Steganthera salomonensis
Content
Description
Shrub or tree, 2-20 m;
Leaves ovate or elliptic to narrowly elliptic, rarely suborbicular (Fer-. gusson I.), usually rather large (up to 32 by 11.5 cm), occasionally smaller to much smaller (5 by 2 cm on stunted trees, crater rim New Georgia Group), base cuneate to rounded, apex slightly apiculate;
Inflorescences on leafy shoots or cauliflorous, variable in size and complexity, frequently with several main branches arising from a short peduncle, and with the lateral branches clustered at the nodes, the principal branches often flattened;
Distribution
Asia-Tropical, Bougainville present, Central Prov present, Milne Bay Prov present, Papua New Guinea present, Rennell I present, San Cristobal present, Solomon Is present, east of Cape Rodney present
Throughout the Solomon Is. (incl. Bougainville) to San Cristobal and Rennell I., in Malesia: Papua New Guinea (Central Prov.; east of Cape Rodney; Milne Bay Prov.).
Notes
Considerable variation occurs, one extreme being a handsome tree with large leaves, ± brown-pubescent below, diffuse panicles on leafy twigs and also on the older stems, and with clusters of many stipitate achenes (= S. suberosa-alata). On the other hand many specimens, including the type, have smaller, greener leaves which become more or less glabrous, and have fruits with few or even a. single stipitate achene. The latter form is characteristic of higher altitudes. Specimens from a dry crater rim in the New Georgia Group are so stunted that their inclusion in this species is open to doubt, though intermediate forms occur. A number of local forms are found on the islands off the eastern end of New Guinea (Fergusson I. to Misima I.). The most distinctive of these, with coarsely serrate leaves, occurs on Sudest I. This may represent a distinct species, but serrate leaf-margins occur elsewhere, especially on saplings or suckers, and the flowers and inflorescences are quite typical of S. salomonensis.