Systellantha brookeae B.C.Stone

Drinkell, C. & Utteridge, T.M.A. 2015. A revision of the genus Systellantha B. C. Stone. Studies in Malaysian Myrsinaceae IV. Kew Bulletin 70: 50. DOI https://doi.org/10.1007/s12225-015-9603-8

Type

Type: Malaysia, Sarawak, Kapit Division, Belaga [2°42'0"N 113°47'0"E], 27 Aug. 1954, Brooke 9109 (holotype BM!; isotype L-image seen!, SING-image seen!).

Morphology General Habit

Shrub or small tree to 3 m

Morphology General Indumentum

Indumentum of minute, ferruginous multi-cellular hairs with a sub-globose glandular apex, and elliptic to linear sessile glands

Morphology Branches

Branches slender, fawn, internodes ridged on each side, glabrous or with sparse multi-cellular hairs

Morphology Leaves

Leaves: blade elliptic, 11 – 26 cm long, 3.5 – 9.5 cm wide, chartaceous, apex acute to acuminate, base acute, margins entire drying undulate, revolute; secondary veins about 20 – 50 pairs; petiole 5 – 12 mm long, with sparse sessile glands

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescences small; basal bracts 1 mm long, densely covered with multi-cellular hairs and sessile glands; pedicels 2 – 3 mm long (up to 11 mm long in fruit), sparsely hairy with multi-cellular hairs with a sub-globose glandular apex

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Staminate flowers: calyx lobes, triangular, c. 1 mm long, apex acute, margins hyaline, hairy with multi-cellular hairs only, abaxially sessile-glandular; tubular corolla fused to c. 0.7 mm length, corolla lobes ovate, apex attenuate, c. 4 mm long, c. 2 mm wide, coloured pink (fide Kartawinata 1025, Burley et al-3165, Anderson 4274), ab- and adaxially sparsely sessile-glandular (multi-cellular hairs adaxially only from the base to the middle of the petal); stamens c. 3 mm long, c. 1 mm wide, filaments c. 0.5 mm long, anthers lanceolate, connective apiculate, drying ferruginous Pistillate flowers: n.v.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit globose, 7 mm diam., apex very short acuminate, fruit green (fideKartawinata 1022) to yellowish tinged red (fide Chai S 30053), densely sessile-glandular, calyx lobes persistent and reflexed.

Distribution

Sabah, Sarawak and Kalimantan.

Note

Systellantha brookeae is distinct on account of having the indumentum of multi-cellular hairs (lacking simple hairs); the pedicels can be up to 11 mm long during fruiting and being longer than in S. fruticosa (up to 4 mm), but not as long as in S. serratifolia (up to 15 mm); and the calyx lobes are usually reflexed in fruit (except Soepadmo & Chai S 28139). The species has entire leaf margins that dry undulate and may appear wrinkled as if the margin were serrate or serrulate but, on examination with a lens or under a dissecting microscope, it is apparent that the margins are entire. In addition, the combination of the elliptic leaf shape and entire margins is very useful to recognise this species as the other members of the genus have either lanceolate leaves with entire margins (S. fruticosa) or elliptic leaves with denticulate margins (S. serratifolia).