Polyscias schultzei
Content
Description
Shrub or small tree, often unbranched, 4-20(-26) m high, young parts densely brown furfuraceous, branches with spirally arranged leaves towards their ends.
Leaves imparipinnate, to 80 cm long, with c. 8-11 pairs of leaflets;
Inflorescence a diffuse, repeatedly compound umbel, with reduced leaves ± persistent at the nodes;
Petals 4-5, c. 3 mm long.
Stamens 4-5, 2 mm long.
Ovary ± cylindric, glabrous or occasionally furfuraceous, c. 2 mm long, 2-celled, the fleshy disk forming a blunt stylopodium.
Fruit ovoid, fleshy, c. 5 mm long, crowned by the inconspicuous calyx and the projecting beak-like stylopodium (c. 2 mm long);
Distribution
Asia-Tropical: Maluku (Maluku present); New Guinea present, Australasia: Queensland (Queensland present), Morotai present, throughout most of the island, from the Vogelkop Peninsula and Japen I. to the Central and Morobe Distr present
Queensland; in Malesia: Moluccas (Morotai) and New Guinea (throughout most of the island, from the Vogelkop Peninsula and Japen I. to the Central and Morobe Distr.).
Notes
A widespread and frequently collected species recognized by the multijugate leaves with rather small, thin, attenuate leaflets with cuneate base. The flowers are white to yellowish and the fruits black. The grey bark exudes a small amount of gummy sap; the wood is white.
Harms recognized that P. gjellerupii was very similar and the abundant material now available indicates the variability of this common species.
Harms recognized that P. gjellerupii was very similar and the abundant material now available indicates the variability of this common species.