Guioa subsericea
Content
Description
Shrub to tree, 3-30 m high, dbh 6-50 cm;
Branchlets shortly sericeous (to hirsute), especially when young;
Leaves 1-3-jugate;
Inflorescences axillary to pseudoterminal, branching basally and along the terete, sericeous (to hirsute), 1-26.6 cm long axis;
Flowers c. 3 mm in diam.
Sepals 5, ovate, margin pilose, with glands, outside and inside glabrous, light to midgreen;
Petals 5, rhombic to elliptic to obovate, 0.9-2.3 by 0.5-1.6 mm, white to yellow;
Stamens 8;
Fruits with 1-3 well developed lobes, 0.9-1.6 by 0.9-2.4 cm, smooth to rugose to slightly ribbed, glabrous, red when fresh, usually blackish when dry;
Seeds (globose to) obovoid, 5.8-7.8 by 3-8 mm;
Distribution
Asia-Tropical: New Guinea (Irian Jaya present), Central present, Chimbu present, Enga present, Jayapura present, Milne Bay Province present, Morobe present, Papua New Guinea present, Southern Highlands present, Vogelkop present, W & E Sepik present, Western Highlands present
Malesia: Irian Jaya (Vogelkop, Jayapura); Papua New Guinea (W & E Sepik, Enga, Western Highlands, Chimbu, Southern Highlands, Morobe, Central, Milne Bay Province).
Notes
1. Guioa subsericea is distinct because of its long-tipped leaflets that are sericeous and papillate below, an uninterrupted disc, and the basically broadly obconical fruits. The species is rather diverse, with some distinctive forms which are connected by intermediates. Most obvious is the topocline between W and E New Guinea, although within W as well as E New Guinea there are reasonably uniform groups. Central New Guinea forms the transition zone. Plants in E New Guinea have larger leaflets (3.5-18.3 by 1.4-8.3 cm versus 3.6-9.8 by 0.9-3 cm), with usually longer hairs, and they have larger fruits (0.9-1.6 by 1-2.4 cm versus 0.9-1.2 by 0.9-1.4 cm). In Morobe and W Highland Provinces (Papua New Guinea) several specimens possess leaflets which are, in a dried condition, very coriaceous and very silvery on both surfaces of the leaflets.
Guioa subsericea has a sericeous indumentum, but some specimens are very hirsute and, at first sight, look like a different species. This phenomenon also occurs in other species of Guioa, e.g., G. pleuropteris, G. chrysea, G. villosa.
2. Guioa multijuga, from Irian Jaya, is remarkably similar to G. subsericea from the same area; however, G. multijuga always has leaves with more than 3 jugae and the leaflets are almost glabrous below instead of sericeous. Furthermore, the petals have very different scales, those of G. subsericea are inwardly folded auricles, those of G. multijuga are free scales folded outwards.
3. The differences with G. molliuscula, G. malukuensis, and G. comesperma are discussed in notes under these species.
Guioa subsericea has a sericeous indumentum, but some specimens are very hirsute and, at first sight, look like a different species. This phenomenon also occurs in other species of Guioa, e.g., G. pleuropteris, G. chrysea, G. villosa.
2. Guioa multijuga, from Irian Jaya, is remarkably similar to G. subsericea from the same area; however, G. multijuga always has leaves with more than 3 jugae and the leaflets are almost glabrous below instead of sericeous. Furthermore, the petals have very different scales, those of G. subsericea are inwardly folded auricles, those of G. multijuga are free scales folded outwards.
3. The differences with G. molliuscula, G. malukuensis, and G. comesperma are discussed in notes under these species.