Tree 9-36 m, 10-35 cm ø; stilt-roots occasionally present; bark pale brown, smooth, lenticel-late. Branchlets initially with a sparse adpressed stellate tomentum, the hairs sometimes interspersed by minute, reddish brown tinged (scales?), later glabrous, dull greyish brown, sparsely lenti-cellate; terminal buds ovoid, 5-6 by 3-4 mm, scales narrowly ovate, densely rufous stellate hairy. Stipules linear, 5-10 by 1-2 mm, rather long persistent. Leaves thick-coriaceous, rigid, (18-)24-40(-56) by (5-)9-11(-16) cm (index 3-4), broadest slightly above the middle; surfaces more or less discolorous, glabrous, greyish green, paler beneath; base cordate to auriculate, margin recurved, top bluntly acute to abruptly, sharply 1 cm acuminate; midrib strongly prominent beneath, flat above, nerves (13-)14-17(-19) pairs, prominent beneath, impressed above, subparallel, at an angle of c. 60°, arcuating and anastomosing near the margin; reticulation lax, subscalariform to irregular, distinct beneath; petiole ½-1½ cm, 3-6 mm ø, terete or adaxially flat. Inflorescence male or female, densely fulvous stellate hairy; bracts and bracteoles linear-acute, 2-3 by ½-1 mm. Male rachis (not fully developed) c. 5 cm, 2 mm ø; ♂ flowers in clusters of 3. Female rachis c. 25 cm, 2½ mm ø; ♀ flowers in clusters of 3, staminodes well-developed and exceeding the perianth, styles 3, conical, 2-3 mm. Ripe cupule ½-1 cm stalked, saucer-shaped, ⅓-½ cm long, 2-2½ cm ø; rim thin, covering the basal part of the fruit; wall woody, thin, dull grey-brown stellate hairy on both sides; scales obscure, set in inconspicuous concentric rows. Ripe fruit ovoid-globose, 1½-2 cm long, 2-2½ cm ø, glabrous, pale chocolate-brown to dark brown, top abruptly acute, base truncate, scar deeply concave, c. 1½ cm ø; wall bony, c. 1 mm thick, for the greater part free from the cupule; cotyledons flat-convex.
Home