Macaranga conglomerata Brenan

Euphorbiaceae, A. R.-Smith. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1987

Morphology General Habit

A tall tree up to 32 m. with a slender trunk ± 2 m. in circumference and a spreading crown, branching from a low level or from up to 9 m.

Morphology General Bark

Bark grey, smooth, with horizontal lenticels ± 12 mm. long.

Morphology General Wood

Wood white or pale brown.

Morphology General Shoots

Young shoots, petioles and inflorescence-axes densely ferruginous tomentellous, later glabrescent.

Morphology Leaves

Petioles 1.5–11 cm. long, slightly pulvinate at the base; leaves held in a drooping position with the margins incurved; leaf-blades ovate, often broadly so, triangular-ovate or occasionally suborbicular-ovate, 4–17.5 cm. long, 2–13 cm. wide, acutely acuminate, entire, subentire or undulate and remotely and minutely denticulate, rounded, truncate, shallowly cordate, cordate or cordulate, peltate in saplings, not in mature trees, biglandular at the petiole-insertion, firmly chartaceous to thinly coriaceous, 7–9(–11)-nerved from the base, lateral nerves 9–13 pairs, not or scarcely prominent to slightly impressed above, prominent beneath, brochidodromous, tertiary nerves parallel or subparallel, ± concentric at the base, quaternary nerves also parallel, quinary nerves visible beneath on larger leaves, densely minutely uniformly yellowish-brown refringent-glan- dular-punctate beneath, uniformly ferruginous tomentellous above and beneath at first, later ferruginous puberulous only on the midrib and main nerves beneath, or else glabrescent, shiny above, not glaucous beneath.

Morphology Leaves Stipules

Stipules lanceolate to narrowly lanceolate, 8–13 mm. long, 2–3 mm. wide, acutely acuminate, entire, densely ferruginous tomentellous, subpersistent to caducous.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescences axillary, solitary, long-pedunculate. Female inflorescences conglomerate, usually with a terminal congested pseudumbel 7–10 mm. diameter (up to 2 cm. diameter in fruit) and 1–2 smaller lateral glomerules just beneath it, 2–5 cm. long, the peduncles 1.5–4 cm. long; bracts resembling those of the ♂ inflorescences but fewer-flowered and soon caducous. Male inflorescences conglomerate, usually with a terminal capitate glomerule 5–7 mm. diameter, and 2–4 smaller lateral glomerules (3–4 mm. diameter) towards the top, 3–10(–13.5) cm. long, the peduncles 1–7(–9) cm. long; bracts foliaceous, strongly deflexed, ovate-lanceolate, 7–15(–20) mm. long, 4–5 mm. wide at the base, acutely acuminate, entire or sparingly glandular-denticulate, rounded, biglandular at the base, ± persistent, many-flowered.

sex Male

Male flowers sessile; calyx-lobes 3, broadly ovate, 0.5 mm. long, puberulous without, glabrous within, brownish green; stamens 3(–4), filaments ± united at the base, 1 mm. long, whitish, anthers obscurely 4-thecous, 0.5 mm. across, yellow. Male inflorescences conglomerate, usually with a terminal capitate glomerule 5–7 mm. diameter, and 2–4 smaller lateral glomerules (3–4 mm. diameter) towards the top, 3–10(–13.5) cm. long, the peduncles 1–7(–9) cm. long; bracts foliaceous, strongly deflexed, ovate-lanceolate, 7–15(–20) mm. long, 4–5 mm. wide at the base, acutely acuminate, entire or sparingly glandular-denticulate, rounded, biglandular at the base, ± persistent, many-flowered.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Female flowers:pedicels 1–2 mm. long, extending to 5–7 mm. in fruit; calyx cupular, 1.5 mm. long, splitting into 3 subequal lobes and becoming flattened or slightly reflexed as the fruit matures, ferruginous tomentellous without, glabrous within; ovary 1–2-lobate, 1.5 mm. long, 1.5–2 mm. wide, densely yellowish granulate-glandular; styles 1–2, strongly recurved, united at the base when 2, 3 mm. long, adaxially densely fimbriate, abaxially puberulous. Male flowers sessile; calyx-lobes 3, broadly ovate, 0.5 mm. long, puberulous without, glabrous within, brownish green; stamens 3(–4), filaments ± united at the base, 1 mm. long, whitish, anthers obscurely 4-thecous, 0.5 mm. across, yellow.

sex Female

Female flowers:pedicels 1–2 mm. long, extending to 5–7 mm. in fruit; calyx cupular, 1.5 mm. long, splitting into 3 subequal lobes and becoming flattened or slightly reflexed as the fruit matures, ferruginous tomentellous without, glabrous within; ovary 1–2-lobate, 1.5 mm. long, 1.5–2 mm. wide, densely yellowish granulate-glandular; styles 1–2, strongly recurved, united at the base when 2, 3 mm. long, adaxially densely fimbriate, abaxially puberulous. Female inflorescences conglomerate, usually with a terminal congested pseudumbel 7–10 mm. diameter (up to 2 cm. diameter in fruit) and 1–2 smaller lateral glomerules just beneath it, 2–5 cm. long, the peduncles 1.5–4 cm. long; bracts resembling those of the ♂ inflorescences but fewer-flowered and soon caducous.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit obovoid-ellipsoid or bilobate, with persistent calyx and styles, 5–6 mm. long, 4–8 mm. diameter, densely granulate-glandular, greenish yellow; styles laterally displaced in the monococcous fruits.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds subglobose, 3–4 mm. diameter, smooth, shiny, dark purplish brown to blackish.

Figures

Fig. 49.

Habitat

Locally common in upland evergreen forest; 1400–2000 m.

Distribution

not known elsewhere K7 T3