Guioa comesperma
Content
Description
(Shrub to) tree, 2-18 m high, dbh 7-30 cm;
Branchlets usually shortly sericeous when young, hairs brownish;
Leaves 1-4-jugate;
Inflorescences axillary to pseudoterminal, branching basally and along the terete to ribbed, subglabrous to sericeous, 1-17.6 cm long axis;
Flowers 4-4.5 mm in diam.
Sepals 5, ovate, margin pilose, with glands, outside and inside glabrous, green to pinkish;
Petals (4 or) 5, elliptic, 2.1-3.8 by 0.6-1.7 mm, white to pale pink;
Stamens 8;
Fruits with 1-3 well developed lobes, 0.8-.5 by 0.9-2 cm, smooth to rugosely ribbed, glabrous, red when fresh, reddish to reddish black when dry;
Seeds obovoid, 6-8.5 by 4.3-6.5(-8) mm, glossy dark brown;
Distribution
Asia-Tropical, Australasia: Queensland (Queensland present), Central Prov present, Cook Dist present, Madang present, Manus present, Milne Bay present, Morobe present, NE Australia present, New Ireland present, Northern present, Papua New Guinea present, Southern Highlands present, West & East New Britain present, Western Highlands present
Malesia: Papua New GuineaSouthern Highlands, Western Highlands, Madang, Morobe, West & East New Britain, New Ireland, Manus, Northern, Milne Bay, Central Prov.) to NE Australia (Queensland: Cook Dist.).
Notes
1. Guioa comesperma belongs to the G. rigidiuscula-complex.
A topocline can be found from the Central Province via Milne Bay towards the northern provinces. In Central Province the specimens have winged rachises, leaflets without papillae, and highly stipitate, small fruits with slender lobes. In Milne Bay the fruits are still the same, but the wing is seldom present and then usually very narrow. In Morobe Province and the other more northern and western provinces the specimens have no wings, the leaflets can be papillate, and the fruits are usually larger (lobes broad and stipe small).
Distinguishing between G. subsericea and specimens of G. comesperma with large fruits and papillate, subsericeous leaflets is difficult when the specimens bear fruit. Then the only difference is the disc, which is interrupted in G. comesperma, and uninterrupted in G. subsericea. Flowering specimens are easier to separate, because the petals are very different, those of G. comesperma are large (2.1-3.8 mm long) with long, broad, free scales with big crests, while in G. subsericea the petals are much smaller (0.9-2.1 mm long), have infolded auricles as scales, and the crest is usually absent but can be as well developed as in G. comesperma.
A topocline can be found from the Central Province via Milne Bay towards the northern provinces. In Central Province the specimens have winged rachises, leaflets without papillae, and highly stipitate, small fruits with slender lobes. In Milne Bay the fruits are still the same, but the wing is seldom present and then usually very narrow. In Morobe Province and the other more northern and western provinces the specimens have no wings, the leaflets can be papillate, and the fruits are usually larger (lobes broad and stipe small).
Distinguishing between G. subsericea and specimens of G. comesperma with large fruits and papillate, subsericeous leaflets is difficult when the specimens bear fruit. Then the only difference is the disc, which is interrupted in G. comesperma, and uninterrupted in G. subsericea. Flowering specimens are easier to separate, because the petals are very different, those of G. comesperma are large (2.1-3.8 mm long) with long, broad, free scales with big crests, while in G. subsericea the petals are much smaller (0.9-2.1 mm long), have infolded auricles as scales, and the crest is usually absent but can be as well developed as in G. comesperma.