Vatica mangachapoi, a tree species of the genus Vatica (family Dipterocarpaceae), is an indicator plant of Hainan rainforest.

Protection class

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

Distribution and habitat

Vatica mangachapoi grows in forests at middle elevation in China (Hainan province excluding Haikou City as well as Lingao and Chengmai counties).

Morphological characteristics

Vatica mangachapoi is a tree up to 7-25 meters tall, with small branches, petioles and inflorescences densely covered with small star-shaped pubescence. Its leaves are leathery, oblong or lanceolate, about 5 to 13 cm long and 2-5 cm wide. The apex is short and tapering or sharp-pointed, and the base is wedge-shaped. The dry leaves are yellowish green on both sides with no pubescence but vein enation. The petiole is 7-15 mm long. The panicle is arranged in the upper axil of leaves, with a length of 4 to 8 cm and densely covered with pubescence. The peduncle is as short as about 2 mm. The linear calyx lobes are long (3 mm) and rounded, with obtuse ends and dense star-shaped pubescence on both sides. The petals are white, linear and in the shape of a spoon, about 8-11 mm long. The star-shaped pubescence is widely found outside the petals while no pubescence is observed inside. The flower has 15 stamens, and the ovary is spherical, star-shaped and puberulent. The style is short and the stigma is in the shape of a head. The fruit of the plant is spherical, about 6 mm in diameter, supported by enlarged persistent calyx beneath. Calyx lobes have winged structure yet they are not equal in size, with the largest two 3-4 cm long and 11-16 mm long. The top of the fruit is circular with longitudinal veins. It blossoms between May and June and fruits between August and September.