Myristica inutilis subsp. papuana
Content
Description
Tree 7-25(-40) m.
Leaves (thickly) chartaceous, elliptic-oblong to oblong-lanceolate, 12-30 by 3.5-7.5(-9) cm, base attenuate or narrowly rounded, apex acute-acuminate;
Inflorescences between the leaves or below, (supra-)axillary, of the Knema-type:
Fruits broadly obovoid(-ellipsoid), apex rounded or pointed, variable in size, 2.5-5(-6) by 1.8-3.5 cm, hairs grey-brown or rusty, 0.1—0.5(—1) mm;
Distribution
Aru Islands present, Asia-Tropical: Bismarck Archipelago (Bismarck Archipelago present); Maluku (Maluku present); New Guinea present, Papuan Islands present
Malesia: Moluccas (Aru Islands); throughout New Guinea, including Papuan Islands, Bismarck Archipelago.
Taxonomy
1 Subspecies papuana is the westernmost subspecies of the widespread M. inutilis; two more subspecies occur in the Pacific, subsp. inutilis (Samoan Islands) and subsp. platyphylla (Samoan Islands and New Hebrides), the latter erroneously mentioned for New Guinea by De Wilde (1994). The three subspecies can be separated on characters of the male flowers. Fruits are strongly variable in size, shape and indumentum, and cannot be used to corroborate the subspecies. Variety foremaniana is accepted within subsp. papuana on account of a remarkably distinct collection, with large leaves and large globose fruit.
2 Myristica inutilis is related to M.fatua and M. subcordata; for delimitation see the key to the species.