Prunus brachystachya

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Prunus brachystachya

Description

Usually small trees up to 15(-26) m, sometimes with low buttresses, bark grey to brown. Leaves oblong to ovate, 7-17 by 2-8.5 cm, base rounded to more acute, apex acuminate, herbaceous to papyraceous, with 7-11 pairs of nerves, venation inconspicuous, both sides glabrous (maybe some hairs when young), basal glands 2, flat. Stipules narrowly triangular to linear, 4-5.5 by 0.5-1.5 mm, free, hairy outside. Flowers often (?) unisexual, 4- oi 5-merous. Sepals triangular to elliptic, c. 1 mm long, densely hairy outside. Petals elliptic, c. 1 mm long, greenish or white, hairy. Stamens 15-25, glabrous, filaments up to 3.5 mm, anthers 0.3-0.5 mm long. Ovary and pistillodium glabrous. Fruits transversely ellipsoid to didymous, 9-13 by 10-19 mm, exocarp glabrous, red to black when ripe, mesocarp juicy, endocarp glabrous inside. Seed with glabrous testa.

Distribution

Asia-Tropical: New Guinea (Irian Jaya present), Australasia: Queensland (Queensland present), Papua New Guinea present
Papua New Guinea, Irian Jaya (one collection just on the border with PNG), Australia (Queensland).

Notes

The length/width index of the leaves varies from 2 to 4, but the transition from wide to narrow leaves is continuous.
Of the four flowering specimens seen, three had male flowers, the fourth had the stamens and the ovary both well-developed.