Lepiniopsis ternatensis

Primary tabs

Lepiniopsis ternatensis

Description

Tree to 36 m tall, to 46 cm dbh; Bark grey, yellowish grey, grey-brown or brown, smooth or vertically finely fissured or pustular; Branchlets glabrous, not lenticellate. Leaves: Inflorescence 1.5-24 cm long; Sepals ovate, 0.9-1.8 by 1.1-1.4 mm, 0.7-1 times as long as wide, apex rounded, glabrous, not ciliate. Stamens inserted at 4.7-7 mm from corolla base which is 0.5-0.7 of tube length; Ovary 0.7-0.9 mm high, glabrous; Fruit red or black, 2.1-7 by 0.9-1.9 cm, ellipsoid, often somewhat curved. Seeds 17-21 by 4-7 by 4.5-5 mm.

Distribution

Asia-Tropical: Maluku (Maluku present); New Guinea present; Philippines (Philippines present); Sulawesi (Sulawesi present)
Malesia: Philippines, Sulawesi, Moluccas, New Guinea.

Taxonomy

Markgraf (1984) suggested that a specimen cultivated in Bogor and collected by Teijsmann, housed in Leiden, is the holotype of this species. However, it is clear from the protologue that a specimen labelled as Kurz 5601 is the type material and the only specimens I have found of this are in Bogor.

Uses

The roots are fragrant and used to perfume clothes and skin.

Citation

Kaneh. & Hatus. 1941 – In: Bot. Mag. (Tokyo): 496
Kessler et al. 2002 – In: Blumea: 14
Markgr. 1984 – In: Blumea: 171
Markgr. 1927 – In: Bot. Jahrb. Syst.: 172
Valeton 1999 – In: PROSEA: 178