Beilschmiedia glabra Kosterm.

de kok, R. P. J., 2016, A revision of Beilschmiedia (Lauraceae) of Peninsular Malaysia, Blumea 61 (2), pp. 147-164 : 151-153

3. Beilschmiedia glabra Kosterm. — Fig. 2 ; Map 1

Beilschmiedia glabra Kosterm. (1965) 22; Kochummen (1989) 119; I.M. Turner (1995) 276. — Type: Kostermans 7313 ( holotype BO; isotypes A [A00415470], NY [NY00354905], P [P00745522]), [ Indonesia], Borneo, Peak of Balikpapan, Beoul.

Endiandra sp. 2 Kochummen (1989) 144.Based on Kochummen KEP 94834 (KEP) Peninsular Malaysia, Johor, Labis.

Trees 6–35 m tall, dbh 12–30 cm; bark grey to (dark or red) brown, smooth to finely cracked; inner bark creamy to brownish, smelling slightly sour or nasty; sapwood hard, fawn to white. Twigs slender, 2–3 mm diam, glabrous, smooth; terminal leaf buds ovoid to lanceolate, 5–15 mm long, glabrous. Leaves (sub)opposite, blades elliptic to obovate or lanceolate, 5.3–19 (–26) by 2.3–9.3 cm, leathery; apex acute with a distinct tip; base cuneate, slightly asymmetric; margins usually flat; secondary veins 6 –10 pairs, tertiary veins reticulate; upper surface glabrous, drying light yellowish brown, midrib raised, glabrous, secondary veins raised, tertiary veins distinct; lower surface glabrous, midrib raised, secondary veins raised, tertiary veins distinct. Petiole 8.5–20 mm long, channelled, glabrous. Inflorescence 6– 40 mm long, sparsely hairy, bracts at base orbicular, 2.3–3.3 mm long, glabrous, with margins entire; bracteoles 2.8–4 mm long, caducous. Flowers yellowish or pale green; perianth tube absent; perianth lobes 6, 2.5–3.5 by 1.1–1.5 mm, inside pubescent, outside sparsely hairy, apices acute. Stamens 9, 2.3–3.7 mm long, pubescent, filaments longer than anthers; anthers truncate at apex, glabrous, dark yellow. Ovary c. 0.7 mm diam, glabrous; style c. 1.5 mm long. Fruit (dried) ellipsoid, 15–88 by 8–39 mm, apex rounded to beaked, base slightly narrowed, surface smooth to warty, pale brown or pinkish. Stalk when mature swollen to 10 mm diam, not constricted at the apex.

Distribution — Rare in Peninsular Malaysia, widespread in Borneo ( Nishida 2008: 356).

Ecology — Lowland and hill forest, including swamps, sometimes over sandstone or limestone, at (300–)600–900(–1300) m altitude.

IUCN Conservation Assessment — Least Concern.

Phenology — Flowering: July to November; fruiting: March to November.

Notes — Since at least 1971, Kostermans named specimens of this species from Peninsular Malaysia housed in various herbaria as ‘ Beilschmiedia johorensis ’. However, I could find no publication where he officially described this species. Kochummen (1989: 144) placed one specimen of this taxon in Endiandra , as his undescribed species number 2.

This is one of the few species of Beilschmiedia that is relatively easy to recognise, by its combination of (sub)opposite, glabrous leaves that often dry yellowish brown, glabrous terminal leaf buds and round bracts at the base of the inflorescence.

Figures

Map 1 Distribution of Beilschmiedia atra (●), B. dictyoneura (▲) and B. glabra (▼). Map based on a map provided by d-maps.com.

Fig. 2 Beilschmiedia glabra Kosterm. a. Habit; b. detail of midrib at base of leaf on upper surface; c. terminal leaf bud; d. fruit and fruit stalk (all from Kiah SFN 32424). — Scale bars: a, d = 3 cm; b, c = 1 cm. — Drawings by Juliet Beentje.