Tree 5-12 m, c. 30 cm ø, usually crooked; bark peeling off profusely. Branchlets initially densely rufous-tomentose by stellate hairs, later subglab rous, sturdy with thick nodes, yellowish grey, smooth to finely fissured; terminal buds ovoid-ellipsoid, 3-6 by 3-4 mm, scales ovate-acute. Stipules linear-acute, 1½-2 by ½-⅔ mm, soon caducous. Leaves thick-coriaceous, rigid, (6-) 8-12(-15) by (2-)3-6(-8) cm (index 1.6-2.8), broadest below or at the middle; surfaces more or less discolorous, above dull, chocolate-brown, glabrous except the midrib, beneath densely yellowish brown tomentose by adpressed stellate hairs; base rounded and abruptly acute to acute, margin recurved, top abruptly acute to 1-1½ cm acuminate, tip sharp, usually oblique; midrib and nerves strongly prominent beneath, impressed above; nerves (6-)7-9(-12) pairs, subparallel, at an angle of 60-80°, arcuating and anastomosing near the margin; reticulation fine, lax, scalariform, distinct beneath; petiole ½-1½ cm, 1-4 mm ø, adaxially flat. Inflorescence male, female, androgynous or mixed, densely fulvous to rufous tomentose by stellate hairs; bracts and bracteoles ovate-acute to linear, thick-coriaceous, 1½-3 by ⅔-1 mm. Male rachis c. 10 cm, 1½-2 mm ø; ♂ flowers solitary or in clusters of 3-7, perianth 6-lobed, stamens usually 12, filaments 4-5 mm, anthers 0.4-0.5 mm long, pistillode subglobose, 1½-2 mm ø. Female, androgynous or mixed rachis 4-6 cm, 3-5 mm ø; ♀ flowers solitary or in clusters of 3-7, perianth thick-coriaceous, 6-lobed, staminodes 12, sometimes well-developed and exceeding the perianth, styles 3-5, conical, 2½-3 mm, recurved. Rachis of the infructescence sturdy. Young cupule subsessile, in clusters of 3-7, outside with acroscopical scales arranged in concentric lines, greyish black, densely tomentose by short stellate hairs. Ripe cupule sessile, obovoid-ellipsoid, 6-7 cm long, 5-6 cm ø, base rounded, top rounded, depressed at the centre, opening less than ½ cm ø; wall woody, greyish black, 2-5 mm thick, outside lenticellate, with 8-10 concentric, rarely spiral, entire or denticulate lamellae, mainly on the rotundate top. Fruit ellipsoid-globose, 5-6 cm long, 4-5 cm ø; wall woody, 1-2 cm thick, for the greater part adnate to the cupule; top c. 2 cm ø, densely tomentose, base rounded.
Home