Cleistanthus myrianthus (Hassk.) Kurz

Kurz, W.S. (1875) Prelim. Rep. Forest Pegu, App. A : 370. Type: Frequent in the tropical forests, especially along choungs, from Pegu and Martaban down to Tenasserim and the Andamans.

Seldom exceeding 30 cm dbh. Lenticels tending to be in longitudinal lines.

Leaf blades about 10-18 x 3.5-7 cm, shiny brown on the underside. Petioles slightly swollen and transversely wrinkled.

Flowers about 2 mm diam. Calyx glabrous throughout. Ovary glabrous.

Fruit disintegrating at maturity leaving the stalk and central axis attached to the tree. Capsule (without stalk) 8-9 mm long.

Cotyledons remain in the seed coat and the first pair of leaves is produced before the seed coat is shed. At the tenth leaf stage: leaf blade elliptic with a long acuminate apex, base rounded, underside brown; petioles hairy. Seed germination time 13 days.

Occurs in NEQ, restricted to the area between Rossville and the Daintree River. Altitudinal range from near sea level to 300 m. Grows in well developed lowland rain forest. Also occurs in SE Asia, Malesia and the Solomon Islands.