Spathiostemon moniliformis
Spathiostemon moniliformis is a plant that can grow as a shrub or a tree in the Euphorbiaceae family, Acalypheae tribe. It is endemic to southern/peninsular Thailand.
| Spathiostemon moniliformis | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Malpighiales |
| Family: | Euphorbiaceae |
| Genus: | Spathiostemon |
| Species: | S. moniliformis |
| Binomial name | |
| Spathiostemon moniliformis | |
Description
The species grows as a shrub or tree, in height up to 10m, with a trunk diameter at breast height up to 11 cm.[1][2] Leaves are rarely ovate tending usually to elliptic, some 6.2-26.5 x 2.3-9.5 cm in size, on both sides they are smooth and glabrous. Flowers are white to yellowish. The fruit is reddish to dark brown, smooth and glabrous, some 9 x 6mm in size. It flowers and fruits from December to March, August to September.
The species is distinguished from its sister taxa Spathiostemon javensis by the following traits: Glabrous petioles; the leaves do not have domatia; the inflorescences are glabrous, and the staminate inflorescences are from 6 to 28 cm long; the pistillate flowers have sepals in 2 whorls of 3; the ovary and fruit are smooth.[1]
The taxa is distinguished from other Euphorbiaceae growing in Thailand by having: elliptic leaves whose basal margin has 3 black dot-like glands on either side of the midrib; the petioles are both basally and apically pulvinate; seeds do not have arilloid.[3]
Habitat, ecology
The shrub/tree is common in evergreen forest and in secondary forests that have evergreen patches.[1] It grows from 10 to 200m altitude.
Vernacular names
Kha khao and khan laen are names used for this species in Surat Thani Province, Thailand.[1]
History
The English botanist Herbert Kenneth Airy Shaw, who worked extensively on tropical Asian botany and entomology, described the species in 1962, in the Kew Bulletin.[5]
References
- van Welzen, Peter C. (1998). "Revisions and phylogenies of Malesian Euphorbiaceae: Subtribe Lasiococcinae (Homonoia, Lasiococca, Spathiostemon) and Clonostylis, Ricinus, and Wetria" (PDF). Blumea. 43: 131–164. Retrieved 25 January 2021.
- van Welzen, P.C. "Malesian Euphorbiaceae Descriptions: 93. SPATHIOSTEMON (Euphorbiaceae)". Flora Malesiana. Nationaal Herbarium.Netherlands. Retrieved 25 January 2021.
- van Welzen, Peter C. (1998). "Analytical key to the genera of Thai Euphorbiaceae". Thai For. Bull. (Bot.). 26: 1–17. Retrieved 25 January 2021.
- "Spathiostemon moniliformis Airy Shaw". Plants of the World Online (POWO). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 25 January 2021.
- "pathiostemon moniliformis Airy Shaw, Kew Bull. 16(3): 357 (1963)". International Plant Name Index (IPNI). The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 25 January 2021.
Further reading
- Govaerts, R., Frodin, D.G. & Radcliffe-Smith, A. (2000). World Checklist and Bibliography of Euphorbiaceae (and Pandaceae) 1-4: 1–1622. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
- van Welzen, P.C. & Chayamarit, K. (2007). Flora of Thailand 8(2): 305–592. The Forest Herbarium, National Park, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department, Bangkok.