Mitrephora tomentosa Hook. f. & Thomson

Tree

Mitrephora species are trees monoecious or rarely dioecious. Leaves simple, alternate, coriaceous, lateral veins strongly ribbed. Flowers bisexual or rarely unisexual, solitary or few, extra-axillary or leaf opposed, Sepals 3, valvate, ovate or orbicular, Petals 6 in 2 series, valvate in buds, outer petals larger than inner petals, inner ones usually thin, base narrowly long clawed, cohering by their edges and vaulted. Stamens many, oblong-cuneate, anthers dorsal, remote, connectives flattened apiculate rounded on top. Carpels oblong, style oblong or clavate, stigma capitates, ovules 4 or more. Ripe carpels many, ovoid or globose, stalked or subsessile, Seeds 2-3.

Seeds

Mitrephora species flowers are complete, bisexual, i.e., with functional male (androecium) and female (gynoecium), including stamens, carpels and ovary. Pollination is entomophilous i.e., by insects; rarely dioecious i.e., plants have male (staminate) flowers on one plant, and female (pistillate) flowers on another plant. Flowering/Fruiting: March-May/August-October.

Seeds dispersed by barochory i.e., gravitational dispersal, zoochory i.e., dispersal by birds or animals.

Perennial

Leaves 5-18´2.4-7cm, oblong-lanceolate, apex acuminate, base rounded, tomentose beneath. Flowers ca 2cm, pinkish, solitary or 2-3 together, axillary; bratcs orbicular. Sepals 3, ovate, connate below. Petals 6 in 2 series, lanceolate, browny tomentose. Stamens ca 1.5 cm .

Usually small evergreen trees, some trees grow up to 20 m tall and 1.5 m girth. Bark dark brown or blackish brown, smooth except for very shallow and distant vertical fissure and generally with large white blotches, branchlets tomentose. Leaves simple, alternate, variable, narrow ovate, lanceolate-oblong to oblanceolate, 10-26 x 3-9 cm across, base obtuse or rounded, margin entire, apex acute to shallow acuminate, coriaceous, dark green, glabrous above except the midrib, paler softly tomentose, velvety rusty tomentose in young trees beneath, lateral veins 10-16 on either side of the midrib, almost parallel, impressed above, prominent on the veins and midrib beneath, petiole stout, rusty tomentose, about 0.5-1 cm long. Flowers bisexual, in 1-3 flowered cymes, leaf opposed or extra axillary, about 5-7 cm across, pedicels slender, tomentose, about 0.8-1.2 cm long, bracts basal, orbicular. Sepals 3, valvate, broadly ovate, base connate, apex acute, brown tomentose, about 5-10 x 6-10 mm across. Petals 6 in 2 series, valvate in buds, outer petals broadly lanceolate, apex acute, larger than inner petals, densely brown tomentose outside, yellow with light purple veins inside, about 2-3.5 x 1-1.5 cm across, inner petals, broadly ovate, apex acute, yellow with purple near the apex, base narrowly clawed, cohering by their edges and vaulted, about 1-1.5 x 0.7-1.2 cm across. Stamens many, oblong-cuneate, about 1.5 mm long, anthers dorsal, remote, connectives flattened at the top. Carpels few, ovate, about 1.5 mm long, stigma sessile, spathulate. Ripe carpels, many, monocarps, broadly subglobose or ovoid, about 1.5 cm in diameter, densely brown, stalk stout, tomentose, about 2-3 cm long, Seeds 2, plano convex, dark brown or blackish, oval-oblong, slightly flattened.

Occaisionally found

Susceptible to insect pests.

Evergreen Forests

Tropical and subtropical evergreen forests, altitude up to 700 m.

Common

Threats recoded

It is found growing wild in the tropical forest

Bark is used in manufacturing soap. Wood is even grained, compact, dun white, used for making agricultural implements and house construction.