Volume 16 > Part 1 > Year 2022 > Page 241 > Annonaceae > Polyalthia

3. Polyalthia cauliflora Hook.f. & Thomsonwfo-0000393731

Fl. Ind. 138. 1855; Craib, Fl. Siam. 1: 41. 1925; J.Sinclair, Gard. Bull. Singapore 14: 292. 1955; I.M.Turner et al. in Soepadmo et al., eds., Tree Fl. Sabah & Sarawak 8: 145. 2014. Fig. 50. Plate XXIX: E.

Accepted Name : This is currently accepted.

Synonyms & Citations :

Description : Tree 2.5‒10 m tall, with spiral primary branching; bark smooth, blackish grey. Leafy branches brown-pubescent, lenticels conspicuous. Leaves chartaceous, symmetrically to slightly asymmetrically elliptic or obovate, 11‒20(‒22) by 3.5‒8(‒10) cm, base asymmetrically rounded to cuneate, apex acute to acuminate, acumen 7‒15 mm long, glabrous above, puberulous below; midrib plane above, secondary veins festooned-brochidodromous, curving, 10‒12 per side, tertiary venation reticulate; petioles (3‒)5‒7 mm long, brown-pubescent. Inflorescences up to 15-flowered, forming fascicles on woody tubercles of trunk and sometimes in axils on leafless branches; peduncle and rachis absent, pedicels 15‒35 mm long, 1‒1.2 mm thick, brown-puberulous, bract attached at pedicel base, lanceolate, 1.4‒1.8 by 1.2‒1.5 mm; buds ovoid. Sepals valvate at base and separate at apex, chartaceous, ovate, 6.5‒9 by 4‒5 mm, acute, puberulous outside. Petals erect, pale yellow to orange or red, thinly coriaceous, linear, apex acute; outer petals 35‒60 by 5‒8 mm; inner petals 40‒65 by 3‒5 mm. Stamens cuneate, 1‒1.2 by 0.6‒0.8 mm, anther connective apex truncate. Carpels 20‒40, 1.3‒1.5 mm long, ovaries cylindrical, 0.8‒1 by 0.3–0.4 mm, pubescent, stigmas globose, 0.3–0.5 mm in diam., pubescent, higher than anther connective apices; ovules ca 4, lateral. Receptacle convex and flat at the top, 3‒4 mm in diam., 1.8‒2 mm thick, glabrous. Fruit of 10‒20 monocarps borne on a pedicel 30–45 mm long, 2‒2.5 mm thick. Monocarps pale pink to dark red, subglobose to oblongoid, torulose, 1.8‒3 by 1.8‒2 cm, glabrous, apex rounded, stipe 10–20 mm long, 1.5‒2.5 mm thick. Seeds 2‒4 per monocarp, subdiscoid, moderately flattened on both sides, 9‒12 by 4‒5 mm, deeply wrinkled and pitted, brown.

Thailand : PENINSULAR: Chumphon, Ranong, Phangnga, Krabi, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Phatthalung, Satun, Songkhla, Yala, Narathiwat.

Distribution : Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore (type), Sumatra, Borneo.

Ecology : Tropical rain forests, 50‒400 m alt. Flowering: January‒April; fruiting: March‒July.

Vernacular : Champa khom (จำปาขอม)(Phangnga); pi-sae (ปีแซ), ya-mo-ti-ya (ยาโมตียะ)(Narathiwat).

Notes: Polyalthia cauliflora is similar to P. cinnamomea in having pinkish softwood with an odor of guava. In addition, the flower shape and size of both species are rather similar in the dried condition. The pedicel 15‒35 mm long and glabrous monocarps of P. cauliflora contrast with the pedicel 2‒4 mm long and densely pubescent monocarps of P. cinnamomea.