Lepidopetalum fructoglabrum Welzen

Sapindaceae

Welzen, P.C. van (1992) Blumea 36: 455. Type: Papua New Guinea, Morobe District, Oomis Creek, Hartley 9948; holo: L; iso: A, Bri, CANB, K.

Seldom exceeding 30 cm dbh.

Leaflet stalks short. Leaflet blades about 6-17 x 2-5 cm, midrib raised on the upper surface. Domatia are tufts of hairs. Terminal buds clothed in yellowish brown hairs. Leaflets increasing in size from the base to the apex of the compound leaf rhachis.

Petals small, 0.5-1.2 mm long, petal scale larger than the petal. Stamens eight. Ovules 1 per locule.

Fruits obcordate, about 20 x 15 mm, +/- 2-lobed and 2-valved, but 1-seeded. Seeds about 15 x 10 mm. Aril basal and lateral, covering about 30% of the seed.

At the tenth leaf stage: leaflet blades elliptic, apex acute to shortly acuminate, base cuneate slightly unequal-sided, upper surface with a few hairs along the midrib; petiole and rhachis of compound leaf hairy.

Occurs in CYP. Altitudinal range from near sea level to 100 m. Grows as an understory tree in well developed gallery forest. Also occurs in New Guinea.

Lepidopetalum subdichotomum Radlk., Die Flora von Kaiser Wilhelms Land : 67(1889), Type: Hatzfeldthafer im Walde: HOLLRUNG n. 387; ein 4-6 m hoher Baum.