Kibara moluccana

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Kibara moluccana

Description

A shrub or small tree to 10 m high, glabrous. Leaves oblong-elliptic, (10-)15-36 by (4.5-)7-12.5 cm, chartaceous or subcoriaceous, base broadly cuneate to rounded, apex obtuse to subacute or with a short obtuse apiculum, entire, principal veins evident on lower surface, arched and meeting inside the mar-gin, glabrous; Inflorescence axillary, gla-brous, with a short peduncle (3-5 mm long) and sev-eral short branches bearing slender pedicels (3-4 cm) crowded near their apices, the upper pedicels thicker and bearing female flowers or all the flowers male. In fruit the pedicel becoming stout and woody, the receptacle with several short, very stout stipes.

Distribution

Ambon present, Asia-Tropical: Maluku (Maluku present), Buru present, Ceram present, East Sepik Prov present, Halmahera present, Morotai present, Obi present, Papua New Guinea present
Malesia: Moluccas (Buru, Ceram, Ambon, Halmahera, Morotai, Obi) and Papua New Guinea (East Sepik Prov.).

Uses

The skin of the fruit is rubbed on the hair to dye it black (Halmahera).

Notes

The large, glabrous, oblong leaves with the almost fasciculate inflorescences are characteristic. The flowers are yellow. The material I have seen of K. ledermannii is fragmentary but the leaves and Inflorescence match those of K. moluccana.

Citation

PHILIPSON 1985: p. 403. – In: Blumea: f. lb.
PERKINS 1911 – In: Pfl. R.: 36