Palmeria womersleyi
Content
Description
Woody liana, repeatedly branched, often reaching the top of medium-sized trees;
Leaves elliptic to broadly elliptic, 9-18 by 3.5-10 cm, chartaceous to coriaceous, base cuneate or rounded, apex broad with a short obtuse apiculum or more gradually nar-rowed to an acute apex, midrib slightly channelled above, prominent below, lateral veins c. 5, arched and meeting within the margin;
Inflorescences axillary and terminal, pleio-chasial, often produced profusely on short leafy lat-eral branches, coming to resemble panicles when the foliage abscisses, covered with a short dense indu-mentum;
Distribution
Asia-Tropical, Eastern Highlands Province present, Enga present, Papua New Guinea present, Southern Highlands present, Western Highlands present
Malesia: Papua New Guinea (Enga, Southern Highlands, Western Highlands and Eastern Highlands Province).
Notes
A moderately large-leaved species which may be recognized by the close covering of stellate hairs on the lower leaf surface which are fulvous or rufous at least in dried specimens. The hairs are of two sizes: the smaller more numerous and forming a general felted tomentum; the larger more widely spaced and giving the leaf surface and especially the principal veins a tufted appearance. In fresh material the pubescence on the lower leaf surface appears either olive green, fulvous or rufous. Flowers fra-grant, stamens white. Fruit with mature torus green outside and pink to bright red within; drupes black.