Coronanthera Vieill. ex C.B.Clarke

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

Distribution

A genus of 11 species centred in New Caledonia but with a single species reaching the Solomon Islands and Bougainville: Coronanthera grandis G.W.Gillett. The description below refers only to that species.

Morphology General Habit

Shrub or small trees up to 15 m tall. Leaves opposite, both leaves of a pair similar in size

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescences axillary, on stems bearing leaves, densely hairy, comprised of cymes of 3–8 flowers on a 3–10 cm long peduncle; bracts small, a pair subtending the cyme. Flowers: calyx 4- or 5-lobed, connate at base, triangular, persistent, sericeous; corolla pale green to white-green, small (c. 10 mm long), tubular, urceolate, bilabiate, limb small, sub equal, apex rounded; stamens 4 (in New Guinea), inserted at base, filaments equal in length; staminode 1, affixed to the corolla tube; ovary unilocular, style short c. 1 mm long

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit a dry capsule with an acute apex, dehiscing along the four valves with the apices connate. Seeds numerous, small.

Ecology

Found growing in disturbed forest and secondary vegetation from 400–950 m.

Recognition

Coronanthera grandis can be easily recognised by the Gesneriacous characters (having opposite, exstipuluate, hairy leaves etc.), and small greenish flowers in cymose inflorescences, 4 stamens, and a dry capsule with an acute apex. The fruit dehisces along the sutures of the four apically coherent valves throughout the genus.