Flora of Thailand Euphorbiaceae

 

38. Excoecaria

 

P.C. van Welzen & H.-J. Esser

 

Goto on this page:

Genus description

Identification key

Species descriptions

L., Syst Nat. ed. 10: 1288. 1759; Pax & K.Hoffm. in Engl., Pflanzenr. IV.147.v: 157. 1912; Airy Shaw, Kew Bull. 26: 268. 1972; Whitmore; Tree Fl. Malaya 2: 96. 1973; G.L.Webster, Ann. Missouri Bot. Gard. 81: 122. 1994; Chakrab. & M.G.Gangop., J. Econ. Taxon. Bot. 18: 193. 1994; Esser, Nord. J. Bot. 16: 579. 1996; Welzen & Esser in Welzen et al., Thai For. Bull. 28: 78. 2000; Esser in Radcl.-Sm., Gen. Euphorbiacearum: 360. 2001; Welzen & Esser in Chayam. & Welzen, Fl. Thailand 8, 1: 292. 2005; G.L.Webster in Kubitzki, Fam. Gen. Vasc. Pl. 11: 204. 2014.— Commia Lour., Fl. Cochinchin.: 605. 1790.— Glyphostylus Gagnep., Bull. Soc. Bot. France 71: 871. 1925; Airy Shaw, Kew Bull. 26: 281. 1972.

Shrubs to trees, mono- or dioecious; Indumentum absent (or a very occasional stellate hair). Latex white. Stipules usually with fimbriate margin, caducous. Leaves alternate or opposite, simple, symmetric, basally attached, margin (very indistinctly) serrate to crenate, teeth glandular; venation pinnate, nerves looped and closed near margin, veins reticulate. Inflorescences racemes or a head, either with basally a few pistillate flowers and mainly staminate flowers or only flowers of one sexe. Flowers actinomorphic, bracts and often bracteoles usually (basally) with 2 glands; sepals 3; petals and disc absent. Staminate flowers: stamens 3, free; pistillode absent. Pistillate flowers: ovary 3-locular, 1 ovule per locule; styles short; stigmas short, not split. Fruits rhegmas, lobed or not, depressed-globose or globose; caruncle remaining attached to column after dehiscence. Seeds ovoid, marbled.

    According to Webster (1994) a paleotropical genus of 40 species (mainly in Southeast Asia), but according to Chakrabarty & Gangopadhyay (1994) only 35 species exist; five in Thailand, with two apparent pairs of resembling species (E. cochinchinensis and E. laotica and E. bantamensis and E. oppositifolia; E. agallocha is separate). Classification: Subfam. Euphorbioideae, tribe Hippomaneae, subtribe Hippomaninae.

Key to the species

1. Excoecaria agallocha L., Sp. Pl. ed. 2: 1451. 1763; Müll.Arg. in DC., Prodr. 15, 2: 1220. 1866; Pax & K.Hoffm. in Engl., Pflanzenr. IV.147.v: 165. 1912; Airy Shaw, Kew Bull. 26: 268. 1972; Whitmore, Tree Fl. Malaya 2: 96. 1973; Chakrab. & M.G.Gangop., J. Econ. Taxon. Bot. 18: 198. 1994; Y.C.Tseng, Fl. Reipubl. Pop. Sin. 44(3): 9, pl. 24 fig. 3-5. 1997; Welzen & Esser in Welzen et al., Thai For. Bull. 28: 79. 2000; in Chayam. & Welzen, Fl. Thailand 8, 1: 293, fig. 72a-d. 2005.— Commia cochinchinensis Lour., Fl. Cochinch.: 606. 1790.— Excoecaria camettia Willd., Sp. Pl. 4: 864. 1805.— Excoecaria affinis Endl., Prod. Fl. Norfolk.: 83. 1833.— Stillingia agallocha (L.) Baill., Étude Euphorb.: 518. 1858.

