Myristica firmipes
Content
Description
Tree 4-30 m.
Leaves chartaceous (or thinly coriaceous), (elliptic-)oblong, 6-14 by 1.5-4.5 cm, base attenuate, apex acute(-acumi-nate);
Inflorescences (known only from infructescences) of the Knema-type.
Male and female flowers not seen.
Fruits elliptic-oblong or ± pear-shaped, 6-7 by 3-4 cm, apex rounded, with short distinctly oblique apiculum, basal part somewhat contracted into a short thick pseudostalk or not, hairs mealy, dull brown, 0.1 mm or less;
Distribution
Asia-Tropical, W Papua New Guinea present, W Sepik endemic, Western Highlands endemic, Western Prov endemic
Malesia: W Papua New Guinea (possibly endemic to W Sepik, Western Highlands, and Western Prov.).
Taxonomy
2 The fruits of Brass 7181 are, judged from the position of the line-shaped ridge, situated transversely in relation to the twig; in two other specimens (NGF41064, 42527) the fruits are situated in a median position, turned 90°, compared to those in Brass 7181. The leaves in the latter collection are comparatively small and I do not know whether these differences have taxonomic consequences.
3 Sinclair described and figured the fruiting stalk as being 1-1.5 cm long, but in fact he measured this including a part of the branches taken with the fruit; actually the fruiting pedicel in the type is only some 5 mm long.
1 The specimens BW10655 & 10698, from Wandammen Peninsula, Papua Barat, consist of leafy twigs with short, thickened infructescences, but fruits are lacking; the leaves, however, are very distinctly reticulate above, but the specimens still may belong to M. firmipes.