Palmeria hooglandii
Content
Description
Woody liana to 22 m high, branches and foliage glabrous.
Leaves oblong-elliptic, occasionally lan-ceolate-elliptic, 7.5-15.5 by 1.7-6 cm, chartaceous, apex with an apiculum (often long and narrow), base cuneate, midrib slightly channelled above, prominent below, lateral veins c. 6, well-defined, meeting within the margin;
Inflorescence axillary and terminal, either simple unbranched pleiochasia (often grouped at the ends of branches to resemble panicles) or with long lateral branches forming a panicle-like inflorescence, the rachis 4.5-10 cm, with lateral branches up to 4 cm;
Distribution
Asia-Tropical, Chimbu present, Eastern Highlands present, Enga present, Morobe Prov present, Papua New Guinea present, Southern Highlands present, Western Highlands present
Malesia: Papua New Guinea (Southern Highlands, Enga, Western Highlands, Chimbu, Eastern Highlands, Morobe Prov.).
Notes
One of the most distinctive species, with both the vegetative parts and inflorescence glabrous (only the tepals are minutely pubescent). Its distribu-tion covers most of the Central Highlands from La-gaip to Okapa, with a single disjunct occurrence in the Cromwell Mts (Huon Peninsula). The flowers are described as creamy and scented. The drupes are purple-black on a bright red torus.