Crudia sparei

Author: Whithmore

Morphological description
Climber. Stipules intrapetiolar, c. 1.5 mm long, caducous.

Leaves 2- or 3-foliolate; petiole and rachis 1.5-2 cm long, glabrous; petiolules short, 3-5 mm, glabrous. Leaflets subcoriaceous, elliptic, rarely ovate- or obovate-elliptic, 5-12(-14) by 2.5-4.5(-6) cm, the lower ones usually smaller; apex shortly acuminate; base obtuse, or cuneate, more or less symmetric; glabrous above, loosely minutely puberulous beneath; nerves 5-8 per side.

Inflorescences racemose, terminal or axillary, pendulous or curved, up to 55 cm long, the rachis glabrous, rather loosely flowered; bracts oblong, c. 7 mm long, 3-lobed at the upper 2 mm; the central lobe longitudinally relobed with 4 parallel lobules; bracteoles at the base of the flower, minute, triangular, c. 0.5 mm long, persistent; pedicels very short,c. 1.5 mm, articulated at the apex.

Flowers easily falling off, sparsely puberulous (on the uncovered part of the calyx lobes) outside. Hypanthium c. 1 mm long, glabrous inside. Calyx lobes unequal, ovate or ovate-oblong, 3-4 by 2-3 mm, glabrous inside. Stamens 10; filaments (observed from flower buds) c. 5 mm, glabrous; anthers 0.75 mm long. Pistil shortly stipitate; stipe c. 1 mm long, free, glabrous; ovary c. 2 mm long, 2-ovuled; style 10-12 mm, glabrous; stigma obscure, slightly thicker than the style.

Pods unknown.

Distribution
Malesia: Malay Peninsula (Perak). Only known from the the type.

Habitat & Ecology
Riverside. Flowering in January.

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