Simaroubaceae

Soulamea Lam.

First published in Encycl. 1: 449 (1785)
This genus is accepted
The native range of this genus is Seychelles, Borneo, Maluku to W. Pacific.

Descriptions

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

Distribution
A genus of 13 species, 11 endemic to New Caledonia but the distribution extending from Borneo to the western Pacific. One species in New Guinea and the Solomon Islands, the widespread coastal species Soulamea amara Lam. The following description applies only in New Guinea, because the New Caledonia species which constitute the majority of taxa in the genus are very different with compound leaves and unisexual flowers.
Morphology General Habit
Shrubs and trees, rarely above 5 m tall. Indumentum of rusty hairs on young parts
Morphology Leaves
Leaves spirally arranged, unifoliolate, petioles about a third of the length of the lamina, obovate, swollen at both ends (shrunken in dry material), secondary venation pinnate, anastamosing near the margins, midrib strongly raised below
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescences axillary, pseudo-racemes, much shorter than the leaves
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers bisexual, 3(–5)-merous; sepals fused at the base; petals free, concave; stamens 6(–10), filaments free; disk fleshy, 3(–5)-lobed; ovary 2-carpellate, carpels connate except at the apex, styles free, stigmas capitate
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit indehiscent, flattened, distinctly winged, pericarp hard-corky.
Ecology
In New Guinea, Soulamea is found in coastal forest on sandy and coral-derived substrates, typically associated with Barringtonia and at elevations not exceeding 5 m.
Recognition
Soulamea can be recognised by the spirally arranged, obovate leaves with long petioles (about ⅓ of the length of the lamina) which are shrunken top and bottom in dry material and the midrib prominently raised on the underside, short raceme-like inflorescences of 3-merous flowers and a flattened, obcordate fruit. Nooteboom (1962) notes that Soulamea shows a striking resemblance in habit with Lunasia (Rutaceae).
[TONG]

Sources

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • 'The Herbarium Catalogue, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet http://www.kew.org/herbcat [accessed on Day Month Year]'. Please enter the date on which you consulted the system.

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Trees of New Guinea

    • Trees of New Guinea
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0