Aglaia subcuprea
Content
Description
Tree 4–30 m, bole diameter up to 1.6 m.
Outer bark fairly smooth, brown or black, mottled with grey and fawn in large patches, sometimes flaking in small irregular scales; inner bark pale brown to reddish-brown.
Leaves up to 67 cm long and 45 cm wide; petiole up to 17 cm, petiole, rachis and petiolules densely covered with scales like those on the twigs.
Inflorescence up to 30 cm long and 20 cm wide, pe- duncle, rachis, branches, pedicels and calyx thickly covered with scales like those on the twigs.
Petals 5, white, pale yellow or yellow, aestivation quincuncial.
Staminal tube 1.3–3 mm long, 1.2–2.5 mm wide, obovoid, aperture 1–1.4 mm across and shallowly 5– (or 6–) lobed; anthers 5(–10), 0.6–1.5 mm long, 0.3–0.5 mm wide, ellipsoid or ovoid, inserted 1/3 to 2/3 of the way up the staminal tube and usually protruding through the aperture; with few to numerous stellate hairs or peltate scales on the anthers and the inside of the staminal tube.
Ovary c. 0.6 mm high and 0.7 mm wide, subglobose; locule(s) 1 or 2, each containing 1 ovule; stigma 0.7–1.5 mm long, 0.3–0.4 mm wide, ovoid to fusiform with 2 small apical lobes.
Fruits c. 2.7 cm long and 1.5 cm wide, obovoid, sometimes with numerous wart-like bumps on the outside; locules (1 or) 2, each with 0 or 1 seed.
Seeds with a pale yellow aril.
Distribution
?Solomon Islands present, Asia-Tropical: New Guinea present, New Ireland present
?Solomon Islands; Malesia: New Guinea, New Ireland
Taxonomy
The lower surface of the leaflets of A. subcuprea is densely covered with pel- tate scales varying in colour from pale orange to dark reddish-brown. Size and leatheriness of the leaflets is also variable. A variant with small, coriaceous leaflets with a recurved margin includes the type of A. versteeghii and may represent a subspecies, an impression based solely on leaf characters. Supporting flower or fruit characters and information on ecological or distributional differences from the rest of A. subcuprea are lacking.