Amyema caudiciflora (Lauterbach) Danser

Distribution Map

Loranthus caudiciflora Lauterbach, Nova Guinea 8 (1910) 290. -Amyema caudiciflora (Lauterbach) Danser, Bull. Jard. Bot. Buitenzorg III, 10 (1929) 294. - Type: Versteeg 1473 (holo L; iso K, WRSL), New Guinea, southwest, Nordrivier near Geitenkamp, 10 vii.1907.

Loranthus gigantifolius Krause, Nova Guinea 14 (1923) 102. - Amyema gigantifolia (Krause) Danser, Bull. Jard. Bot Buitenzorg III, 10 (1929) 295. - Type: Lam 1875 (lecto L, see below), New Guinea, ridge to the Doonnan Top, 1450 m, 2.xi.1920.

Amyema scandens subsp. crassifolia Barlow, Austral. J. Bot. 22 (1974) 588. - Type: Hoogland & Schodde 7243 (holo CANB 84223; iso L 961,203-66), New Guinea, W Highlands, Lagaip Valley, Kepilam, 2480 m, 30.vii.1960.

Glabrous. Stems usually robust, slightly enlarged at the nodes, with papery bark when older; internodes terete, with scattered, large, raised lenticels, 4-8(-13) cm long. Leaves ternate, scattered-ternate, or quatemate; lamina usually ovate or obovate or rarely lanceolate, (7-)12-21 cm long, (3-)6-10 cm wide, thick, dull on both sides, cuneate or attenuate at the base and sessile or with a short thick petiole up to 3 mm long, often recurved at the margin, mostly rounded or rarely obtuse or broadly acute at the apex; venation pennate, obscure except for the midrib distinct and raised below. Inflorescences several at the nodes and arising in groups from the lenticels of older stems; peduncle (3-)10-15(-27) mm long, 1-2 mm thick; rays 4-6,5-9 mm long; flowers all sessile in the triads; bracts triangular, c. 1.5 mm long, rounded, forming a small spreading involucre below the triads. Ovary barrel-shaped, 2.5-4 mm long; calyx limb truncate or weakly toothed, 1-1.5 mm long, erect. Corolla in the mature bud slender, 27-35 mm long, usually shortly rounded or obtuse, 5- or 6-merous. Anther 2.5-4 mm long, about half as long as the free part of the filament.
Stigma knob-like, 1.2-1.5 times wider than the style. Fruit ovoid to nearly globular, 8-10 mm long, crowned by the calyx limb and often by long persistent styles.
Amyema caudiciflora is endemic to New Guinea (fig. 8; 33 collections seen), in highlands at elevations from (500-)1250 to 2500 m. The species occurs in primary and secondary rain forest, probably parasitic on a wide range of hosts including Calophyllum, Castano psis, Macaranga, Nothofagus, and Opocunonia .
Amyema caudiciflora is a member of the Amyema scandens species complex that can be identified in the Papuasian region by the inflorescence of a 4- to 8-rayed umbel of triads with all flowers closely sessile in an equidistant arrangement. Within this group it can be identified by its leaves which are ternate, scattered temate or quaternate, sessile or nearly so, thick, mostly recurved at the margin and rounded at the apex. The corolla is nearly always described as pink, rarely light or dark red.

The two species accepted here as A. caudiciflora and A. plicatula essentially represent a change of rank for two subspecies of A. scandens circumscribed by Barlow (1974). For further discussion see under A. plicatula. Amyema caudiciflora represents the entity fonnerly designated as A. scandens subsp. crassifolia. Its cohesive area is consistent with its recent differentiation as an adaptive biotype in the emerging montane ecosystems of New Guinea.
The holotype of Loranthus gigantifolius, Lam 1875 (B), is not extant An isotype in L has been seen and designated lectotype of the name.
For further discussion, see under A. scandens.

As Amyema scandens subsp. crassifolia Barlow, Austral. J. Bot. 22 (1974) 588

Amyema caudiciflora

updated 18 January 2007