Atuna racemosa subsp. racemosa

Primary tabs

Atuna racemosa subsp. racemosa

Description

Trees to 45 m tall, usually smaller, the bole often fluted, young branches glabrous or appressed strig-ose. Leaves usually chartaceous, more rarely stiffly coriaceous, broadly ovate, elliptic, oblong or even lanceolate, 10-25 (-35) by 3.5-11 cm, acuminate at apex, the acumen 6-25 mm long, rounded to subcordate at base, glabrous on both surfaces when mature, sometimes sparsely strigose beneath on lower portion when young; Stipules lanceolate, stiff, to 20 mm long, acute, glabrous to strigose, subpersistent. Inflorescences of axillary racemes or little branched with up to 3 racemose branches on short main peduncle, 5-15 cm long, the rachis tomentellous to sericeous; Petals ovate-oblong, to 10 mm long, blue or white. Stamens 15-20, pale blue, to 15 mm long with tooth-like staminodes opposite. Ovary densely villous. Fruit ellipsoid to subglobose, to 7.5 cm diam.;

Distribution

Admiralty, Caroline, and Solomon Islands present, Ambon present, Asia-Tropical: Borneo present (Brunei present, Sarawak present); Malaya (Peninsular Malaysia present, Singapore present); New Guinea present; Philippines (Philippines present); Sulawesi (Sulawesi present); Sumatera (Sumatera present); Thailand (Thailand present), Ceram present, New Britain present, Pacific present: Fiji (Fiji present); Samoa (Samoa present); Tonga (Tonga present), Perak present, Ternate present
A wide range from Thailand to the Pacific: Admiralty, Caroline, and Solomon Islands, Fiji, Tonga, Samoa; in Malesia: Malay Peninsula (Perak), Singapore, Sumatra, Borneo (Sarawak, Brunei), Sulawesi, Philippines, Ambon, Ternate, Ceram, New Guinea, New Britain. .

Uses

The fruit (cotyledon) is grated and made into a putty for caulking canoes, widely used in Pacific islands. An oil is extracted from the seeds used variously in different areas, e.g. to scent coconut oil and for hairdressing. The leaves are used to thatch the outside walls of houses in Fiji. The wood is used locally for posts and poles, but is not of good quality.

Notes

KOSTERMANS included Cyclandrophora glaberrima as a synonym of Atuna excelsa rather than where it is placed here. There seems little doubt based on the original description and herbarium material at Leiden bearing HASSKARL'S writing that C. glaberrima is equal to Atuna racemosa subsp. racemosa as defined here. The original description of C. glaberrima indicates leaves that are far too large for subsp. excelsa. Atuna excelsa was distinguished by KOSTERMANS by its coriaceous leaves and short petioles. However, many sheets which he determined as A. racemosa have equally short petioles and there is much variation in leaf texture. Therefore it is not possible to maintain A. elata. Similarly the distinction of A. scabra was the scabrous texture of the leaves and their more lanceolate shape. Many collections of A. racemosa are equally scabrous (e.g. LAE 52392 from New Guinea) and there is so much variation in leaf shape that it would be quite impossible to separate A. scabra on that feature. This was already placed under Parinari glaberrimum by BACKER and BAKHUIZEN VAN DEN BRINK (l.c. 1964).

Citation

BACKER 1911: Schoolfl. Java: 445
HASSK. 1857 – In: Walp., Ann. 4: 645
HASSK. 1844 – In: Flora: 583
BACKER & BAKH.f. 1964 – In: Fl. Java: 522
HASSK. 1844: Cat. Hort. Bog.: 269
HASSK. 1857 – In: Walp., Ann. 4: 645
BURK. 1935: Dict.: 1696
Blume 1852 – In: Mus. Bot. Lugd.-Bat.: 95
PRANCE & WHITM. 1973 – In: Tree Fl. Malaya: 324
Blume 1852 – In: Mus. Bot. Lugd.-Bat.: 98
KANEHIRA 1931 – In: Bot. Mag. Tokyo: 282
RIDLEY 1922 – In: Fl. Mal. Pen.: 669
K. & V. 1900 – In: Bijdr.: 337
C.MUELL. 1857 – In: Walp., Ann. 4: 646
RIDLEY 1922 – In: Fl. Mal. Pen.: 669
HASSK. 1844 – In: Flora: 585
Miq. 1855: p. 354. – In: Fl. Ind. Bat.: t. 5
C.MUELL. – In: Walp., Rep. 5: 647
C.MUELL. – In: Walp., Rep. 5: 647
K. & V. 1900: Bijdr.: 338
C.MUELL. 1857 – In: Walp., Ann. 4: 646
Miq. 1855 – In: Fl. Ind. Bat.: 355
HASSK. 1844: Cat. Hort. Bog.: 269
Merr. 1915 – In: Philip. J. Sc.: Bot. 210