Beilschmiedia maingayi Hook.f.

de kok, R. P. J., 2016, A revision of Beilschmiedia (Lauraceae) of Peninsular Malaysia, Blumea 61 (2), pp. 147-164 : 159

11. Beilschmiedia maingayi Hook.f. — Map 5

Beilschmiedia maingayi Hook.f.(1886) 123;Ridl.(1924) 84;Kosterm.(1964) 137; Kochummen (1989) 121; I.M. Turner (1995) 276;Sach. Nishida (2008) 365. — Type (selected here): Maingay 2662 [Kew distribution nr. 1268] ( lectotype K [K000768674]; iso-lectotype K [K001098123]), [Peninsular Malaysia], Malacca.

Trees5–20mtall,dbh 10–30cm;barkbrownto(black)grey,smooth to (finely) cracking; inner bark red or pale brown, fragrant; wood white to yellow. Twigs slender, 3.4–7.5 mm diam, velutinous when young, glabrescent when older; terminal leaf buds triangular, 3.5–10 mm long, velutinous; hairs short, straight, appressed, light brown. Leaves alternate to rarely spiral, blades elliptic or oblong to oblanceolate, 12–38 by 3.5–12.5 cm, leathery to membranous, bright to dark green, drying reddish brown to dark brown; apex acute to acuminate; base attenuate; secondary veins 7–13 pairs, tertiary veins reticulate; upper surface glabrous, midrib sunken to flattened, secondary veins often sunken, tertiary veins distinct or sometimes not visible; lower surface glabrous, midrib raised, secondary veins raised, tertiary veins distinct, yellowish green. Petiole slender, 10–30 mm long, sparsely hairy. Inflorescence 5–36 mm long, not enclosed at base by bracts, velutinous; bracteoles lanceolate, 5–6 by 2.7–3 mm, apex acute. Flowers hairy outside, white or (greenish) yellow to dull yellow brown, fragrant, smelling faintly of aniseed; perianth tube absent; perianth lobes ovate, 2.8–4 by 2–2.6 mm, apices round. Stamens 9, 2–2.5 mm long, all filaments shorter than anthers; anthers glabrous, obtuse to truncate at apex, red. Ovary 0.9–1 by 0.9–1 mm, glabrous; style 1.3–1.5 mm long. Fruit (dried) ellipsoid, 35–45 by 17–25 mm, apex rounded to slightly pointed, base rounded to cuneate, surface smooth, tuning dark when ripe. Stalk when mature strongly swollen to 5.4 mm diam, brown, not constricted below apex.

Distribution — Malaysia (including Sabah and Sarawak), Indonesia ( Kalimantan and Sumatra).

Ecology — Growing in lowland to montane forests, sometimes over granite or sandy loam, at 100–1200 m altitude.

IUCN Conservation Assessment — Least Concern.

Phenology — Flowering: June to November; fruiting: April to September.

Notes — The difference between this species and B. wallichiana has been discussed by various people. Kochummen (1989: 121) thought that the main difference was that B. maingayi is a big tree with glabrous leaves, while B. wallichiana is a small tree with hairy leaves. Nishida (2008: 365) stated that B. maingayi is distinguished from B. wallichiana by the former having appressed hairs on the terminal leaf buds and by having filaments shorter than the anthers, while the latter has erect to appressed hairs on the terminal leaf bud and filaments that are longer than the anthers. As defined in this present study, B. maingayi can vary from a small to a large tree but given the lack of specimens of B. wallichiana with good field notes, it is very difficult to say anything about its habit. The leaves of B. maingayi are clearly glabrous while those of B. wallichiana are sparsely hairy, in particular along the veins and the leaf margins. Both species can have appressed hairs on the terminal leaf buds. However, I found that main difference between these two species is that B. wallichiana has bracts at the base of the inflorescence whereas B. maingayi does not.

This species is morphological closely related to the Indian and northern Thai species B. clarkei Hook.f. They differ by the latter having raised secondary veins on the upper surface, and anthers which are shorter than the filaments.

There are two sheets of the type gathering at K. The specimen with the floral dissections in the envelope pinned to the sheet and with the detailed drawings on the sheet is chosen here as the lectotype .

Figures

Map 5 Distribution of Beilschmiedia maingayi (●), B. membranacea (▲) and B. roxburghiana (▼). Map based on maps provided by d-maps.com.