Capparis longestipitata Heine

Fig. 18

Capparis longestipitata Heine (Heine 1953: 210).

Type material

MALAYSIA • North Borneo, Mt. Kinabalu, Tenompok; 7 Jun. 1932; J. & M. S. Clemens 29812; holotype: M n.v.; isotypes: A [A00042279], BM [BM000541238], L [L0035337], NY [NY00387658].

Other material examined

VIETNAM – Khanh Hoa Province • Massif du Hon Ba; 20–22 Sep. 1918; Chevalier 38671; P [P05453683, P05453684].

Description

Shrubs. Twigs puberulous, later glabrescent. Stipular thorns recurved, 2–4 mm long, or lacking. Petiole 0.8–1.2 cm long, puberulous. Leaf blades herbaceous, ca 2.2–2.6 times as long as wide, 5–7.1 × 2.4– 3.5 cm, base rounded, top acuminate, with tip up to 1.5 cm long; nerves (4–)5–7 pairs; surfaces glabrous, in some cases the midrib puberulous below. Flowers in subumbels at the axil of the upper leaves or terminal, constituting a panicle with leaves in the lower part; pedicels 8–18 mm long; sepals 3–5.5 × 3–4.5 mm, the outer pair densely puberulous outside; petals white, 4–6 × (2–) 3–3.9 mm, glabrous or pubescent; stamens 18–30, with filaments (0.7–) 1.5–2.1 cm long; gynophore 2–3 cm long, glabrous; ovary subovoid or ellipsoid, ca 1.5–2 × 0.9–1.2 mm, beaked, glabrous. Fruit not known at mature stage.

Distribution and ecology

Vietnam, Malaysia (Borneo). In Vietnam recorded from Khanh Hoa Province by Ban & Dorofeev (2003). Forests, at 1000–1500 m a.s.l. (Jacobs 1965); in Vietnam collected at 1000 m a.s.l. (Chevalier 38671).

Phenology

The single collection of the species from Vietnam (Chevalier 38671) is represented by two duplicates collected in September, one including a flowering branch, the other a fruiting branch.

Provisional conservation status

In the study area the species has been collected in a single location. Due to the scanty information available, it is assessed as Data Deficient (DD) according to IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria (IUCN 2012).

Vernacular name

ʻCáp cọng dài' (Ho 1999).

Taxonomic remarks

Jacobs (1965) recorded this species from both sides of the South China Sea, in south-eastern Annam and northern Borneo. Based on the same author (Jacobs 1965), Capparis longestipitata is related to both C. cantoniensis Lour. and C. lanceolaris DC., differing from the former species in the longer gynophore and the midrib sunken only in the basal part, and from the second one in the smaller flowers.