Lasianthus sylvestroides Valeton

122. Lasianthus sylvestroides Valeton View in CoL

Lasianthus sylvestroides Valeton (1927) View in CoL 109; Merr. & L.M.Perry (1946) 219. — Type: Ledermann 12655a (holo B†), New Guinea, Felsspitze , 1400– 1500 m; Brass 13025 (neo L,designated here), New Guinea, Idenburg River.

Shrubs; branchlets terete, tomentose. Leaves: blades oblong or elliptic-lanceolate, 7–11 by 2.5–4 cm, subcoriaceous, gla- brous above except tomentose midrib, tomentose beneath, apex acute to acuminate, mucronate, base acute, margin recurved, midrib flat above, prominent beneath, nerves flat to slightly depressed above, prominent beneath, 7–10 pairs, ascending at an angle of over 45°, curved to the margin, ner- vules prominent on both surfaces, parallel; petioles, c. 3– 5 mm long, tomentose. Stipules linear-subulate, 4–5 mm long, tomentose. Cymes axillary, sessile or subsessile; bracts linear, 5 –6 mm long, singular, tomentose. Flowers fascicular, sessile; calyx obconical, tube c. 2 mm long, hirsute, lobes 5, linear, 3–4 mm long, hirsute; corolla tomentose. Drupes globose, 4–5 mm diam, with 5– 6 obtuse ridges, verrucose, crowned by the persistent linear to lanceolate-subulate, 3–4 mm long, hirsute calyx lobes; pyrenes 5 – 6.

Distribution — Indonesia ( Sulawesi, Irian Jaya), Papua New Guinea.

Note — The specimen Brass 13025 so closely fits the description of Valeton’s species according to Merrill ( Merrill & Perry 1946) that we select it as a neotype.