Alyxia acuminata

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Alyxia acuminata

Description

Climber. Branchlets weakly or strongly angled, sparsely lenticellate or not, glabrous or sparsely and minutely puberulent, glabrescent. Leaves in whorls of 3 or 4; Inflorescence axillary, a compound pleiochasium, either congested or with clear internodes, or with several internodes and unbranched side branches, sparsely puberulent in upper parts to densely puberulent all over, 1-7.8 cm long; Sepals ovate, 0.8-2.7 by 0.6-1.3 mm, 1.1-2.1 times as long as wide, apex obtuse to acuminate, ciliate, glabrous to densely puberulent. Stamens inserted at 2-3.2 mm from corolla base which is 0.57-0.65 of tube length; Ovaries 0.5-1 mm high, densely pubescent all over; Fruit yellow, black, yellow-orange, orange, orange turning black, green to bright orange, finally dark purple, or orange-brown (most likely these recorded fruit colours all suggest an orangish or yellowish fruit which turns black or dark purple when mature), stalks 2.4-8.1 mm long, with 1-3 articles in each string, glabrous, articles dry smooth, fleshy or with thin flesh, 12.5-34 by 9.6-20 mm, ellipsoid or subglobose, symmetrical, apex rounded to acuminate. Seeds 10.8-30 by 7.3-15 by 6.9-12 mm.

Distribution

Asia-Tropical: New Guinea present
Malesia: New Guinea.

Morphology

Alyxia acuminata is a very variable species.

Citation

D.J. Middleton 2000 – In: Blumea: 27
K. Schum. & Lauterb. 1901: Fl. Schutzgeb. Südsee: 504
Markgr. 1926 – In: Nova Guinea: 279
Markgr. 1927 – In: Bot. Jahrb. Syst.: 182
K. Schum. 1977 – In: Blumea: 390
K. Schum. 1927 – In: Bot. Jahrb. Syst.: 181
Markgr. 1977 – In: Blumea: 395