Aporosa villosa (Lindl.) Baill. - EUPHORBIACEAE

Basionym : Scepa villosa Lindl.

Synonym : Aporosa glabrifolia Kurz
Aporosa sphaerosperma Gagnep.
Aporosa sphaerosperma Gagnep. var. cordata Gagnep.

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Botanical descriptions Habitat and ecology Distribution

Botanical descriptions :

Diagnostic characters : Deciduous trees, bark deeply fissured. Young branches densely tomentose. Exudate absent. Petiole thickened at the top and with two glands at the apex. Flowers unisexual on different trees, greenish. Fruit capsular. Seed with orange aril.
Habit : Deciduous tree up to 10 m tall.
Trunk & bark : Bole straight, bark grey-brown to red-brown, deeply fissured, thick.
Branches and branchlets or twigs : Twigs terete, with short soft brown hairs.
Exudates : Exudate absent.
Leaves : Leaves simple, alternate, spiral or distichous, elliptic-oblong or narrowly obovate, apex obtuse or acute, base round or acute, margin entire or sometimes with scattered teeth.
Midrib flat above, secondary veins obtuse, widely parallel, tertiary veins reticulate.
Stipules present.
Petiole thickened at top and base, with 2 glands at top.
Inflorescences or flowers : Flowers greenish, arranged in an inflorescence, axillary, often on leafless shoots, unisexual, on different trees.
Fruits : Fruit capsule, 1 - 0.7 cm, ovoid, splitting irregularly.
Seeds : Seed 1, with orange aril.

Habitat and ecology :

Common understorey tree on pine and deciduous forest.

Distribution :

Burma (Myanmar), Thailand, Indochina, Laos (Khammouan).

Remark/notes/uses :
The wood is used as firewood, bark and wood is used medicinally.

Specimens studied :
BT 74, BT 119, BT 435, LAO 7 (Herbarium of Faculty of Sciences-NUoL, NHN-Leiden and CIRAD-Montpellier).

Literature :
Gardner S., Sidisunthorn P. & Anusarnsunthorn V. 2000. A field guide to Forest Trees of Northern Thailand. Kobfai Publishing Project. Bangkok. Thailand.

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