Volume 8 > Part 2 > Year 2007 > Page 367 > Euphorbiaceae > Macaranga

5. Macaranga gigantea (Rchb.f. & Zoll.) Müll.Arg.wfo-0000231956

in DC., Prodr. 15, 2: 995. 1866; Pax & K.Hoffm. in Engl., Pflanzenr. IV. 147. vii: 307. 1914; Corner, Ways. Trees Malaya 265. 1940; Whitmore, Malay. Nat. J. 20: 94, 96. 1967; Airy Shaw, Kew Bull. 26: 288. 1972; Whitmore, Tree Fl. Malaya 2: 107. 1973; Kew Bull. Add. Ser. 4: 157. 1975; Kew Bull. 36: 321. 1981; Airy Shaw, Kew Bull. 37: 26. 1982; S.J.Davies, Harvard Papers Bot. 6: 427. 2001.— Mappa gigantea Rchb.f. & Zoll., Linnaea 29: 465. 1857. Fig. 15.

Accepted Name : This is currently accepted.

Synonyms & Citations :

Description : Small to medium-sized tree, sometimes reaching 15 m, rarely 25 m high, dbh up to 30 cm; twigs stout to 3 cm in diam., round in section, surface rough with elongate lenticels and conspicuous leaf and stipule scars, with coarse grey tufted hairs. Bark pale brown to whitish. Stipules oblong, to 45 by 25 mm, apex acute, drying black with scattered white hairs, to subglabrous, papery, erect, subpersistent. Leaves: petiole to 35 cm long, D-shaped in section, finely pubescent with fine grey coarse hairs; blades broadly ovate, huge to 60 by 50 cm, usually with 2 lateral shoulders or lobes to 7 cm long, lobes acute, base broadly rounded, strongly 4–13 cm peltate, margin coarsely serrate with small conical glands, coriaceous, midrib and secondaries with coarse grey tufted hairs to subglabrous, finer nerves with often crisped white hairs. Staminate inflorescences crowded, fairly dense panicles, to 50 by 24 cm, often smaller, finely grey pubescent; first branches alternate, ultimate branches slender; bracts ovate or oblong, to 10 by 4 mm, papery, pubescent, erect, soon caducous, margin finely ciliate to entire, apex obtuse; bracteoles closely overlapping, persistent, ovate, to 5 by 4 mm, margin irregularly toothed, apex broadly acute slightly concave, finely grey tomentose. Staminate flowers ca 10–15 per cluster, ca 1 mm long; pedicel stout, ca 0.5 mm long; sepals 3, free; stamens 2–3, 4-locular. Pistillate inflorescences similar to staminate ones, only 15–25 cm long. Pistillate flowers ca 2 mm long; calyx urceolate; ovary 2-locular; stigmas 2 mm long, free, persistent. Fruits with 2 subglobose lobes, 4–5 by 6–8 mm, without spines, yellow, sticky; pedicel slender, 4–6 mm long, furfuraceous. Seeds slightly flattened, aril violet.

Thailand : PENINSULAR: Nakhon Si Thammarat, Trang.

Distribution : Burma, Malay Peninsula, Sumatra (type), Borneo, Sulawesi.

Ecology : Secondary forests, lowlands.

Vernacular : Tao luang (เต้าหลวง)(Kamphaeng Phet); tha (ทะ)(Karen-Kanchanaburi); hu chang (หูช้าง)(Chanthaburi); ma hang (มะฮัง)(Pattani).

Notes: Very common in the south of peninsular Thailand. Confused with Macaranga siamensis, see that account.