Macaranga rufescens S.J. Davies

Trees up to ca. 35 m tall and 50 cm dbh, reproductive from 10 m tall. Twigs starting out solid, after ant colonization hollow, glabrous, usually glaucous, with small ant openings (ca. 1 mm diameter). Stipules broadly ovate to rounded, (semi-)persistent, spreading, (almost) completely surrounding the twigs, 12-20 mm long by 12-20 mm wide. Petioles glabrous, up to ca. 40 cm long. Leaves alternate, peltate or not, 3-lobed, 14-25 cm long by 14-35 cm wide, length/width-ratio 0.7-1; secondary veins ending in the margin; central lobes 9-19 cm long; leaf base (broadly rounded to) cordate (also when peltate), peltate margin length 1-5 cm; leaf margin with glands; leaf upper surface glabrous; leaf lower surface densely hairy (short simple hairs), densely gland dotted. Staminate inflorescences branched; flowers clustered per bracteole; bracteoles with entire margins. Pistillate inflorescences branched; fruits 5-6 mm wide, 2-locular, whole surface covered by glands.

Ecology: Collected up to ca. 200 m altitude. An early successional tree species found in disturbed sites in primary forest and in secondary forests.

Distribution: Endemic for Borneo, where it has been collected in Brunei and Sarawak.

Note: Most likely a synonym of Macaranga hosei King ex Hook.f., from which it only differs by its more glaucous twigs, larger leaves, reddish-green leaf colour (when alive), long hairs on lower leaf surface and shorter inflorescences. These characters are all highly variable and possibly show strong overlap between the two species.