Shrubs to trees up to 15 m high, dioecious, deciduous, lenticellate. Stipules 2-2.3 by c. 0.7 mm. Leaves alternate; petiole 1.2-2.5 cm long; blade elliptic, 3.7-11 by 1.5-5.8 cm, length/width ratio 1.9-2.5, parchment-like, symmetric, base rounded with two glands in margin near insertion, margin very indistinctly crenate (with glands), apex (acute to) obtusely acuminate; nerves 12 or 13 till apex. Staminate flowers in very dense racemes up to 13 cm long, less than 1 mm diameter, yellowish green; pedicel c. 0.6 mm long; sepals triangular, 0.8-1 by c. 0.3 mm, basally often eared; stamens: filaments c. 1.7 mm long; anthers c. 0.6 by 0.4 mm. Pistillate flowers in racemes of up to 5 cm long; pedicel 1-5 mm long; sepals broadly ovate, 1.5-2 by 1.2-1.5 mm; ovary 1-1.5 mm in diameter; style 0.5-1 mm long; stigmas 2.8-3.5 mm long. Fruits lobed, depressed globose, 4.5-5 by 8-9 mm, red. Seeds not seen.

    T h a i l a n d.— SOUTH-WESTERN: Prachuap Khiri Khan (Sam Roi Yot); CENTRAL: Samut Sakhon; SOUTH-EASTERN: Chanthaburi (Khung Kra Baen, Tha Chalat), Trat (Ko Chang); PENINSULAR: Trang, Satun (Ko Tarutao), Songkhla (Songkhla Lake, Ko Yo), Narathiwat.

    D i s t r i b u t i o n.— S. India and Sri Lanka to Taiwan and the Ryu-Kyu Islands, and throughout S.E. Asia and Malesia to the Pacific.

    E c o l o g y.— Common in mangrove, tidal forest, cleared forest, brackish areas, rice fields; soil: mud, sand. Altitude: sea level (up to 50) m. Said to be poisonous.

    V e r n a c u l a r.— Tatum (ตาตุ่ม), tatum thale (ตาตุ่มทะเล) (Central); bu-to (บูตอ) (Malay-Pattani).

2. Excoecaria bantamensis Müll.Arg., Linnaea 32: 124. 1863; in DC., Prodr. 15, 2: 1219. 1866; Pax & K.Hoffm. in Engl., Pflanzenr. IV.147.v: 161. 1912; Airy Shaw, Kew Bull. 26: 269. 1972; Welzen & Esser in Welzen et al., Thai For. Bull. 28: 79. 2000; in Chayam. & Welzen, Fl. Thailand 8, 1: 293. 2005.— Excoecaria macrophylla J.J.Sm., Meded. Dep. Landb. Ned.-Indië 10: 611. 1911.— Excoecaria oppositifolia Griff. var. crenulata auct. non Chakrab. & M.G.Gangop.: Chakrab. & M.G.Gangop., J. Econ. Taxon. Bot. 18: 208. 1994, p.p., pro E. bantamensis, E. macrophylla.

Trees up to 15 m high, monoecious. Stipules 3-5.5 by c. 3 mm. Leaves opposite; petiole 1.2-1.4 cm long; blade elliptic, 7-18 by 2-5 cm, length/width ratio 3.4-3.6, coriaceous, symmetric, base cuneate, margin crenate, apex acute to shortly acuminate; nerves 14-20 till apex. Staminate inflorescences and flowers seen only very young, bracts with 2 large glandular areas. Pistillate flowers in separate racemes of up to 13 cm long, 1-1.5 mm diameter, up to more than 20 flowers per inflorescence; bracts broadly ovate, 1-1.2 by c. 0.8 mm, with large glandular areas; pedicel absent; sepals broadly ovate, c. 2 by 1.8 mm; ovary c.1.8 by 1.8 mm, style 1-1.3 mm long, longitudinally grooved, apically with abscission zones; stigmas c. 2.5 mm long, recurved. Fruits not lobed, globose, c. 4 by 4 cm high. Seeds c. 9.5 by 9.5 mm.

