Lepidopetalum xylocarpum
Content
Description
Tree, 4-22 m high;
Leaves 2-4-ju-gate;
Inflorescences usually ramiflorous on thin twigs to axillary to pseudoterminal, at most branching along rachis, latter up to 8.5 cm long.
Flowers 3.5-5 mm in diam.
Sepals 5 (see note 1);
Petals 5 (see note 1);
Stamens 8(-10; see note 1);
Fruits 1.7-3.6 by 1.2-2 cm, inside densely hirsute with hairs c. 0.5 mm short;
Seeds 1-1.9 by 0.7-1.1 cm, base straight;
Distribution
Africa: Northern Provinces (Northern Province present), Asia-Tropical: New Guinea (Irian Jaya present), Central present, Digijl present, Fakfak present, Gulf present, Milite Bay present, Mimika present, NE Australia present, New east-Guinea present, Papua New Guinea present, Vogelkop present, Western present
NE Australia to Malesia: New east-Guinea (Irian Jaya: Vogelkop, Fakfak, Mimika, Digijl; Papua New Guinea: Western, Gulf, Central, Milite Bay, and Northern Province. See also notes 2 and 3.
Notes
1. Flowers, usually male, at the end of an i nflorescence often show aberrant numbers of sepals (6), petals (6 or 7), and anthers (9 or 10).
2. There is geographical variation, with the ern specimens having larger fruits than the western ones.
3. Specimens from the western part of the distribution area (Aet 287, Bauerlen 449, bb 32673,BW 12782, Everill 449, Jacobs 9132, 9200, NGF 35311, and Versteeg 1356) strongly resemble L.micans. The fruits are almost similar in shape, the only differences being the short hairs inside the fruit and the sarcotesta which does not cover the dorsal side of the seeds (in L. micans the hairs are long and the sarcotesta almost completely covers the seed except for a small dorsal triangle). Flowering specimens can be separated only if the pedicel is glabrous (it is always pilose in L. micans).
2. There is geographical variation, with the ern specimens having larger fruits than the western ones.
3. Specimens from the western part of the distribution area (Aet 287, Bauerlen 449, bb 32673,BW 12782, Everill 449, Jacobs 9132, 9200, NGF 35311, and Versteeg 1356) strongly resemble L.micans. The fruits are almost similar in shape, the only differences being the short hairs inside the fruit and the sarcotesta which does not cover the dorsal side of the seeds (in L. micans the hairs are long and the sarcotesta almost completely covers the seed except for a small dorsal triangle). Flowering specimens can be separated only if the pedicel is glabrous (it is always pilose in L. micans).