Small to large tree up to 40 m, sometimes flowering when only a few metres high, trunk not buttressed or slightly enlarged at base. Stipules intrapet-iolar, lanceolate, acute, 5-10 mm long, sparsely pilose on exterior, glabrous within, early deciduous. Leaves coriaceous, usually oblong-lanceolate to oblong-elliptic, 6.5-14 by 2.5-8 cm, acuminate at apex, the acumen 8-20(-30) mm long, cuneate at base, glabrous when mature but often sparsely caducous arachnoid-lanate when young, usually with 2 conspicuous prominent glands at junction of petiole and decurrent lower surface; primary veins 7-10 pairs, arcuate, prominulous on both surfaces; midrib plane above, prominulous beneath; petioles 4-9 mm long, glabrous when mature, flattened above. Inflorescences of flattened many-flowered corymbose panicles, rachis and branches sparsely pilose, glabrescent. Bracts and bracteoles ovate to lanceolate, sparsely pubescent, caducous. Receptacle turbinate, tapering into pedicels 2-4 mm long, grey tomentose to glabrous on exterior, glabrous within, calyx lobes fleshy, ovate to elliptic, obtuse, 2.5-4 mm long, unequal. Petals white tinged pink, glabrous, 3-6 mm long, caducous. Stamens 25-35 inserted in several rows on one side of throat, with tooth-like staminodes opposite. Ovary bilocular, densely lanate and villous. Style glabrous except at base; stigma truncate. Fruit ellipsoid, 3-4 mm long, 1.5-2 cm broad, tapered towards base; epicarp thin, glabrous on exterior when mature, sometimes lanate when young; endocarp hard, 5 mm thick, rough on exterior; densely lanate within; bilocular usually with seed in one locule only. Cotyledons plane-convex.
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A large tree with greyish white thick and rigid branches. They are spreading and often drooping. It grows 8-15 m high and spreads 5-10 m wide. The young shoots have soft white hairs. The leaves are like paper and rounded and long and smooth. They are 7-15 cm long by 3-4 cm wide. There are 2 cup shaped glands on the upper surface near the leaf stalk. The flowers are crowded together on a stalk 10 cm long. The flowers are 1 cm across and cream. The fruit are oblong about 3 cm long and about 0.5 cm thick. They are reddish-purple to black.
Pending. See Cooper & Cooper (2004: 120–121); Kerrigan & Dixon (2011: 1–2); F.A. Zich et al., Maranthes corymbosa, in Australian Tropical Rainforest Plants (2020); Maranthes corymbosa, in FloraNT-Northern Territory flora online (accessed 6 March 2022).
Common in coastal areas on rocky and sandy hills and extremely inland up to 600 m altitude. Also in gallery forest and in Australia on sand dunes behind mangrove swamp. In Kalimantan the fruit is eaten by many bird species, including hornbills and fruit pigeons, which probably disperse the seed. The seed is also scatter-hoarded by the squirrel Sun-dasciurus hippurus. African species of Maranthes are bat-pollinated.
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It is a tropical plant. It suits places with a seasonally dry climate. It needs well drained soil. It is sensitive to frost. It is widely distributed in lowland forest regions throughout the Philippines. It grows in northern Australia. In grows in monsoonal rainforests and coastal scrub. It grows from sea level to 1,500 m above sea level.
A mid-canopy tree in fringing forests in coastal areas, especially on rocky and sandy hills by the sea; exceptionally more inland at elevations up to 600 metres. Also found as a shrub on sand dunes and immediately behind mangrove swamps.
Evergreen monsoon vine forest and thickets, rainforest, gallery forest.
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