Melanochyla angustifolia

Melanochyla angustifolia is a flowering plant in the family Anacardiaceae. It is native to Southeast Asia.

Description

Melanochyla angustifolia grows as a tree up to tall, with a trunk diameter of up to. It has buttresses up to high. The bark is grey to brown to red, normally smooth but may be somewhat cracked. The leathery leaves are obovate to elliptic and measure up to long and to wide. The, in, feature yellow flowers. The ellipsoid fruits measure up to long and are yellow when ripe.

Taxonomy

Melanochyla angustifolia was first described by British botanist Joseph Dalton Hooker in 1876 in The flora of British India. The type specimen was collected in Malacca. The specific epithet angustifolia means 'narrow leaf'.

Distribution and habitat

Melanochyla angustifolia is native to Borneo, Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore. Its habitat is in lowland swamps and dipterocarp forests.

Conservation

Melanochyla angustifolia has been assessed as near threatened on the IUCN Red List. The species' habitat is threatened by deforestation and conversion of land for agriculture, especially in its Borneo range. It is not present in any protected areas.