Trichosanthes hastata
Content
Description
Climber, 5-10 m long, late glabrescent or with (sparse) rigid pale hairs, leafy stem 1-4 mm diam.;
Leaves:
Fruit ripening evenly orange-red, but greenish at apex, (narrowly) ovoid, c. 7.5 by 4.5 cm, apex subacute;
Seeds brown, compressed, ± parallel-sided, 8-10 by 5-7 by 1-2 mm, base subacute or narrowly notched, apex broadly notched, margin broad but faint, edge ± grooved, coarsely crenulate.
Distribution
Asia-Tropical: New Guinea present, Central Province present, Freeport present, Morobe present, Northern present, Papua New Guinea present, West Papua present
Malesia: New Guinea (West Papua (Freeport); Papua New Guinea (Morobe, Northern, and Central Provinces)).
Taxonomy
3 See also the note under the regional key.
2 Ridsdale NGF 31736 and Carr 16334 deviate in having leaves not or hardly scabrous above, petioles short-hairy only at apex, and hardly incised male bracts.
1 Because most herbarium specimens show expanded flowers, it is supposed that T. hastata is mainly diurnal.