Dysoxylum papuanum

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Dysoxylum papuanum

Description

Tree 10–40(–45) m; bole to 90(–130) cm diam., often with buttresses to 3 m tall, 3 m out and 12 cm thick. Bark grey-brown smooth with corky lenticels in vertical rows, becoming fissured longitudinally and eventually flaking; inner bark straw mottled darker, darkening on exposure, frequently with acrid turnip smell, sapwood white to pinkish; heartwood red. Leaves 25–40 cm, paripinnate, 4–6-jugate, distinctly pale abaxially; petiole 3–6 cm, terete, swollen at base, glabrous to softly brown pilose. Petals 4 (or 5), 1.5–2 mm long, broadly ovate, acute, white or cream, fleshy, glabrous without, ± pubescent within, valvate, adnate to staminal tube at base. Staminal tube cylindrical, glabrous to pubescent, very thin at base, margin 8(–10)-dentate or -lobed; anthers 8(–10), c. 0.8 mm long, included or slightly exserted opposite lobes, emarginate, ± hairy. Ovary pilose, 2- or 3-locular; style ± glabrous; stylehead flattened capitate. Capsule c. 2.5 cm diam., flattened globose, glabrous, white, drying 3-angled, pericarp with white sap (Womersley). Seeds c. 15 mm long, ellipsoid, covered with red (?) aril.

Distribution

Asia-Tropical: New Guinea present, N Queensland present, Solomon Islands present
Australia (N Queensland), Solomon Islands and Malesia: New Guinea

Morphology

At first sight, the complicated inflorescences of minute flowers, the smallest in the genus, recall Aglaia, but the paripinnate leaves distinguish it at once, while details of the flower show similarities with Anthocarapa, to which it is undoubtedly allied.

Uses

Timber used for house-building (Morobe Prov., Papua New Guinea).

Citation

White & Francis 1927 – In: Proc. Roy. Soc. Queensl.: 237.