Hernandia ovigera
Content
Description
Tree, 20-40 m high, dbh 50-100 cm.
Leaves: petiole 7-19 cm; blade chartaceous or coriaceous, broadly lanceolate to broadly ovate, 10-25(-40) by 6-21(-30) cm, apex 0.5-1 (-2) cm acuminate, base more or less cordate or broadly rounded, shining and glabrous on both surfaces but nerves on lower surface pubescent, nerves 5 (or 7), palmate, the midrib with 3-6 pairs of lateral nerves; domatia absent.
Inflorescence including the 6-18 cm long peduncle 15-30 cm long; involucre bracts elliptic or obovate, 4-7 by 1-3 mm.
Flowers 3-merous (male), or 4-merous (female), creamy-white, fragrant.
Distribution
Asia-Tropical: Jawa (Jawa present); Lesser Sunda Is. (Bali present); Sulawesi (Sulawesi present), Bacan present, Enggano (W of Sumatra), present, Indian Ocean present, Irian Jaya: Vogelkop, western and northern part, Japen I., near Jayapura present, Luzon present, Mariana Is present, Papua New Guinea: Sepik, Madang, Morobe, Milne Bay Prov., New Britain, Woodlark I present, Simeulue present, Solomon Is present, Sula I. present
Mariana Is., Solomon Is.; in Malesia: scattered collections seen from Simeulue, Enggano (W of Sumatra),, Java, Christmas I. (Indian Ocean), Philippines (Luzon), Celebes, Bali, Moluccas (Bacan, Sula I.), common in Irian Jaya: Vogelkop, western and northern part, Japen I., near Jayapura, Papua New Guinea: Sepik, Madang, Morobe, Milne Bay Prov., New Britain, Woodlark I.
Taxonomy
Kubitzki (1969) discussed the complicated typification of H. ovigera. He also noted that the present species seems to hybridize with H. nymphaeifolia, especially so in and near New Guinea.
Two collections from Christmas I. (Indian Ocean), Powell 21 and Mitchell 30, show the cupules curiously and deceptively dissected but the phenomenon appeared artificial.
Citation
Du Puy & Telford 1993: p. 70. – In: Fl. Austral.: f. 32 F-H.
Backer & Bakh.f. 1964 – In: Fl. Java: 137
Croft 1981: p. 196. – In: Handb. Fl. Papua New Guinea: f. 44
Koord. & Valeton 1913 – In: Atlas: f. 185
Rumph. 1743: p. 193. – In: Herb. Amboin.: t. 123
Kubitzki 1969: p. 138. – In: Bot. Jahrb.: f. 31