Liana. Tomentum appressed to patent, hairs up to 1 mm. Twigs densely tomentose when young, gla-brescent. Climbing shoots often patent, some growing out to a leafy, sometimes fertile branch; first internodium 3-12 cm long; hooks (l-)2, subopposite or opposite, apically on the first internodium, 2.5-5 cm long, later thickening; at apex often with cataphylls. Stipules narrowly ovate to obovate, 5-10 by 2.5-3.5 mm, digitately laciniate up to ⅓, with 7-10 lobules. Leaves sparsely to densely tomentose, narrowly elliptic to obovate, sometimes asymmetric, (4—)6—18 by 2.5-7 cm; base obtuse to acute or cuneate; margin glandular-crenulate to crenate, glands caducous, conical; apex acuminate to cuspidate, acute to obtuse, acumen up to 1.5 cm; nerves 11-17 pairs, arching upwards and ending in the dense reticulation; petiole 3-14 mm, the margin with 1-3 conical glands on each side. Inflorescence din axillary (and terminal?) 3-flowered cyme, 1-1.5 cm, sometimes reduced to 1 flower, densely tomentose; bracts caducous, narrowly ovate to obovate, 10-15 by 2-3.5 mm, deeply digitately laciniate into 8 lobules. Pedicel 2-5 mm, articulate below the calyx. Flowers only known in bud. Buds ovoid, c. 8 by 5.5 mm. Sepals leathery, the 3 or 4 outer ones tomentose, boat-shaped, ovate, 9-10 by 5-6.5(-8.5) mm; inner ones 1-2 mm shorter. Petals boat-shaped, broadly ovate, at least 10 by 7 mm. Staminal tube ± thickened at base, sometimes persistent in fruit; filaments ± hairy. Ovary 5-(or 6-)loculed, glabrous, cylindric; styles 5 (or 6), exceeding the stamens, of different length. Drupe broadly obovate to globular, 18-23 by 20-24 mm; base with vascular openings absorbed into a navel with slightly prominent margin; mesocarp thick-fleshy, hard and strongly irregularly wrinkled when dry, adnate to the stone; endocarp woody, very hard, with thick radial septa, 5 (or 6) narrowly elliptic to narrowly ovate (in CS), seminal cavities and as many alternating, always empty, cordate, sterile cavities, 1.7 mm diam. Seed(s) 1 or 2, exarillate, ven-trally attached, flattened obovoid, 11.5 by 4.5 mm, c. 1 mm thick; hilum not obvious; testa thin, 2-layered. Embryo straight; cotyledons obovate, 7 by 4 mm; radicle cylindric, 3 by 0.8 mm. Endosperm copious, slightly granular.
Typically matures in late building gaps, well drained ridges, and flat upland areas; in Malaya on gently undulating ground in lowland forest at 100 m; on Mt Kinabalu at 1500 m. Although rarely collected, according to LEIGHTON (coll. no. 1010) locally relatively common, 8 mature individuals/km2.
Home