Illigera elegans

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Illigera elegans

Description

Creeper or climber. Leaves: petiole c. 11 cm, glabrous; petiolules 2-2.5 cm, glabrous; leaflets chartaceous, suborbicular, 6-9 by 6-7.5 cm, acumen c. 0.5 cm long, base cuneate or cordate, dull and glabrous above, but upper nerves with short hairs, lower surface with domatia, lateral nerves 4 or 5 pairs, at angles of 20-40° with midrib. Flower buds ovoid, c. 5 mm long; stamens in bud straight. Fruits with two large wings and with two obsolete wings or ridges, nut 0.8-1 cm long; larger wings more or less hemi-orbicular, c. 2 cm in diameter, the short ones 0.2-0.7 cm wide.

Distribution

Asia-Tropical, Indian Ocean present, S of Java present
Malesia: Christmas I. (Indian Ocean), S of Java. Only few collections seen.

Taxonomy

In Malesia both I. elegans and I. novoguineensis have staminal appendages which are dorsally uncleft; outside Malesia this character is only found in I. madagas- cariensis Perrier de la Bathie . Kubitzki suggested that the uncleft staminal appendages in the group of species with petaloid and hollow staminal appendages would be a primitive character, supported by the disjunct distribution of the species concerned.