Author: W.J. de Wilde
Morphological description
Shrub 1 m tall.
Leaves 2-4-jugate (tubiflora Saraca lf/fl Blum30/1 ), subsessile, (petiole and) rachis 4-16.5 cm long. Leaflets chartaceous, narrowly elliptic, or lanceolate, 13-22 by 4.5-8 cm, apex acuminate; base cuneate to attenuate, rarely obtuse, symmetric; glabrous; midrib elevated above, prominent beneath; nerves 9-11 per side; petiolules 2-4 mm.
Inflorescences 7-9 cm wide, bracts and bracteoles ovate or triangular, 2-3 mm long, glabrous except the margin minutely fimbriate, persistent, the bracteoles spreading or sometimes erecto-patent and more or less clasping the pedicel; pedicels 10-17 mm, the length between bracteoles and flower 4-6 mm.
Flowers yellowish red to dark red, articulated at the base, glabrous except minutely fimbriate on the margin of the calyx lobes. Hypanthium 55-70 mm long, 4-5 mm wide at the throat. Calyx lobes broadly elliptic or ovate, 10-13 by 5-9 mm. Stamens 4, rarely 5; staminodes absent; filaments 21- 25 mm, dilated and united at the base; anthers not seen. Pistil (sterile) (observed in some flowers) sessile (stipe completely united with the hypanthium), glabrous; ovary (vestigial) c. 3 mm long, with 9-11 rudimentary ovules; style coiled, 2-3 mm; stigma minute, round (tubiflora Saraca lf/fl Blum30/1 ).
Pods not seen.
Distribution
Malesia : W Sumatra (Barisan Range). Known only from the type collection.
Habitat & Ecology
In rather undisturbed primary forest (40 m high), with some undergrowth, on hill ridge, deep clayey soil, terrain sloping to steep; 300-500 m altitude Fl. March.
Notes
1. This species is characterized by 1) the axillary, rather compact inflorescence which consists of 2 or 3 fasciculate, racemose branches, each about 3 cm long (excluding the flowers) bearing c. 10 flowers, and 2) the large flowers with the longest tube (55-70 mm long) in the genus.
2. De Wilde (1985: 427) stated that there are 13 flowers available on the type and most of them are completely male. Ding Hou (1996q) dissected three flowers; the vestigial ovary in two of them contains 11 rudimentary ovules and the other 9.