Myristica uncinata
Description
Tree 18-30 m.
Leaves thinly chartaceous, oblong(-lanceolate), 17-27(-30) by 5-9(-10.5) cm, base cuneate, apex acute-acuminate;
Inflorescences between the leaves or below;
Fruits broadly ovoid-subglobose, 6-7 by (4-)5.5 cm, the very apex ± narrowed, often ± hooked, hairs dark brown, 1-1.5 mm;
Distribution
Asia-Tropical, Papua New Guinea present, region of Boridi, Central Prov endemic
Malesia: Papua New Guinea (a local endemic of the region of Boridi, Central Prov.).
Morphology
2 Spot characters are the usually uncinate apical leaf bud, and the uncinate apex of the fruits. The leaves are characteristically whitish below. Dots on the lower leaf surface are absent, but blackish dots are present on the upper surface; the exact nature of these dots (traumatic or not) remains to be asserted.
1 Female flowers are known from the descriptions of previous authors only, but it is suspected that these pertain to anomalous forms. Foreman (l. c.) described the female flowers as "pedicel c. 1 cm long, perianth ellipsoid in buds, c. 20 by 5-7 mm, split c. half-way down into 3 lobes which become highly reflexed." Sinclair (I.e.) described the female inflorescence as "1- or 2-flowered, with a flattened axis c. 1 cm long, pilose or glabrescent, with coriaceous flowers, 2 cm long (being the largest flowers in the genus), the ovary ovoid, 5 mm diam., with bi-lobed stigma (style) 2-3 mm long; the bracteole rigid, early deciduous, leaving a conspicuous scar." The recent collection LAE 60175 is annotated with "flowers solitary." The duplicate in L has a single female flower in the axil of an undeveloped leaf, there is no peduncle and no bracteole scar on the pedicel; however, the single-fruited (immature) infructescences in the same collection do have a peduncle, 1 cm long, but no bracteole scar on the fruiting pedicel. The flower has a woody consistency and the ovary is 5 by 3.5-4 mm, with densely pilose bright (red-)brown hairs 1-2 mm, partly agreeing with the description as given by Sinclair (see above). Possibly these extraordinary large flowers, without a bracteole, may be (partly) diseased or gallous, and normal flowers may be smaller, with a bracteole. The fruiting pedicel of Carr 14908 (at K) has a distinct bracteole scar 2 mm below the fruit. As stated, male inflorescences and male flowers are unknown.