    T h a i l a n d.— SOUTH-WESTERN: Prachuap Khiri Khan (Huai Wa Ton); SOUTH-EASTERN: Chanthaburi (Pong Nam Ron).

    D i s t r i b u t i o n.— Thailand, Java (type), Borneo.

    E c o l o g y.— Evergreen forest. Altitude: 20-600 m.

    V e r n a c u l a r.— Tatum pa (ตาตุ่มป่า) (Prachuap Khiri Khan); ko-ka-pue (เก๊าะกาปือ) (Khmer- Chanthaburi).

3. Excoecaria cochinchinensis Lour., Fl. Cochinch.: 612. 1790; Müll.Arg. in DC., Prodr. 15, 2: 1215: 1866; Pax & K.Hoffm. in Engl., Pflanzenr. IV.147.v: 160. 1912; Airy Shaw, Kew Bull. 26: 269. 1972; Whitmore, Tree Fl. Malaya 2: 97. 1973; Chakrab. & M.G.Gangop., J. Econ. Taxon. Bot. 18: 199. 1994; Y.C. Tseng, Fl. Reipubl. Pop. Sin. 44(3): 7. 1997; Welzen & Esser in Welzen et al., Thai For. Bull. 28: 79. 2000; in Chayam. & Welzen, Fl. Thailand 8, 1: 295. 2005.— Antidesma bicolor Hassk., Cat. Hort. Bog.: 81. 1844.— Excoecaria bicolor (Hassk.) Zoll. & Hassk., Retzia 1: 158. 1855.— Excoecaria bicolor (Hassk.) Zoll. & Hassk. var. purpurascens Pax & K.Hoffm. in Engl., Pflanzenr. IV.147.v: 159. 1912.

a. var. cochinchinensis: Welzen & Esser in Welzen et al., Thai For. Bull. 28: 80. 2000; in Chayam. & Welzen, Fl. Thailand 8, 1: 295. 2005.

 

   

Like other variety, only lower leaf surface deep red-purple.

    T h a i l a n d.— CENTRAL: Bangkok (Bangkhen).

    D i s t r i b u t i o n.— Originally from Indochina (type), now widely cultivated.

    V e r n a c u l a r.— Ka buea (กะเบือ) (Ratchaburi); kamlang krabue (กำลังกระบือ), lin krabue (ลินกระบือ) (Central); bai thong daeng (ใบท้องแดง) (Chanthaburi).

    U s e s.— Due to its two coloured leaves used as an ornamental shrub.

 

b. var. viridis (Pax & K.Hoffm.) Merr., Philipp. J. Sci. 15: 244. 1919; Welzen & Esser in Welzen et al., Thai For. Bull. 28: 80. 2000; in Chayam. & Welzen, Fl. Thailand 8, 1: 295, fig. 72e, f. 2005.— Excoecaria quadrangularis Müll.Arg. in DC., Prodr. 15, 2: 1219. 1866; Chakrab. & M.G.Gangop., J. Econ. Taxon. Bot. 18: 210. 1994.— Excoecaria bicolor (Hassk.) Zoll. & Hassk. var. viridis Pax & K.Hoffm. in Engl., Pflanzenr. IV.147.v: 159. 1912.— Excoecaria orientalis Pax & K.Hoffm. in Engl., Pflanzenr. IV.147.v: 160. 1912.— Excoecaria bicolor (Hassk.) Zoll. & Hassk. var. orientalis (Pax & K.Hoffm.) Gagnep. in Lecomte, Fl. Indo-Chine 5: 406. 1926.

