Lindsayomyrtus B.Hyland & Steenis

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

Distribution

A monospecific genus: Lindsayomyrtus racemoides (Greves) Craven distributed from Maluku to northern Australia.

Morphology General Habit

Whole plant glabrous. Leaves alternate or spiral, ovate to lanceolate, acute at the apex, young leaves purplish, venation pinnate with an obvious intra-marginal vein. Inflorescences terminal, paniculate or botryoidal, buds white and spherical. Flowers 5-merous, calyx with very short, indistinct lobes; petals white, thick and convex; stamens many, in several whorls, yellow; barely connate at the base; ovary appearing almost superior, 3-locular, placentation axile Trees to 30 m

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit leathery, subglobose, indehiscent or dehiscing irregularly and longitudinally, 1–3-lobed, poorly developed lobes may be persist at the base of the fruit where seeds have aborted

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds 1(–2), attached basally; embryo straight with thick cotyledons.

Ecology

Lindsayomyrtus occurs in lowland rain forest habitats to about 500 m.

Recognition

Lindsayomyrtus can be recognised by the alternate leaves, paniculate inflorescences, more or less free stamens, 3-locular ovary which appears superior, especially in fruit, and the fleshy, indehiscent fruit. The purplish or blue young growth is very distinctive as flushes of new leaves in other Myrtaceae are usually red or green. Lindsayomyrtus can be distinguished from Kjellbergiodendron (which also has alternate leaves, terminal, paniculate inflorescences and a fleshy, indehiscent fruit), by its indistinct calyx lobes and semi-inferior, 3-locular ovary. Lindsayomyrtus fruits are usually lobed while Kjellbergiodendron fruits are not lobed.