Short-petaled Samadera (Samadera brevipetala)

IUCN: Least Concern
Silhouette: T. Michael Keesey / License

Samadera brevipetala - Overview and Botanical Details

Standing as a tropical woody plant, Samadera brevipetala is a lesser-known botanical species described in the late nineteenth century.

This taxon was first published by Rudolph Herman Christiaan Carel Scheffer in 1871. It is documented in historical botanical literature and is native to the Indo-Malayan region.

Taxonomy

  • ∟ царство Plantae
  • ∟ division Tracheophytes (Vascular Plants)
  • ∟ subdivision Spermatophytes (Seed plants)
  • ∟ Angiosperms
  • ∟ mesangiosperms (Core angiosperms)
  • ∟ eudicots
  • ∟ Superrosids
  • ∟ rosids
  • ∟ malvids
  • ∟ order Sapindales
  • ∟ family Simaroubaceae (Quassia family)
  • ∟ genus Samadera (Samadera Tree)
  • ∟ species Samadera brevipetala (Short-petaled Samadera)

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Morphology

Samadera brevipetala grows as an evergreen shrub or medium-sized tree, which can reach heights of 10 to a maximum of 20 meters under optimal conditions. The plant is characterized by a light yellow, transversely cracked bark, while a distinct heartwood is completely lacking. The branches are sturdy and completely glabrous.

The alternately arranged, simple leaves are elliptic-oblong, leathery, and glossy. They reach a length of 5 to 25 centimeters and a width of 2 to 8.5 centimeters. There are characteristic glands on the underside of the leaf, and the leaf veins form a dense, net-like pattern.

The inflorescences are umbellate and usually bear 20 or more bisexual flowers on flat, sturdy peduncles 7 to 30 centimeters in length. Each flower has a four-part calyx and four white, pale yellow, or slightly reddish-violet petals. Pollination is carried out by insects.

After successful fertilization, flat, ovoid drupes develop, which are usually arranged in groups of two or four. These fruits have a length of 4 to 6 centimeters and are narrowly winged in the upper part. Each fruit contains a single, large brown seed.

Interesting facts

The taxonomic history and biochemical properties of Samadera brevipetala reveal fascinating facts about its adaptation and utility:

  • Oceanic Dispersal: The woody and buoyant structure of its fruits allows ocean currents to transport the seeds across the ocean, managing to colonize coasts from East Africa to remote Pacific islands.
  • Chemistry of Bitter Principles: The entire plant contains samaderin, an extremely bitter glycoside. Compounds of this group, known as quassinoids, show promising antitumoral and antileukemic properties in laboratory studies.
  • The Oil Challenge: Although the seeds contain up to 33% high-viscosity oil, its commercial harvesting is not viable due to the scattered nature of wild populations and the difficulty of harvesting them in dense swamp forests.
  • Historical Synonymy: Although initially described as a distinct species by Rudolph Scheffer in 1871, today the major botanical organizations consider this taxon to be a synonym of Samadera indica.

Geography of distribution

  • Indonesia

Sources

  • Plants of the World Online (POWO): Catalogued under IPNI Record 362799-1.
  • Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF): Taxon entry for Samadera brevipetala Scheff.

Technical Information

External Databases: GBIF, POWO, Tropicos

See also