Australian Tropical Rainforest Plants - Online edition

Pittosporum moluccanum (Lam.) Miq.


Shrub (woody or herbaceous, 1-6 m tall)
Click/tap on images to enlarge
Flowers. © R.L. Barrett
Flowers. © R.L. Barrett
Fruit. © R.L. Barrett
Leaves and fruit. © R.L. Barrett
Leaves and fruit. © R.L. Barrett
Dehisced fruit and leaves. © R.L. Barrett
Habit. © R.L. Barrett
Scale bar 10mm. © CSIRO
Cotyledon stage, epigeal germination. © CSIRO
10th leaf stage. © CSIRO
Family

Miquel, F.A.W. (1870) Illustration de la Flore de l'Archipel Indien : 76.

Stem

Usually grows as a shrub or small tree 4-6 m tall.

Leaves

Leaf blades narrowly obovate, about 10-15 x 4-5 cm, petioles 1-1.5 cm long. Midrib very pale. Lateral veins form distinct loops well inside the blade margin.

Flowers

Petals spathulate, recurved, about 6-8 mm long. Staminal filaments about 3 mm long. Anthers about 2 mm long. Ovary + style about 5 mm long. Fide Cayzer et al. (2000).

Fruit

Capsules compressed globular, about 10-13 mm diam. Capsules 2-valved. Seeds black, irregularly shaped, about 3-4 mm diam.

Seedlings

Cotyledons ovate, about 18 x 6-7 mm. At the tenth leaf stage: leaf blade obovate, apex rounded, base attenuate, margin somewhat thickened and vein-like. Young shoots sparsely clothed in pale or yellowish appressed hairs. Seed germination time 55 to 65 days.

Distribution and Ecology

Occurs in WA & NT. Altitudinal range not known. Grows in monsoon forest and vine thickets. Also found in Formosa, Philippines and Malesia.

Synonyms
Anasser moluccana Lam., Tabl. Encycl. 2: 40(1793), Type: Description & plate of Cortex foetidus Rumph., Herb. Amboin. 7: 12, t. 7 (1755).
RFK Code
3306
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