Camptostemon Mast.

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

Distribution

A genus of two species from Borneo and the Philippines, New Guinea and northern Australia; only one species occurs in New Guinea: Camptostemon schultzii Mast.

Morphology General Habit

Evergreen mangrove trees and shrubs to 30 m tall, often with pneumatophores

Morphology General Indumentum

Indumentum of peltate scales throughout. Leaves spirally arranged, simple, petiole pulvinate near the lamina, elliptic to obovate, peltate scales on underside, more or less glabrous on upper side. Inflorescences axillary, umbelliform, few-flowered (usually 3–5 flowers per axis)

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers with epicalyx and calyx fused in bud, splitting at anthesis, persistent, calyx 3-lobed or irregular; petals 5, externally lepidote, fused at the base to the staminal tube, persistent; stamens basally fused into a tube, terminating in c. 20 monothecal anthers with free filaments; ovary 2 locular, 1 ovule per locule, style columnar, 2-lobed, each lobe with 2–3 stigmas

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit a loculicidally dehiscent capsule, 2-valved

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds 1–2.

Ecology

Camptostemon can be found in mangrove habitats, preferring brackish conditions. The habitat preference and dense peltate scales are very characteristic for the genus, but these are also found in Heritiera (Malvaceae-Sterculioideae).

Recognition

Camptostemon differs from that genus by the pulvinate petioles (petioles not pulvinate in Heritiera) the umbelliform inflorescences (usually more or less racemose in Heritiera) and the presence of an epicalyx (absent in Heritiera).