Ascarina maheshwarii
Content
Description
Small to medium-sized, dioecious tree 3-15 m, with broad trunk 15-55 cm ø;
Leaves elliptic to somewhat obovate, 6-14 by 3-8 cm, shortly acuminate at the apex, narrowly cuneate at the base, crenate or crenate-dentate, the tips of the crenations with brown to black thickenings (hydathodes), dark green and shiny;
Inflorescences green, terminal but often also borne in axils of upper leaves (up to 4 nodes be-low apex);
Fruits drying yellow-brown but said to be black (WHITMORE), translucent green or greenish cream, ovoid, 1.2-2 mm long, exocarp thin and finely wrinkled (dry state);
Distribution
Asia-Tropical, Bougainville Is present, Manus present, Milne Bay present, Morima Range present, Papua New Guinea present, Solomon Is present
Solomon Is.; in Malesia: Papua New Guinea (Milne Bay, Morima Range), incl. Manus&Bougainville Is.
Notes
Although SMITH (1976) speaks of this 'very distinct species' characterised particularly by having additional axillary inflorescences, slender long Inflorescence branches with spaced flowers and smaller fruits with less wrinkled exocarp, examination of extensive material of A. philippinensis shows that the situation is not so simple. Ascarina maheshwarii is very uniform in the Solomon Is., even on different is-lands, but all the characters can be found in various specimens of A. philippinensis which is very variable over its wide range; small fruits are found for instance in RAU 158 (Onim) and VIN AS & WIAKABU LAE 59447 but both have typical philippinensis foliage; long infloresence branches occur in some material from the Cycloop Mts which have, however, larger more wrinkled fruits and foliage of philippinensis.