Information

A tree about 50 ft. high; branchlets stout, glabrous. Leaves elongate-oblong or elongate-obovate, rounded or very shortly and obtusely acuminate, more or less narrowed to the base, 6–15 in. long, 3–6 in. broad, thinly chartaceous or membranous, entire, glabrous above, pubescent on the midrib and lateral nerves beneath; lateral nerves 10–17 on each side, diverging from the midrib at an angle of 45°, looped and branched near the margin, prominent only on the lower surface; tertiary nerves parallel, rather slender; veins scarcely visible; petiole 1 1/2–2 in. long, swollen and wrinkled at the top, glabrous; stipules not seen, soon falling off. Male racemes about 2 1/2 in. long; axis sulcate, glabrous; outer bract ovate-rotundate, slightly ciliate; inner bract in the shape of a cup enclosing the three closely packed flowers whilst in bud, central flower overtopping the two others; bracteoles at the base of each pedicel ovate, ciliate and pubescent; pedicels short. Sepals 5, oblong, inflexed and fringed at the apex. Stamens 5; filaments about half as long as the sepals. Disk-glands 5, large and fleshy, glabrous. Rudimentary ovary bipartite, segments slightly papillose towards the apex. Female racemes about 1 1/2 in. long; axis sulcate or angular, glabrous; bracts ovate-lanceolate, obtuse, 1 1/4 lin. long, 1/2 lin. broad, thinly coriaceous, glabrous. Sepals 5, one smaller than the rest, ovate-lanceolate, obtuse, 2 lin. long, coriaceous, glabrous on both sides. Disk adnate to the base of the sepals, glabrous. Ovary slightly trilobed, glabrous; styles 3, free to the base, at first erect, at length recurved, bifid or bilobed, glabrous. Capsule subglobose or oblong-ellipsoid, 1 1/4–1 1/2 in. in diam., septicidal, exocarp partially splitting from each end into six pieces, the cocci falling away and leaving the persistent central axis; exocarp crustaceous, thin; endocarp horny, nearly 1/2 lin. thick. Seeds not seen.