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Gironniera subaequalis Planch.
| Family Name: | Cannabaceae |
| Common Name: | Medang Bulanak, Medang Bulapo |
Gironniera subaequalis or Medang Bulanak is a large-sized tree native to Singapore. Growing to 40 m tall, it has thick, leathery, ovate-elliptic to elliptic-oblong leaves covered in short, yellowish-brown, appressed hairs. Flowers are unisexual, male inflorescence are much-branched, bearing 40-100 small flowers, measuring to 3 - 7 cm in length while the female inflorescence bear 2 - 15 larger flowers, measuring 3 - 6 cm in length. The fruit is a tear to lens-shaped drupe with a bifurcated tail-like tip, held in a cluster of 2 - 10, ripening from green to yellow.
Name
Classifications and Characteristics
| Plant Division | Angiosperms (Flowering Seed Plants) (Dicotyledon) |
|---|---|
| Plant Growth Form | Tree (Big (>30m)) |
| Lifespan (in Singapore) | Perennial |
| Maximum Height | 40 m |
Biogeography
| Native Distribution | Andaman Island, Borneo, Cambodia, China, Java, Laos, Peninsular Malaysia, Maluku, Myanmar, New Guinea, Nicobar Island, Philippines, Sulawesi, Sumatera, Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore |
|---|---|
| Native Habitat | Terrestrial (Primary Rainforest, Secondary Rainforest) |
| Preferred Climate Zone | Tropical, Sub-Tropical / Monsoonal |
| Local Conservation Status | Native to Singapore (Endangered (EN)) |
Description and Ethnobotany
| Growth Form | It is a large tree that can grow up to 40 m tall. |
|---|---|
| Foliage | Leaves are thick, leathery, broadly ovate-elliptic to elliptic-oblong measuring 6 - 21 cm long by 3.5 - 13 cm wide. The midrib and veins are slightly flattened above, raised below with sparse to dense, short, yellowish-brown, appressed hairs. Leaf margin are smooth, occasionally, when young, margins can be finely toothed at the the tips. The leaves are held on a short stalk measuring 5 - 15 mm long by 1 - 2 mm wide, covered in sparse to dense, short, yellowish-brown, flattened hairs. |
| Flowers | Flowers are unisexual and observed to produce male and female flowers on separate individuals. The male inflorescence are pendulous, much-branched, 40 - 100 flowered, measuring to 3 - 7 cm in length, flowers are 1.5 - 2.5 mm wide. The female inflorescence bears 2 - 15 flowers, measuring 3 - 6 cm in length, flowers are 2 - 4 mm long by 2 mm wide. |
| Fruit | The fruit is a round, tear to lens-shaped drupe with a bifurcated tail-like tip, held in a cluster of 2 - 10. Each fruit measures at 8 - 9 mm long by 5 - 6 mm wide, ripens from green to yellow upon maturity. |
| Habitat | Occurs in primary and secondary forest, 0 - 1300 m in altitude and more commonly in lowland forests between 200 - 500 m in altitude. <1, 2> |
| Cultivation | It can be propagated by seed. |
Fauna, Pollination and Dispersal
| Seed or Spore Dispersal | Biotic (Fauna) (Vertebrates (Other Mammal)) |
|---|
Plant Care and Propagation
| Light Preference | Full Sun |
|---|---|
| Water Preference | Moderate Water |
| Plant Growth Rate | Moderate |
| Rootzone Tolerance | Fertile Loamy Soils, Well-Drained Soils |
| Propagation Method | Seed |
Foliar
| Foliage Retention | Evergreen |
|---|---|
| Mature Foliage Colour(s) | Green |
| Foliar Type | Simple / Unifoliate |
| Foliar Arrangement Along Stem | Alternate |
| Foliar Attachment to Stem | Petiolate |
| Foliar Shape(s) | Non-Palm Foliage (Elliptical, Ovate, Oblong) |
| Foliar Venation | Recticulate |
| Foliar Margin | Entire |
| Foliar Apex - Tip | Rounded, Acute, Attenuate |
| Foliar Base | Attenuate, Rounded / Obtuse, Oblique / Asymmetrical |
Non - Foliar and Storage
| Stem Type & Modification | Woody |
|---|
Floral (Angiosperm)
| Flower & Plant Sexuality | Unisexual Flowers |
| Flower Colour(s) | Cream / Off-White, Green |
|---|---|
| Flower Grouping | Cluster / Inflorescence |
| Flower Location | Axillary |
| Flower Symmetry | Radial |
| Flowering Habit | Polycarpic |
Fruit, Seed and Spore
| Mature Fruit Colour(s) | Yellow / Golden |
|---|---|
| Fruit Classification | Simple Fruit |
| Fruit Type | Fleshy Fruit , Drupe |
References
| References | <1> Ridley, H.N., et. al. (1924). The Flora of Malay Peninsula, vol. 3, pp. 320-321. London: L. Reeve & Co., Ltd. <2> Soepadmo, E. (1977). Gironniera. In: Soepadmo, E. (ed.) Flora Malesiana, ser. 1, Seed Plants, vol. 8, pt. 2, pp. 75. Leiden: National Herbarium of the Netherlands. |
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Image Repository
Others
| Master ID | 33236 |
|---|---|
| Species ID | 7650 |
| Flora Disclaimer | The information in this website has been compiled from reliable sources, such as reference works on medicinal plants. It is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment and NParks does not purport to provide any medical advice. Readers should always consult his/her physician before using or consuming a plant for medicinal purposes. |
