Osmoxylon insidiator
Content
Description
Small tree to 12 m, young parts with uniform scurfy tomentum.
Large leaves forming terminal crowns;
Inflorescence a terminal hemispherical compound umbel, c. 15 cm high by 30 cm wide;
Petals irregularly 4-5-lobed, 7-8 mm long, connate below to form a fleshy tube, pubescent on the outer surface.
Stamens c. 15-26, filaments straplike, projecting beyond the corolla, anthers c. 4 mm long.
Ovary shortly turbinate, 2-4 mm long, angled, furfuraceous, c. 13-25-celled;
Fruits in a compact spherical head, the individual drupes angled by mutual pressure, and bearing the persistent stigmas on the exposed face, c. 10-14 mm long, the numerous pyrenes compressed and flat;
Distribution
Asia-Tropical: New Guinea present, Waigeo I present
Malesia: throughout New Guinea, but local; also Waigeo I.
Notes
The bark is greyish brown, slightly fissured with many lenticels. The wood is soft and white. The flowers are reddish-brown or purple, with orange-red filaments and the fruit purple.
Beccari provided a detailed description of the living plant, and noted that the fruits are eaten by various species of pigeon.
Boerlagiodendron pachycephalum Harms has very strongly developed umbels and leaves, but apart from size, it does not differ from this species. Since a range in stature is shown by the several gatherings now available, the whole is best regarded as a single species.
Similarly, the very short pedicels of O. carpo- phagarum, which Beccari used to distinguish it from O. insidiator, can in fact be matched on several specimens of that species.
Beccari provided a detailed description of the living plant, and noted that the fruits are eaten by various species of pigeon.
Boerlagiodendron pachycephalum Harms has very strongly developed umbels and leaves, but apart from size, it does not differ from this species. Since a range in stature is shown by the several gatherings now available, the whole is best regarded as a single species.
Similarly, the very short pedicels of O. carpo- phagarum, which Beccari used to distinguish it from O. insidiator, can in fact be matched on several specimens of that species.