Daphniphyllum majus
Species of shrub in the Daphniphyllaceae family from Southeast Asia and Yunnan From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Occurring as a shrub or as a tree, Daphniphyllum majus is a species in the family Daphniphyllaceae. It is found in Mainland Southeast Asia and Yunnan in China. Uses of the plant include fuel and smoking-material.
| Daphniphyllum majus | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Order: | Saxifragales |
| Family: | Daphniphyllaceae |
| Genus: | Daphniphyllum |
| Species: | D. majus |
| Binomial name | |
| Daphniphyllum majus | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
Taxonomy
The species is in section Lunata of Daphniphyllum, along with D. calycinum and D. griffithianum.[6]
This species has 4 accepted infraspecific varieties:
- Daphniphyllum majus var. deciduum T.C.Huang[7]
- Daphniphyllum majus var. majus
- Daphniphyllum majus var. phanrangense (Gagnep.) T.C.Huang
- Daphniphyllum majus var. pierrei (Hance) T.C.Huang
Description
Daphniphyllum majus grow from 2m to 10m tall.[8][9] Its grayish-brown branchlets are stout and densely covered in lenticels. The leaf blade is green when dry, glaucous below, oblong-elliptic or obovate-oblong in shape, (16-)20-37 × 7-14 cm, apex acuminate, reticulate veins are prominent on both surfaces. Along with some others species of the genus, D. majus has loosely arranged conical to round palisade cells in its leaves.[6] The species also has small (20 microns) irregular epidermal guard cells on the adaxial ("top") side of the leaf and bigger (24 microns) dome-shaped epidermal/guard cells on the abaxial side along with leaf stomata that are hemiparacytic (traits only shared with D. calycinum). The calyx is persistent, 2-3mm in size. The fruit 10-15 mm, not glaucous, loosely arranged. The plant flowers in China in March and April, fruiting from October to December.
Var. pierrei is a tall shrub, growing 1 to 6m tall.[10]
Distribution
The species overall is native to Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, southern Yunnan (where it is found in Jinghong, Maguan, Malipo, Menghai, and Pingbian counties and Simao District), Laos and Myanmar.[7] Var. deciduum is endemic to Cambodia.[11][8] The nominate variety, var. majus, is found in Thailand, Myanmar and Yunnan.[2] Var. phanrangense is endemic to Vietnam.[4] Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos are the native regions for the var. pierrei.[5]
Habitat
In China, D. majus is found in forest at between 1100 and 1500m elevation.[8] Var. pierrei is found in coastal forests.[10]
Vernacular names
Daphniphyllum majus is known as 大叶虎皮楠 da ye hu pi nan in China.[8] Var. pierrei is known as rum dé:nh or châmbâk pra:ng in Khmer.[10]
Uses
The dried leaves of var. pierrei are smoked (as in tobacco) in Cambodia. The wood is excellent firewood.[10]
References
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