 

 

Shrubs up to 2 m high, monoecious, glabrous. Stipules 2-2.2 by 0.8-1 mm. Leaves alternate to opposite; petiole 4-11 mm long; blade (elliptic to) obovate, 4.2-14 by 0.9-4.4 cm, length/width ratio 3.2-4.7, papery to rather coriaceous, symmetric, base cuneate, margin serrate/crenate with glandular teeth, apex acuminate to cuspidate, acumen 6-18 mm long; nerves 9-10 till apex. Inflorescences racemes with basally a few pistillate flowers and in the upper part many staminate flowers, up to 5 cm long; bracts and bracteoles with glands; flowers green to yellow. Staminate flowers 1-1.5 mm diameter; pedicel 0.6-0.8 mm high; sepals triangular, 0.6-1 by 0.3-0.4 mm, margin fimbriate; stamens: filaments 0.8-1.1 mm long; anthers 0.5-0.7 by 0.4-0.5 mm, creamish. Pistillate flowers 2-2.8 mm in diameter; pedicel 0.4-1(-3 in fruit) mm long; sepals ovate, 1.2-1.5 by 1-1.3 mm; ovary 1-1.5 by 1-1.8 mm diameter; styles 0.3-0.6 mm long; stigmas 1.9-2.5 mm long. Fruits lobed, depressed globose, c. 7 by 5 mm high, red. Seeds not seen.

    T h a i l a n d.— NORTHERN: Chiang Mai (Doi Angka, Doi Inthanon); NORTH-EASTERN: Loei (Phu Kradueng), Nakhon Phanom (Phu Langka), Khon Kaen (Donglen); EASTERN: Chaiyaphum (Nam Phrom), Nakhon Ratchasima (Khao Yai, Salika Forest); SOUTH-WESTERN: Kanchanaburi (Erawan), Phetchaburi (Kaeng Krachan), Prachuap Khiri Khan (Bang Saphan, Huai Hin Chuang); CENTRAL: Nakhon Nayok (Khao Yai National Park); SOUTH-EASTERN: Chanthaburi; PENINSULAR: Phangnga (Than Luk Sua), Krabi (Khao Pra-Bang Khram), Nakhon Si Thammarat (Yong Waterfalls), Pattani (Sai Khao Waterfalls).

    D i s t r i b u t i o n..— Myanmar, Thailand, Malay Peninsula, S. China, Indochina (type) and perhaps Taiwan.

    E c o l o g y.— Evergreen forest, mixed or deciduous forest or scrub, secondary forest, often by streams; scattered to locally common; soil: sandstone. Altitude: sea level to 1520 m.

    V e r n a c u l a r.— Tatum kai (ตาตุ่มไก่), tatum nok (ตาตุ่มนก) (Prachuap Khiri Khan); krabue chet tua (กระบือเจ็ดตัว), lin krabue khao (ลินกระบือขาว) (Central, Chanthaburi).

    U s e s.— Latex is said to be poisonous, it irritates the skin and mucous membranes.

4. Excoecaria laotica (Gagnep.) Esser, Nord. J. Bot. 16: 580. 1996; Welzen & Esser in Welzen et al., Thai For. Bull. 28: 80. 2000; Welzen & Esser in Chayam. & Welzen, Fl. Thailand 8, 1: 296, fig. 72g, fig. 73. 2005.— Glyphostylus laoticus Gagnep., Bull. Soc. Bot. Fr. 71: 871. 1925; Airy Shaw, Kew Bull. 26: 281. 1972.

Shrubs to treelets up to 2 m high, monoecious, glabrous. Stipules 0.3-1.5 by 0.5-0.6 mm. Leaves opposite; petiole c. 5 cm long; blade (elliptic to) obovate, 4.2-13.5 by 1.9-4.5 cm, length/width ratio 2.2-3, coriaceous, symmetric except often for the base, base obtuse, margin serrate with glands, apex acuminate; nerves 9-12 till apex. Flowers in dense heads with basally a pistillate flower and many staminate flowers, up to 2 cm long; bracts with glands, bracteoles more or less without. Staminate flowers c. 2 mm in diameter, light green, sessile; sepals triangular, 1.25-2.5 by 0.5-1.5 mm; stamens: filaments 1.6-5 mm long, white; anthers 0.6-0.7 by c. 0.4 mm, whitish. Pistillate flowers c. 2 mm in diameter, subsessile, green to reddish; sepals ovate, c. 1.6 by 1.8 mm; ovary c. 2 by 2 mm; styles 0.8-3 mm long; stigmas 0.9-1.25 mm long. Fruits lobed, depressed globose, 8-12 by 5-6 mm high, red. Seeds 4.5-5 by 4.5-5 mm.

