Madhuca hainanensis belongs to the tropical family Sapotaceae. It is a wild tree species endemic to Hainan.

Protection class

Madhuca hainanensis is a Class II national protected wild plant. It is also listed as Vulnerable (VU) on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

Distribution and habitat

Madhuca hainanensis is distributed in Sanya, Dongfang, Changjiang, Ledong, Tunchang, Qiongzhong, Baoting, Lingshui and other places in Hainan, China.

It grows vertically at elevation of 600-1,000 meters and tends to establish social dominance with coniferous trees, Dacrydium pierrei and other tree species. It is also found in humid tropical valleys or rainforest 400-500 meters from the sea level, where it is mixed with tree species such as Gironniera subaequalis, Cyclobalanopsis patelliformis Chun., Citrus reticulata Blanco, Lithocarpus megalophyllus Rehd. et Wils., and Amesiodendron chinense, as well as shrubs and ground covers like Ardisia densilepidotula, Garcinia oblongifolia Champ. ex Benth., Selaginella bodinieri Hieron., and Alpinia japonica Miq.

Morphological characteristics

This tree can grow 9-30 meters tall. Its bark is dark taupe and the bast is brown, which releases plenty of viscous cream-colored saps. The tender parts are almost covered with rubineous, shiny soft pubescence. Acervate leaves grow at the top of the branchlet. They are leathery, oblong obovate or oblong oblanceolate, about 6-12 cm long and 2.5-4 cm wide. The apex is round and emarginate, from which the leaves becomes longer and narrower. The surface is glossy and glabrous while the back is closely covered with rubineous, silky fiber, which would soon diminish. Its lateral veins are very slender, dense and clearly seen. The petiole is 1.5-3 cm long and covered with pubescence. It has about 1-3 drooping axillary flowers. The pedicel is 2-3 cm long, densely covered with rubineous, silky fiber. Two of the external calyx lobes are larger, with a length of about 12 mm, while those inside are 8 mm long, with both sides densely covered with thick pubescence. The corolla is white and glabrous, and its stalk is about 4 mm long. There are 10 lobes, all with a length of 8 mm. About 28-30 stamens are arranged in 3 rows. The filament of the flower is very short and the anthers are about 4 mm long. The 2 mm-long ovary is covered with coarse pubescence, and it has 8 chambers. The style is about 12 mm long and coarse pubescence covers it from the central to the lower parts. The berries of the species are near-spherical, and about 2.8 cm long and wide. They are covered with short pubescence. The carpopodium is thick and 3-4.5 cm long. Its seeds, 2 cm long and 1.2 cm wide, are oblong elliptic and look flat on both sides. The seed coat is brown and shiny. Madhuca hainanensis blossoms between June and September and fruits between September and November.