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Mitrephora maingayi Hook.f & Thomson
| Family Name: | Annonaceae |
| Synonyms: | Mitrephora vandaeflora var. chartacea, Alphonsea maingayi, Mitrephora obtusa, Mitrephora teysmannii (Scheff.) |
| Common Name: | Nang Daeng, Mempisang, Gopeng, Maingay Mitrephora, 山蕉 |
Name
Classifications and Characteristics
| Plant Division | Angiosperms (Flowering Seed Plants) (Dicotyledon) |
|---|---|
| Plant Growth Form | Tree (Medium (16m-30m), Small (6m-15m)) |
| Lifespan (in Singapore) | Perennial |
| Mode of Nutrition | Autotrophic |
| Plant Shape | Oval |
| Maximum Height | 10 m to 15 m |
| Tree or Palm – Trunk Diameter | 1 |
Biogeography
| Native Distribution | Myanmar, Vietnam, Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, Indonesia (Java, Borneo) |
|---|---|
| Native Habitat | Terrestrial (Primary Rainforest, Secondary Rainforest, Monsoon Forest) |
| Preferred Climate Zone | Tropical, Sub-Tropical / Monsoonal |
| Local Conservation Status | Non-native (Spontaneous (Casual)) |
Description and Ethnobotany
| Growth Form | Small evergreen tree, typically 10-15m tall in Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore, reaches up to 30m height in Thailand. Crown oval, with stiffly-spreading branches. |
|---|---|
| Foliage | Shiny dark green above, paler green below, with rusty-tomentose abaxial mid-vein and lateral veins. Young leaves bright light green and velvety-soft. Buds furry rusty-brown. Mature leaf shape rather variable, ranging from elliptical, oblong-elliptical to elliptical-ovate. |
| Flowers | Superficially resembling flowers of certain orchids. Outer petals free, pale yellow, mottled/ speckled red, with curly twisted margins; inner central petals shorter, darker yellow, mottled/ speckled red, fused and folded into a triangular mitriform dome over yellow stigmatic head below, shed with age. Outer and inner petals glabrous to slightly tomentose. Flowers protogynous, transitioning from from female to male phase, upon which outer petals become undulate. Inflorescences extra-axillary (growing outside of leaf axils), contain up to 5 flowers held on short pedicels (flower stalks, 2cm). Flowers open one at a time, giving general impression that they occur singly. Scentless, unlike flowers of other Mitrephora species, or other members of Annonaceae family otherwise well-known for fragrant flowers. Trees seem to bloom regularly at beginning of year (January-Feburary) under local conditions. |
| Fruit | Broadly ovoid, ripening from green to rusty-brown, densely pubescent but less so when mature, containing 4-5 seeds in 2 rows. Fruits appear to be infrequently or not produced in cultivated trees under local suburban conditions. |
| Others - Plant Morphology | Twigs: Pubescent-brown when young, maturing to glabrous black. |
| Habitat | Primary and secondary rainforests, forest edges, inland hills and freshwater swamp forests in Peninsular Malaysia, deciduous monsoonal forests in northern and southern Thailand. |
| Similar | The leaves of this species are similar to those of Polyalthia rumphii. |
| Cultivation | Prefers deep fertile soils. Specimens grown in tight spaces seem to produce smaller and paler foliage. Propagate by air-layering. Propagation by seed is more complicated, as seeds of this species exhibit morphophysiological dormancy -- ie. possessing an embryo less than one-third the size of the seed, and furthermore not fully developed when shed from mother plant. Such seeds require a period of moist warm stratification (to allow complete development), followed by moist chilled stratification (to break physiological dormancy). To hasten germination, place seeds in moist warm place (at least 21 deg C) and then in refrigerator. Seed germination for species reportedly begins only after 6 weeks, with 42% germination upon 40th week of sowing. |
| Etymology | Genus epithet 'Mitrephora' derived from Greek terms 'mitros' (cap) and 'phorus' (bearing), a reference to the distinctive cap-like inner flower petals bore by members of this genus. Species epithet 'teysmannii' named after Dutch botanist and plant collector, Johannes Elias Teijsmann (anglicized Teysmann, 1801-1882), who travelled to Java, Indonesia as a gardener, became curator of Bogor Botanical Gardens in 1830, and spent the next 50 years developing the gardens' collections. Teijsmann was also known for his participation in the Dutch fact-finding expedition to Siam (Thailand), as well as his extensive correspondence that to date awaits a dedicated editor. |
Landscaping Features
| Desirable Plant Features | Ornamental Flowers |
|---|---|
| Landscape Uses | General, Roadside Tree / Palm |
| Thematic Landscaping | Naturalistic Garden |
Plant Care and Propagation
| Light Preference | Full Sun |
|---|---|
| Water Preference | Moderate Water |
| Plant Growth Rate | Moderate |
| Rootzone Tolerance | Fertile Loamy Soils, Well-Drained Soils |
| Maintenance Requirements | Moderate |
| Propagation Method | Seed, Stem Cutting, Air-Layering |
| Propagule Establishment Remarks | Seeds reportedly begins germinating after 6 weeks, with 42% germination rate after 40 weeks (Ng & Sanah, 1979). |
Foliar
| Foliage Retention | Evergreen |
|---|---|
| Mature Foliage Colour(s) | Green |
| Mature Foliage Texture(s) | Smooth, Glossy / Shiny, Velvety / Furry / Tomentose, Raised / Sunken Veins, Thick |
| Foliar Type | Simple / Unifoliate |
| Foliar Arrangement Along Stem | Alternate |
| Foliar Shape(s) | Non-Palm Foliage (Ovate, Elliptical, Oblong) |
| Foliar Venation | Pinnate / Net |
| Foliar Margin | Entire |
| Foliar Apex - Tip | Acute, Acuminate |
| Foliar Base | Acute, Rounded / Obtuse |
| Typical Foliar Area | Mesophyll ( 45cm2 - 182.25 cm2 ) |
| Leaf Area Index (LAI) for Green Plot Ratio | 3.0 (Tree - Intermediate Canopy) |
| Prominent Young Flush Colour(s) Remarks | Light Green |
Non - Foliar and Storage
| Trunk Type (Non Palm) | Woody |
|---|---|
| Stem Type & Modification | Woody |
| Root Type | Underground (Tap Root, Fibrous Root) |
Floral (Angiosperm)
| Flower & Plant Sexuality | Bisexual Flowers |
| Flower Colour(s) | Red, Yellow / Golden |
|---|---|
| Flower Symmetry | Bilateral |
| Flowering Period | Once Yearly |
| Flower Lifespan on Plant | Several Days |
| Flowering Habit | Polycarpic |
Fruit, Seed and Spore
| Mature Fruit Colour(s) | Brown |
|---|
References
| References | Turner, I.M. 2014. Annonaceae. Tree Flora of Sabah and Sarawak. . 8: 1–200 |
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Image Repository
Others
| Master ID | 1788 |
|---|---|
| Species ID | 3081 |
| Flora Disclaimer | The information in this website has been compiled from reliable sources, such as reference works on medicinal plants. It is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment and NParks does not purport to provide any medical advice. Readers should always consult his/her physician before using or consuming a plant for medicinal purposes. |
