Memecylon pauciflorum var. pauciflorum

Family

Melastomataceae

Botanical Name

Memecylon pauciflorum Blume var. pauciflorum

Blume, C.L. von (1850) Museum Botanicum Lugduno-Batavum 1: 356. Type: Timor..

Common name

Memecylon

Stem

Seldom exceeding 30 cm dbh.

Leaves

Leaf blades about 3-7 x 1-3 cm. Lateral veins scarcely visible on the upper surface but forming inconspicuous loops or an intramarginal vein very close to the margin. Small oil dots visible with a lens. Stipules absent but scars resembling stipular scars are visible on the twigs between the petioles. Petiole grooved on the upper surface.

Flowers

Inflorescences shorter than the leaves. Flowers small, petals about 2 mm long. Stamens eight, anthers with a long spur at the base and a raised gland on the spur on the opposite side to the filament attachment.

Fruit

Fruits globular or depressed globular, about 6-8 x 8-9 mm diam., calyx persistent at the apex. Seed globular, about 4-5 x 5-6 mm diam. Cotyledons green, crumpled and folded many times.

Seedlings

Cotyledons +/- semiorbicular, 16-20 x 15-30 mm, shortly petiolate. Cotyledonary stipules usually visible. Hypocotyl winged. At the tenth leaf stage: leaves linear, narrowly elliptic or elliptic, glabrous. Stipules usually visible or stipule-like structures visible.

Distribution and Ecology

Occurs in WA, NT, CYP, NEQ and southwards to south-eastern Queensland. Altitudinal range from near sea level to 400 m. Grows as an understory tree in monsoon forest, drier or more seasonal rain forest, open forest, woodland and littoral forest. Also occurs in SE Asia and Malesia.