Lasianthus chrysotrichus Lauterb.

25. Lasianthus chrysotrichus Lauterb. View in CoL

Lasianthus chrysotrichus Lauterb. (1905) 400; Valeton (1911) 497; (1927) 109. —

Type: Schlechter 14376 ( WRSL?, n.v.), New Guinea .

Shrubs, up to 3 m high; branchlets terete, c. 2 mm diam, densely and coarsely spreading hirsute. Leaves: blades oblong-lanceolate, 5 – 8 by 2 – 2.5 cm, chartaceous to subcoriaceous, glabrous above except spreading hirsute hairs on midrib, densely hirsute on midrib and nerves beneath, apex acute, base acute to subrounded, rarely asymmetric, nerves flat or slightly depressed above, prominent beneath, 6 – 8 pairs, ascending at an angle of c. 50°, curved to the margin, nervules obscure above, distinct beneath, subparallel; petioles 4–5 mm long, densely spreading hirsute. Stipules inconspicuous, triangular, c. 1–1.5 mm long, densely hirsute. Cymes sessile; bracts linear, fewer, 3– 6 mm long, densely hirsute. Flowers sessile; calyx campanulate, c. 5 mm long, hirsute outside, tube c. 1.5– 2 mm long, lobes 4, lanceolate, nerved, c. 3 mm long, hirsute outside, glabrous inside; corolla tube c. 4 mm long, hirsute in the up- per half, lobes 4, c. 1.5–2 mm long, hirsute outside. Drupes subglobose, c. 4–5 mm diam, hirsute, crowned by lanceolate calyx lobes; pyrenes 4.

Distribution — Papua New Guinea.

Notes — This species is close to L. curtisii by having similar linear-lanceolate calyx lobes (much longer than tube). It differs from the latter by having spreading much coarsely hirsute hairs on branchlets, leaf lower surface and midrib above; bracts 2, linear, hirsute, up 6 mm long (only seen in fruit stage, inconspicuous in flower stage); flowers 4-merous and drupe with 4 pyrenes. Lasianthus curtisii has spreading villose hairs on branchlets and leaf lower surface; bracts absent; flowers 5-merous and drupe with 5 pyrenes. It is also similar to L. hexandrus , but differs in having spreading hirsute hairs on branches and leaves nerves beneath, bracts 2, linear, up to c. 6 mm long (only seen in fruit stage); while L. hexandrus has appressed-pubescent branchlets and leaf nerves beneath, bracts absent. Valeton published a name Lasianthus chrysotrichoides Valeton in his Key to species of New Guinean Lasianthus without description. We saw a specimen in Leiden, i.e. H.J.Lam 975 with Valeton’s handwriting on attached labels (two sheets). This plant cannot be separated from L. chrysotrichus .