Alphandia Baill.

Timothy M. A. Utteridge and Laura V. S. Jennings (2022). Trees of New Guinea. Kew Publishing. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Distribution

A small genus of three species with two species in New Caledonia and a single, endemic, species in New Guinea: Alphandia vernicflua Airy Shaw.

Morphology General Habit

Trees to 20 m Plants monoecious

Morphology General

Sap yellow or red, and parts covered with gum secreted from glands

Morphology General Indumentum

Indumentum of stellate hairs. Stipules seemingly absent

Morphology Leaves

Leaves alternate, simple, elliptic to obovate, margins entire, penninerved, with a conspicuous pair of glands at junction with the petiole

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescences terminal, seemingly racemose but a narrow thyrse of cymules, bisexual or unisexual-Staminate flowers: calyx cupular, shortly 5-lobed; petals 5, thick and fleshy; stamens 20–25, fasciculate, inner filaments connate, anthers bilocular; disk glands small; pistillode absent

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil

Pistillate flowers: sepals 5; petals seemingly absent or early caducous (in New Guinea); disk annular; ovary 3-locular, slightly trilobed, seemingly varnished and glabrous due to sap; style short, stigmas bifid

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit a dehiscent capsule, up to 2.5 cm long, smooth

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds cylindric-ellipsoid, smooth, streaked and spotted, caruncle absent.

Ecology

The only species in New Guinea, Alphandia vernicflua, has been collected from primary forest at c. 25 m.

Recognition

It can be recognised by the simple, alternate, entire leaves which dry with a conspicuous ‘varnished’ effect due to the exudation of a sap on the upper surface, the conspicuous pair of glands on the petiole, the thick and fleshy petals (which have been described as yellowish in the field) and the pistillate flowers which lack petals.