Phaleria perrottetiana (PROSEA)

Plant Resources of South-East Asia Introduction

List of species

Phaleria perrottetiana (Decne) F.-Vill.

Family: Thymelaeaceae

Synonyms

Drimyspermum perrottetianum Decne, Phaleria splendida Valeton.

Vernacular names

• Philippines: tuka (Ibanag), bago (Tagalog), aligpagi (Bisaya).

Distribution

Sabah, the Philippines (throughout), the Moluccas (Seram, Kai Islands, New Guinea (throughout), the Admiralty Islands (Bismarck Archipelago) and the Louisiade Archipelago.

Uses

In the Philippines the bark is used as tying material. It is woven into a necklace against colds.

Observations

A shrub, sometimes a tree up to 8 m tall. Leaves decussate or opposite; petiole 15 mm long, slightly winged; blade oblong-lanceolate, oblanceolate or ovate-oblong, 11.5-33 cm × 3.5-14 cm, base cuneate, rounded, apex acuminate, (8-)13-22 pairs of veins. Inflorescence terminal or axillary at terminal node, sometimes in axils of upper 2 nodes, 1 peduncle in each axil, 20-many-flowered; peduncle up to 3.5 cm long; flowers bisexual, (2-)3-4.5 cm long, sessile; calyx lobes oblong, reflexed, 5-9 mm long, corolla tube pubescent outside, white; stamens and style about 10 mm exserted beyond the tube; ovary 1-2-celled, usually hairy at apex or on one side. Fruit drupaceous, ovate, gradually narrowed towards the apex, usually 1-seeded. Seed ellipsoid, about 1 cm × 0.8 mm. P. perrottetiana is found in rain forest at low and medium altitudes. In New Guinea it occurs up to 1100 m altitude, with one population at 1400-1700 m altitude that is likely to be a new species. A special form is found in Davao (the Philippines), which differs from the main type by its small flowers (about 2 cm long) and the floral tube being glabrous outside.

Selected sources

19, 47, 115, 135, 171.

Authors

M. Brink, P.C.M. Jansen & C.H. Bosch