Myristica impressa
Content
Description
Tree 10-25 m.
Leaves thinly chartaceous or subcoriaceous, elliptic-oblong or oblong(-lanceolate), 14-27 by 4-9 cm, base cuneate (or nearly rounded), apex acute(-acuminate);
Inflorescences between the leaves or below, of the Knema-typc, a (sub)sessile, simple or bifurcate scar-covered brachyblast to 7 mm, pubescent or glabrescent;
Fruits solitary or 2 per infructescence, broadly ellipsoid, 3-4.2 by 2-3 cm, hairs dense, mealy, 0.1 mm;
Distribution
Asia-Tropical: Sulawesi (Sulawesi present), Minahasa? present, N Central, Central, SW, SE present
Malesia: Sulawesi (Minahasa?, N Central, Central, SW, SE).
Taxonomy
2 Milliken 989 (male) and 1091 (sterile) (N Sulawesi, 1500 m) probably belong to M. impressa, but deviate in the 2 mm long pedunculate male inflorescence, the slightly larger, 5 mm long male perianth, the shorter pedicel, 1.5 mm only, and the shorter bracteole, 2 mm; the androecium is ± club-shaped, the androphore fine-pubescent, the synandrium about as long as the androphore, both c. 1.5 mm long, anthers (?)10, sterile apex absent. The collection was annotated as a tall tree, 24 cm in diameter, with conspicuous stilt-roots. More fertile material of M. impressa is needed to understand its variability. Kjellberg 2990, a fruiting collection from C (-S W) Sulawesi, may represent an undescribed species. It resembles M impressa, but differs in a more tiny habit, with smaller leaves which are not whitish below.
1 Myristica impressa (type lost) was regarded by Sinclair (I.e.) as a doubtful species, possibly based on an atypical specimen of M. koordersii, which was accepted by him as a very variable entity. However, M. koordersii can best be regarded as a related local species of NE Sulawesi (Minahasa). The type of M. impressa was collected in the southwestern arm; preferably a neotype should be chosen from that area. Myristica koordersii differs in its more slender twigs, smaller leaves, longer and more coarsely hairy fruiting pedicel (possibly the indumentum of the flowers is longer as well), and fruits with a thicker pericarp. Other species with which M. impressa may be confused are M. agusanensis (Philippines; resembling in the leaves but differing in paniculate inflorescences and more conspicuously hairy fruits), M. kjellbergii (Sulawesi; see De Wilde, I.e.: 170), and M pilosigemma (Philippines; with conspicuous long-haired indumentum on terminal leaf bud and fruits).