Opocunonia nymanii
Description
Tree up to 45 m tall, often with a considerable length of bole, to 90 cm diameter.
Leaves 1-3 (-4)-jugate, rarely unifoliolate.
Stipules obovate to reniform, (5-)9-15 by (4-)7-18 mm, apex rounded or more often bifid with two obtuse apices, base distinctly stalked 2-4 mm long, tomentum as in leaflets.
Inflorescences most commonly corymbiform, to thyrsiform, up to c. 25 by 25 cm, inserted at distal or subdistal nodes;
Flowers pedicellate, the pedicels 1-5 mm long.
Sepals 1.7-2.8 by 1-2.1 mm, ± densely short-strigose or rarely fairly densely hirsute beneath.
Petals ovate to oblong, 2.2-3.8 by 1.1-2 mm, sometimes with a central line of hairs on outer surface.
Stamens with filaments 4.5-6.5 mm long and anthers 0.4-0.7 by 0.4-0.7 by 0.3 mm.
Ovary 1-2 by 1-1.4 mm, ± densely strigose or strigose-hirsute, each cell with 35-50 ovules;
Fruit with valves 4-8 mm long, 2.5-3.5 mm wide, containing many seeds.
Seeds including wings 3.5-5 mm long, smooth.
Distribution
Asia-Tropical: New Guinea present, New Britain present, Vogelkop Peninsula absent
Malesia: widespread in New Guinea (except the Vogelkop Peninsula) and New Britain.
Ecology
; above 1500 m often one of the major constituents of the forest as a canopy or subcanopy tree, for instance in Nothofagus forest; also sometimes in secondary forest or on forest edge and occasionally planted as a roadside or village tree.
Morphology
1 This species is very variable, particularly in the size of the flowers and leaves. Small leaflets in trifoliolate leaves seem to be especially associated with exposed sites. There is also substantial variation in the density of the tomentum, and in the area from the Southern Highlands to Goroka a number of trees have a much denser and more hirsute type of tomentum.
2. Flowering is often profuse and the flowers are reported as fragrant or weakly so. They are usually white or cream, occasionally yellow-green, with the calyx pale olive, the corolla cream-white or rarely maroon bordered with white, the filaments pink, cream or white, the anthers yellow, and the ovary, styles and stigmas light green.