Fagraea berteriana (PROSEA)

Plant Resources of South-East Asia Introduction

List of species

Fagraea berteriana A. Gray ex Benth.

Protologue: Journ. Linn. Soc. Bot. 1: 98 (1856).

Synonyms

• Fagraea sair Gilg & Gilg-Ben. (1921),
• Fagraea affinis S. Moore (1923),
• Fagraea novae-guineae Cammerl. (1924).

Distribution

New Guinea and widely distributed in the Pacific islands.

Uses

The wood is locally used as tembesu, e.g. for house posts, tool handles and general construction. In many Pacific islands, the highly fragrant flowers are appreciated for decoration and perfumes. In New Caledonia, the boiled leaves are used medicinally against rash and skin irritation. In the Solomon Islands, the exocarp of the fruit is removed exposing the sticky interior which operates as a fly trap.

Observations

• A small or rarely medium-sized tree up to 15(-30) m tall, sometimes an epiphytic or terrestrial shrub, bole up to 50 cm in diameter.
• Leaves elliptical to oblong, sometimes slightly ovate or obovate, 9-16 cm × 4.5-12 cm, apex rounded, secondary veins indistinct below, petiole 1.5-4 cm long, stipules partly adnate to the petiole, boat-shaped and 2-lobed at the apex.
• Inflorescence terminal, pedicel without bracteoles.
• Corolla tube tubular, 3-8(-15) cm long, stigma distinctly 2-lobed.
• Fruit ellipsoid to globular, 3-5.5 cm long, orange to red when ripe.

F. berteriana occurs in open to dense primary or sometimes secondary, wet to dry forest, mainly along forest edges, rivers and creeks, or even along the beach or in mangrove vegetation, from sea-level up to 500(-1600) m altitude.

Selected sources

162.