Mallotus mollissimus (Geisel.) Airy Shaw

Shrubs to small trees up to ca. 11 m tall and 30 cm dbh, reproductive from 3 m tall and 2 cm dbh. Twigs solid, densely hairy (creamish coloured, short, mostly stellate and tufted hairs). Stipules triangular, usually semi-persistent, erect, 0.5-1 mm long by 0.5-1 mm wide. Petioles densely hairy, up to ca. 22 cm long. Leaves alternate, broadly ovate, sometimes peltate, rarely 3-cusped, 12-25 cm long by 7.5-24 cm wide, length/width-ratio 1-1.67; secondary veins 7-8, ending in the margin; leaf base broadly rounded to cordate, rarely with upcurled basal margin, peltate margin length (when present) 0.1-1.2 cm; leaf margin with glands; leaf upper surface hairy on veins, with 2 basal nectary glands on basal veins near petiole insertion, apical nectary glands present to absent; leaf lower surface densely hairy, glaucous, densely gland dotted. Inflorescences seldomly with staminate and pistillate flowers mixed (monoecious). Staminate inflorescences branched; flowers clustered per bracteole; bracteoles with entire margin. Pistillate inflorescences usually unbranched; fruits 10-15 mm wide, 3-locular, with many long spines, clearly protruding from woolly indument.

Ecology: Collected up to ca. 1700 m altitude. An early successional species, usually found in heavily disturbed habitats, like grasslands and scrub vegetations. Rarely found in primary forest.

Distribution: From Birma and Indochina to New Guinea and Australia. In Borneo it has been collected in Sarawak, Brunei, Sabah, East-, South- and Central-Kalimantan.