Myristica pachyphylia
Content
Description
Tree 5-22 m.
Leaves chartaceous or subcoriaceous, ovate- or elliptic-oblong, (4-)6-14 by (1.5-)2-5.5 cm, base (short) attenuate, apex to 2 cm acute-acuminate;
Inflorescences between the leaves, minutely pubescent, pedunculate (sometimes subsessile in female), ending in a simple or forked scar-covered brachyblast;
Fruits single (rarely 2), ± ellipsoid, 3.5-4(-4.5) by 2 (-2.2) cm, apex ± acute or somewhat beaked, base narrowed into a broad pseudostalk 5 mm long, hairs rust-coloured, scurfy, 0.1 mm or less;
Distribution
Asia-Tropical, montane areas of Central West and East New Guinea present
Malesia: montane areas of Central West and East New Guinea.
Taxonomy
1 Myristica pachyphylla is similar to M. arfakensis, both with characteristic scattered dots on the lower leaf surface. May also be confused with M. longipes.
2 A deviating specimen is BW13780 (Roster) (with fruits, in L broken off and lacking) from Wandammen Peninsula, at 920 m altitude. In the absence of fruits it keys out near M. pachyphylla or M. arfakensis and is characterized by: twigs slender, leaves narrow, 10 cm, long-acuminate, conspicuously greenish, dotted below, and peduncle of infructescence slender, 15-20 mm long. It may represent an as yet undescribed species, but more material is needed.