Vasilis Teodoridis:
Saxifragaceae | Polyosma
1. Polyosma cambodiana Gagnepain; Notul. Syst. (Paris). 3: 223. 1916.
??? dou xian mu
Trees ca. 20 m tall. Young branchlets puberulous. Leaves opposite; usually clustered at apex of branchlets; petiole 1-1.5 cm; leaf blade elliptic-oblanceolate or long elliptic; 7-15 x 3-5 cm; thinly leathery; abaxially puberulous or glabrous; adaxially glabrous; lateral veins in 8-12 pairs; base cuneate; margin entire; rarely dentate; apex acute. Bracts linear; small. Pedicel 3-4 mm; puberulous. Calyx tube puberulous; lobes ovate-triangular; minute. Petals white; linear; ca. 1 cm; apex acute. Stamens shorter than petals. Ovary pubescent. Style shorter than or subequaling corolla. Berry black when dry; ovoid; ca. 1 x 0.7 cm.
Mountain rainforests; evergreen forests; 1000-2400 m. ?Guangdong; Guangxi; Hainan; S Yunnan [Cambodia; Thailand; Vietnam].
The Chinese Polyosma is very similar to P. integrifolia Blume (from W Malesia to Thailand and Vietnam); but differs from that species in having leaves narrower; usually less than 5 cm wide (vs. (4-)5-11 cm wide); pedicels longer; to 4 mm (vs. 1.5-2 mm); secondary veins not prominently looping near the margin; and fruit smaller; ca. 1 x 0.7 cm (vs. 1-1.8 x 0.7-1 cm). The Chinese plants may fall within the range of variation of P. integrifolia; but the present authors cannot be certain with the limited data and materials available to them. Therefore; the name P. cambodiana is retained for the time being. Further study is also needed to compare the Chinese plants with Polyosma in Indonesia.