Rauvolfia moluccana

Primary tabs

Rauvolfia moluccana

Description

Tree 3-15 m high. Leaves in whorls of 3 or 4; Inflorescence 6-16.5 cm long, usually in whorls of 3 or 4, rarely solitary, usually on the top of a short and robust (leafy) twig, more than 35-flowered, glabrous; Sepals broadly ovate, 1.5-1.8 by 1.6-1.7 mm, 0.95-1.05 times as long as wide, apex rounded, glabrous. Stamens inserted at c. 2.4 mm from the base, 0.9 of the length of the corolla tube; Fruit black or purplish black when mature, obversely trapezoid, 8.8-11.2 by 9-14 mm, 0.8-1.1 times as long as wide, mericarps connate for 0.65-0.95 of their length, apices widely spreading, acute, distance between apices 6-13.5 mm, sometimes trapezoid, truncate or shallowly cleft at apex, glabrous, sometimes only 1 carpel developing. Seeds 1 in each endocarp, ovoid or narrowly ovoid, 5-7.2 by 1.5-2.5 mm, 2.5-3.5 times as long as wide, apex acute or obtuse, glabrous.

Distribution

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

Citation

Hendrian & D.J. Middleton 1999 – In: Blumea: 456
Whitmore et al. 1989: Checklist Maluku: 14