Macaranga andamanica Kurz, Forest Fl. Burma 2: 389. 1877; C.E. Parkinson, Forest Fl. Andaman Isl. 238. 1923. M. brandisii King ex Hook.f., Fl. Brit. India 5: 453. 1887.

Shrubs or trees, up to 3 m high; evergreen; branches and branchlets nearly glabrous; young parts puberulous. Leaves elliptic-lanceolate to oblong-lanceolate or narrowly oblong, with narrowed or cuneate base, repand to dentate with glandular teeth along margins, acute to cuspidate-acuminate at apex, 10 - 23 x 3.5 - 7 cm, coriaceous, glabrous above, glabrous or whitepuberulous on lateral nerves and densely resinous gland-dotted beneath; lateral nerves 8 - 14 pairs; petioles 1.5 - 5 cm long, finely pubescent; stipules subulate, ca 1 mm long. Male flowers: clustered in lateral simple spikes (10 - 20 cm long), rusty pubescent; bracts ovate to ovatelanceolate, concave, ca 2 x 3 mm, 5 or 6-flowered; sterile flowers 8 - 10, mixed with fertile flowers, flowers 2 - 3 mm across; sepals 2, ovate, entire, 1.5 - 2 mm across; stamens 12 - 15; filaments 0.5 - 0.8 mm long; anthers 3 - 4-loculed. Female flowers: on lateral simple few-flowered spikes, somewhat umbellate; bracts ovate-cordate, 2 - 6 x 1.5 - 3.5 cm, foliaceous. Fruits capsular, didymous, subreniform, 5 – 6 x 10 - 12 mm, finely pubescent, densely yellow or white lepidote, sparsely echinate with short conical processes towards apex; calyx persistent.

Fl. July - Oct.; Fr. Sept. - Nov.

Distrib. India: Tropical evergreen forests at low levels, on rocky loam or clayey soil along streams, up to 200 m altitude. Andaman & Nicobar Islands.

Myanmar, S. China, Indo-China, Thailand and Malaysia.

Notes. The processes on the fruits are of two types, triangular and filiform. Perhaps this species may ultimately have to be split into two varieties on this character.

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