Cryptocarya nitens is a species of flowering plant in the family Lauraceae and is endemic to Southeast Asia. It is a tree with elliptic to lance-shaped or egg-shaped leaves, greenish-white flowers, and shining purplish-black drupes.
| Cryptocarya nitens | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Magnoliids |
| Order: | Laurales |
| Family: | Lauraceae |
| Genus: | Cryptocarya |
| Species: | C. nitens
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| Binomial name | |
| Cryptocarya nitens | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
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Description
editCryptocarya nitens is a tree that typically grows to a height of 8–30 m (26–98 ft) and a dbh of 15–30 cm (5.9–11.8 in), its branchlets covered with soft, rust-coloured hairs. Its leaves are arranged alternately, leathery, elliptic to oblong or egg-shaped, mostly 75–230 mm (3.0–9.1 in) long, 35–105 mm (1.4–4.1 in) wide on a petiole 10–30 mm (0.39–1.18 in) long. Both surfaces of the leaves are glabrous, sometimes with hairs on the larger veins. The flowers are arranged in panicles in leaf axils and on the ends of branchlets. They are sessile and greenish-white and covered with soft, rust-coloured hairs. The floral tube is bell-shaped, about 2 mm (0.08 in) long, the perianth segments elliptic to lance-shaped and 1.3–1.8 mm (0.051–0.071 in) long but fall off early. The stamen are 1.2–1.6 mm (0.05–0.06 in) long, hairy with a bright yellow anther. Flowering occurs from March to October, and the fruit is a spherical, shining black drupe, 8–16 mm (0.3–0.6 in) in diameter containing a single seed.[2][3]
Taxonomy
editThis species was first formally described in 1851 by Carl Ludwig Blume whio gave it the name Tetranthera nitens in the his Museum Botanicum Lugduno-Batavum sive stirpium Exoticarum, Novarum vel Minus Cognitarum ex Vivis aut Siccis Brevis Expositio et Descriptio.[4][5] In 1904, Sijfert Hendrik Koorders and Theodoric Valeton transferred the species to Cryptocarya as C. nitens in the journal Mededeelingen Uit's Lands Platentuin.[6][7] The specific epithet (nitens) means "to shine", referring to the glossy green leaves of this species.[2]
Distribution and habitat
editThis species of Cryptocarya grows on riversides on open hill to lowland forest at altitudes up to 250 m (820 ft) in Southern Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Sumatra, Java and Christmas Island in Australia.[3]
Ecology
editCryptocarya nitens is an important food for pigeons.[2]
References
edit- ^ a b "Cryptocarya nitens". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 20 September 2024.
- ^ a b c Du Puy, David J. Kodela, Phillip G. (ed.). "Cryptocarya nitens". Flora of Australia. Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water: Canberra. Retrieved 20 September 2024.
- ^ a b de Kok, Rogier Petrus Johannes (2015). "A revision of Cryptocarya (Lauraceae) from Thailand and Indochina" (PDF). Gardens' Bulletin Singapore. 67 (2): 339–341. doi:10.3850/S2382581215000277. Retrieved 20 September 2024.
- ^ "Tetranthera nitens". Australian Plant Name Index. Retrieved 20 September 2024.
- ^ Blume, Carl Ludwig (1851). Museum Botanicum Lugduno-Batavum sive stirpium Exoticarum, Novarum vel Minus Cognitarum ex Vivis aut Siccis Brevis Expositio et Descriptio. Vol. 1. Batavia: Apud E.J. Brill. p. 375. Retrieved 20 September 2024.
- ^ "Cryptocarya nitens". Australian Plant Name Index. Retrieved 20 September 2024.
- ^ Koorders, Sijfert H.; Valeton, Theodoric (1904). "Cryptocarya". Mededeelingen Uit's Lands Platentuin. 68: 220–221. Retrieved 20 September 2024.