Rhyticaryum longifolium

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Rhyticaryum longifolium

Description

Sprawling shrub or small tree, 1-5 (rarely up to 15) m; Branchlets with laxly to subdensely strigose tips. Leaves oblan-ceolate, or oblong, or obovate-, sometimes elliptic-oblong, apex rather suddenly acuminate for 1-2 cm by 5 mm at base, tip acute or mostly bluntish, base cuneate to almost rounded, firmly charta-ceous to subcoriaceous (more stiff at higher altitudes), usually olivaceous-green and somewhat shining on both faces in the dry state, glabrous except maybe some scattered appressed hairs on midrib and nerves of the undersurface, (6.5-) 8-17(-25) by (2.5-)3-7(-10) cm, nerves 6-8(-10) pairs, curved-ascending and generally markedly looping, a little raised above, more distinctly so beneath, not rarely raised within a shallow depression above (the lamina not properly bullate, as the veins are never sunken above too), reticulation rather dense, considerably or usually more slightly raised on both faces;

Distribution

Asia-Tropical: New Guinea present, Australasia: Queensland (Queensland present), Cape York Peninsula present, Melanesia present, NE. Australia present, Solomons present
NE. Australia (Queensland: Cape York Peninsula), Melanesia (Solomons); in Malesia: New Guinea.

Uses

The leaves are cooked and eaten by the natives in the Solomon Is.

Citation

SLEUM. 1969 – In: Blumea: 252
BIRNIE 1926 – In: Nova Guinea: 276
K. SCH. & LAUT. 1905: Nachtr.: 306
SCHELLENB. 1923 – In: Bot. Jahrb.: 171