy. Asiat. Soc. 17: 70. 1939; Backer & Bakh.f., Fl. Java 1: 461. 1963; Airy Shaw, Kew Bull. 26: 279. 1972; Whitmore, Tree Fl. Malaya 2: 99, 101. 1973; Welzen in Welzen et al., Thai Forest Bull., Bot. 28: 90. 2000.

Accepted Name : Phyllanthus obscurus Roxb. ex Willd.
Sp. Pl. 4: 581. 1804; Müll.Arg. in DC., Prodr. 15, 2: 287. 1866.

Synonyms & Citations :

Description : Shrub to treelet, up to 5 m high, dbh up to 15 cm; flowering twigs up to 3 mm thick, green; mainly densely pilose all over. Outer bark roughened, vertically cracked and flaking, grey to brown. Leaves: stipules triangular, ca 1.2 by 1.5 mm, caducous; petiole 2.5–3.5 mm long; blade elliptic, 2.4–6.4 by 1.6–2.4 cm, length/width ratio 1.4–2.7, subcoriaceous, base strongly oblique, margin flat, apex obtuse to acuminately obtuse (to acute), less hairy on upper surface than underneath, lower surface grey-green; venation very slightly raised above, nerves raised below, nerves 10 or 11 per side, veins reticulate. Inflorescences fascicles of mainly ca 3 flowers, one of which pistillate. Flowers pale yellow; sepals 6, free. Staminate flowers ca 4 mm in diam.; pedicel up to 7.2 mm long, green; sepals light green, stiff, elliptic to obovate, outer ones 2.3–2.5 by 1.1–1.3 mm, inner ones 2–2.3 by 0.6–0.9 mm; stamens 4 or 5, androecium ca 1 mm long; anthers ca 0.6 mm long, light green, connective teeth ca 0.2 mm long. Pistillate flowers 3.5-4 mm in diam.; pedicel 1.1–19 mm in fruit; sepals triangular, light green, outer ones 1.2–1.3 by 0.9–1 mm, inner ones 1–1.6 by 0.4–0.7 mm; ovary 6-locular, 2.2–2.3 by 1.4–2 mm high, light green; stigmas in a long cone, 1.2–2 mm long, apically coarsely toothed. Fruits subglobose, 12–14 by 10–12 mm high, not lobed, sutures slightly raised, dehiscing tardily, yellowish-green (unripe?); wall thick, thickening apically up to ca 2 mm; column ca 7 mm long, base thickened, rest of axes seemingly consisting of loose fibres. Seeds ca 5 by 3.8–4 mm, red.

Thailand : SOUTH-WESTERN: Phetchaburi (Kaeng Krachan); PENINSULAR: Ranong (Bang Hin, Ngao Falls); Phuket (Kamala Beach), Satun (Ban Tang Yang), Yala (Ban Ramong).

Distribution : Indochina, and throughout Malesia (Malay Peninsula – type) except for the Philippines.

Ecology : Scattered in secondary growths, mainly open thickets (up to light forests), usually along streams, along paths, 10–1,500 m alt.

Vernacular : Ruat (รวด)(Phangnga); ma rua (มะรัว)(Nakhon Si Thammarat); khram (ครำ)(Satun).