Dictyoneura obtusa

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Dictyoneura obtusa

Description

Slender, much branched, bushy trees, sometimes shrubs, up to 15(-25) m high, dbh up to 20(-30) cm; Leaves 3-9(-12)-jugate; Inflorescences simple or sometimes sparingly branched, often only at the base; Flowers white to yellow, 3-4(-5) mm in diam. Sepals 1.2-2 by 0.8-1.6 mm, the inner- or outermost (or both) sometimes smaller, outside sparsely to densely hairy, inside glabrous to sparsely hairy. Stamens: Ovary ovoid to ellipsoid, 2- (or 3-)celled, 1.1-1.8 by 0.7-1.4 mm, densely hairy, (very) sparsely scaly; Fruits somewhat fleshy, from brown green through orange(-yellow) to orange-red, finally orange-brown, subglobular to transversely ellipsoid, 6-8 (-12) by 6-8(-l 1) mm, 1- or 2- (or 3-)seeded, outside sparsely or sometimes densely hairy, (very) sparsely scaly, inside glabrous or with a few hairs near the placenta. Seeds ovoid to ellipsoid, rarely flattened, 4-9 by 4-7 mm, testa black, shining, more or less hard shell, sarcotesta (light) orange or yellow, covering (45-)60-100% of the seed, dorsally interrupted by a very narrow to very wide cuneate cleft;

Distribution

Asia-Tropical: New Guinea present, New Britain present, New Ireland present
Malesia: New Guinea, including New Britain and New Ireland.

Uses

Often used as an ornamental tree because of its orange fruits and reddish young leaves (Vim Royen 1964: 4). The wood is used for house posts.

Notes

1. The present species is rather variable, Several geographic and ecological races can be distinguished, but all are linked by intermediates. In West New Guinea and in higher altitudes in the East the specimens have comparatively small leaflets. 'Dictyoneura obtusa', the western form, ha; many leaflets per leaf and often conspicuous ye low-haired domatia. The lower montane form, ‘D bamleri’, shows a tendency towards more glabri scent leaves with a wingless rachis and thicker glossy leaflets. Towards the East and at lower altitudes the leaflets become larger, the largest ones are found on New Britain and New Ireland. The plants from these islands are generally more coarse in all their parts. The southern form, 'D. microcarpa’, has leaves with few leaflets, only incised near the apex. In Morobe Province the leaflets are often rather strongly oblique, and in the Northern and Milne Bay Provinces the plants are densely puber-ulous all over.
2. Kanehira & Hatusima (1942) listed a specimen from New Guinea (Momi, Kanehira & Hatusima 13128) as Gleditschia spec. According to Verdcourt (1979) this is D. obtusa.

Citation

Blume 1933 – In: Engl., Pflanzenr. 98: 1223
P. Royen 1964: 4, 16. – In: Man. For. Trees Papua & New Guinea: f. 7
Radlk. 1933 – In: Engl., Pflanzenr. 98: 1222
Peekel 1984 – In: Fl. Bism. Archip., Bot. Bull. (Lae): 339
Radlk. 1920 – In: Bot. Jahrb.: 293
auct. non Radlk.: Radlk. 1933: p. 1221. – In: Engl., Pflanzenr. 98: as for Branderhorst 260
J. Dijk 1986 – In: Blumea: 446
auct. non Radlk.: Radlk. 1920 – In: Bot. Jahrb.: 292
K. Schum. & Laut. 1933 – In: Engl., Pflanzenr. 98: 1223
Radlk. 1920 – In: Bot. Jahrb.: 293
Verde 1979 – In: Man. New Guinea Leg., Bot. Bull.: 11