Levieria montana

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Levieria montana

Description

Shrub, sometimes semi-scandent, or small tree to 15 m high; Dioecious. Leaves membranaceous, broadly to narrowly oblong or elliptic, 4.5-13 by 1.5-6 cm;

Distribution

Asia-Tropical: Maluku (Maluku present); New Guinea present; Sulawesi (Sulawesi present), Biak present, Ceram Ambon present, Chimbu Prov present, Finisterre Range present, Huon Peninsula present, NW. Irian present, Sepik Prov present, Vogelkop present, Wagau-Garaina region of Morobe Prov present
Malesia: Celebes, Moluccas (Ceram Ambon), New Guinea (Biak, Vogelkop, NW. Irian, Sepik Prov., Chimbu Prov., Finisterre Range, Huon Peninsula, Wagau-Garaina region of Morobe Prov.).

Uses

In the southern foothills of the Finisterre Range shrubs are preserved by villagers because the conspicuous pendulous fruits attract birds which are then shot from cover.

Notes

The bark is smooth grey-brown or fawn. The flowers are light yellow and the mature drupes are bright orange or deep purple, borne on firm fleshy yellow or orange-brown receptacles. The leaf is characteristically oblong-elliptic and apiculate, with short crisped or appressed hairs along the lower surface of the midrib, and sometimes also on the lat-eral veins, or even on the lower surface of the lamina. The degree of hairiness is variable, being most strongly developed on the type from the Arfak Mts. Size of the lamina and the degree of dentation of its margin are also variable. Leaves of juvenile shrubs are larger, broader, thinner in texture, and more den-tate than those of adults.
PERKINS (1915) did not have the type of L. mon-tana BECC. available when describing L. urophylla and was herself doubtful of the distinctness of this species. Unaccountably, she regarded L. montana as glabrous, although the original description clearly refers to the indumentum of the lower surface of the leaf. There has been some confusion also concerning the use of the name L. schlechteri PERKINS. The type specimen is given as SCHLECHTER 17176, and is described as having glabrous leaves when mature. However, the labels of this number are named L. laxiflora PERKINS and the midribs bear minute hairs (in some specimens rather severely abraided). Levieria schlechteri, therefore, is here regarded as synony-mous with L. montana.

Citation

PHILIPSON 1980: p. 382. – In: Blumea: f. 6, 12
BECC. 1915 – In: Bot. Jahrb.: 197
PERKINS & GILG 1901 – In: Pfl. R.: 21
PERKINS 1911 – In: Pfl. R.: 9