    T h a i l a n d.— EASTERN: Nakhon Ratchasima (Khao Phrik); NORTH-EASTERN: Loei (Phu Kradueng), Khon Kaen (Dong Lan); SOUTH-WESTERN: Kanchanaburi (Erawan National Park); PENINSULAR: Pattani (Sai Khao Falls).

    D i s t r i b u t i o n.— Laos (type), Thailand

    E c o l o g y.— (Dry) evergreen forest, moist deciduous forest, disturbed primary evergreen forest, along streams; locally common; soil: limestone. Altitude: 50-600 m.

    V e r n a c u l a r.— Tatum lao (ตาตุ่มลาว) (General).

5. Excoecaria oppositifolia Griff., Calcutta J. Nat. Hist. 4: 386. 1844; Müll.Arg. in DC., Prodr. 15, 2: 1219. 1866; Pax & K.Hoffm. in Engl., Pflanzenr. IV.147.v: 161. 1912; Airy Shaw, Kew Bull. 26: 270. 1972; Whitmore, Tree Fl. Malaya 2: 96. 1973; Chakrab. & M.G.Gangop., J. Econ. Taxon. Bot. 18: 207. 1994; Welzen & Esser in Welzen et al., Thai For. Bull. 28: 80. 2000; Welzen & Esser in Chayam. & Welzen, Fl. Thailand 8, 1: 298, fig. 72h. 2005.

(Shrubs to) trees up to 13 m high, monoecious. Stipules c. 5 by 4 mm. Leaves opposite; petiole 1.3-2.5 cm long; blade elliptic, 9.5-29 by 3.7-12 cm, length/width ratio 2-3.4, coriaceous, symmetric, base rounded, margin (indistinctly) serrate, apex acute to acuminate; nerves 14-20 till apex. Flowers in separate racemes. Staminate flowers in loose racemes up to 26 cm long, c. 1.5 mm in diameter, greenish; bracts (without to) with 2 large glandular areas; pedicel 0-0.5 mm long; sepals ovate, 1.1-1.2 by 0.8-1.1 mm; stamens: filaments 1-1.5 mm long; anthers c. 0.5-0.8 by 0.9-1 mm. Pistillate flowers not seen, single, terminal on short rachis, latter 1.2-1.7 cm long in fruit, c. 1.5 mm diameter; bracts ovate, 1.3-1.5 by 1-1.2 mm, with large glandular areas; pedicel 2-4 mm long; sepals broadly ovate to triangular, 1.5-3 by 1-1.7 mm; ovary unknown; style up to 2 mm long in fruit, stigmas c. 2.3 mm long, recurved. Fruits not lobed, globose, 4-6 by 4-5.5 cm high, green; column c. 8 mm long. Seeds 10-11 by 10-11 mm high.

    T h a i l a n d.— NORTHERN: Nan (Doi Pha Chang), Lampang (Mae Peng, Wang Fen); NORTH-EASTERN: Loei (Pa Pakchom); EASTERN: Nakhom Ratchasima (Khao Yai National Park); SOUTH-WESTERN: Kanchanaburi (Thung Yai Naresuan), Phetchaburi (Kaeng Krachan National Park); CENTRAL: Nakhon Nayok (Khao Yai National Park); SOUTH-EASTERN: Chon Buri (Khao Kampang), Chanthaburi (Khao Soi Dao, Pong Nam Ron); PENINSULAR: Surat Thani (Ko Samui).

    D i s t r b u t i o n.— Assam (type), Myanmar, Thailand, Indochina.

    E c o l o g y.— Evergreen forest, mixed deciduous forest, usually along streams: soil: varying from acid rock to shale to limestone. Altitude: 80-800 m.

    V e r n a c u l a r.— Tang ta bot (ตังตาบอด), yang ron (ยางร้อน) (Northern); fai duean ha (ไฟเดือนห้า) (Peninsular).