Aistopetalum multiflorum
Description
Trees up to 40 m tall, bole 25 m, buttressed.
Leaves with petiole 2.5-6 cm and internodes of rachis 1.5-3 cm, terete, channelled above.
Stipules triangular-ovate to ovate-oblong, c. 3 by 0.5 mm.
Inflorescence of c. 250 flowers or more, up to 12 by 12 cm, subunits inserted in opposite axils of most distal pair of leaves;
Flowers with short pedicel from 0.5 mm thick merging into receptacle to 1.5 mm in diameter.
Sepals ovate, 1.7-2.8 by 1.5-2.2 mm, acute, shortly strigose beneath, densely short-hirsute above.
Stamens with filaments 0.8-1.7 mm long and 0.2-0.3 mm wide at base, anthers ovoid, retuse to faintly apiculate at apex, obtuse to retuse at base, 0.5-0.7 by 0.4-0.5 by 0.3 mm.
Ovary 0.6-0.9 by 0.5-0.7 mm, fairly densely short-hirsute;
Fruit ovoid, c. 28 by 24 mm, slightly asymmetrical around apex, surface glabrous with some white warty patches, the persistent styles only visible as minute pro-trusions around apex.
Distribution
Asia-Tropical, East Sepik present, Kiunga, Western present, Mt Hun-stein present, Papua New Guinea present, W of Biniguni, Milne Bay present
Malesia: Papua New Guinea, only known from 3 localities (Mt Hun-stein, East Sepik; Kiunga, Western; W of Biniguni, Milne Bay).
Morphology
Well developed articulations at nodes throughout the inflorescence give it a highly jointed appearance. The flowers are pale olivaceous outside and the calyx is cream inside, the stamens are cream, the disc yellow-green, and the ovary pale yellow; the fra-grance is honey-like. Young fruits are green.