Schizomeria gorumensis
Content
Description
Shrub or small slender to large tree, 2-25 m high, lacking buttresses.
Leaves with petiole (0.3-)0.5-1(-1.3) cm and blade chartaceous to subcoriaceous, either broadly elliptic, 2.5-4 by 1.5-2.5 cm, both base and apex rounded, or elliptic to ovate, (3.5-)5-10(-12.5) by (2.2-)3.5-4(-4.5) cm, the base cuneate to rounded and the apex obtuse or acute, or narrowly elliptic-lanceolate, 3.5-7.7 by 1.3-3 cm, the base attenuate or rounded and the apex narrowly acute or acuminate;
Stipules triangular, 2-5 mm long, usually varnished.
Inflorescence axillary or occasionally terminal or false-terminal;
Flowers bisexual and male, 4.5-7 mm diameter; 4-5-merous (except for gynoecium);
Fruits ovoid-ellipsoid and pointed at apex or rarely ± spherical, the apex rounded, 1.1-1.4 by 0.7-0.9(-1.1) cm, with bases of styles often persistent;
Distribution
Asia-Tropical, the mountains of New Guinea present
Malesia: widespread in the mountains of New Guinea.
Notes
1 Frequently a small, sometimes bushy tree or slender treelet, flowering when 3-10 m high; occasionally a tall canopy tree up to 25 m high and 50 cm diameter; rarely a shrub 2-3 m high in mossy scrub at high altitude.
2. The presence of small, pale, spherical glands or reddish resin dots on the underside of mature leaves is characteristic of this species but not completely diagnostic. Sometimes the glands are seen only in young leaves and rarely glands are not seen in material otherwise identical to other collections of S. gorumensis. Glands occur occasionally in some other species of the genus, especially S. novoguineensis, but usually less consistently. The texture, venation and yellowish-green coloration of the leaves in S. gorumensis are also often distinctive, as is the small, axillary inflorescence. Young growth is sometimes pale grey-green.
3. At high altitude the leaves are often small and rounded, as in S. ilicina, but in S. gorumensis, the venation is minutely prominent and the texture less coriaceous.