Horsfieldia urceolata

Primary tabs

Horsfieldia urceolata

Description

Shrub or treelet, 1-5 m. Leaves membranous, oblong to lanceolate, 6-18 by 1.5-7 cm, base attenuate to nearly rounded, apex acute-acuminate; Inflorescences (male) among the leaves, with dense rusty hairs (0.2-)0.3 mm, small, twice branched, the lowest branch 2-3 mm from the base, rather few-flowered; Fruits (doubtful, see note 2) 2 or 3 per infructescence, drying dark brown to blackish, subglobose (to broadly ellipsoid), including the minute, slender, bifid, 1 mm long rostrum (persistent style and stigmas) 1 cm long, pseudostalk 1.5-2 mm;

Distribution

Asia-Tropical, Milne Bay Prov present, Northern Prov present, Papua New Guinea present
Malesia: Papua New Guinea (Milne Bay Prov., and, possibly, Northern Prov.); restricted to a limited area of distribution.

Taxonomy

2 The fruiting specimen NGF 31751 (Ridsdale) differs markedly from the type in foliage, with the blades rather conspicuously tapering in the lower half, less distinct and less projecting tertiary venation, and rather more persistent indumentum on the lower surface. Possibly it represents a separate undescribed taxon, but more material is needed to decide on this. 1 Part of the material of H. urceolata had been included formerly in H. squamulosa. Horsfieldia urceolata differs from that species and from the related H. coryandra in the subglobose thick-walled male perianth. 3 Fruiting specimens of H. urceolata, and related species (H. clavata-group), may resemble H. schlechteri and H. subtilis, but the latter two have glabrous ovaries and fruits.