Barry Conn (NSW) & Kipiro Damas (LAE).
Copyright held by the authors, Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust, and Papua New Guinea National Herbarium

Pometia pinnata J.R.Forster & G.Forster f. tomentosa (Blume) Jacobs

Reinwardtia Vol. 6: 130 (1962)

Other Literature: D.B. Foreman, Checklist of the Vascular Plants of Bougainville 160-161 (1971) Fig. 161.

Tradename: Taun. Other vernacular name: Wild Taun

Field Characters: Large trees (to 45 m high). Bole cylindrical; straight; buttresses present or absent; spines absent; aerial roots absent; stilt roots absent. Bark brownish grey or reddish brown, slightly rough, scaly or flaky (becoming pock-marked); blaze consisting of 2 layers; faintly to non-aromatic; outer blaze reddish brown or brownish grey, markings absent; inner blaze reddish brown (light), markings absent; exudate present, slightly red, spotty, not changing colour on exposure to air. Terminal buds not enclosed by leaves; complex hairs absent; stinging hairs absent; mature twig hairy; hairs dense.

Leaves: Spaced along branches <internodes readily visible>. Leaves spiral, compound; petiole present, not winged, attached to base of leaf blade <not peltate>, not swollen; leaves pinnate; petiolule slightly swollen <at tip, or base, or both> rachis present, not winged or faintly winged, not swollen; leaves without a terminal leaflet, each leaflet broadest below middle, 12.0-30.0 cm long, 5.0-8.0 cm wide, sub-leaflets opposite or leaflets alternate, symmetric; venation pinnate <secondary veins arising from the midrib along its length>, secondary veins open <spaced far apart to easily see tertiary veins>, prominent, intramarginal veins absent; lower surface green, upper surface dark green (glossy), hairs present (lower surface), dense or sparse; oil dots absent; domatia absent; stipules absent.

Flowers: Inflorescence terminal <at branch ends>. Flowers on a branched axis; flowers bisexual, stalked, with many planes of symmetry <actinomorphic>, c. 3.0 mm long, small (< or =10 mm diam.) c. 5 mm diam.; perianth present, with distinct sepals and petals, dull green or brown; inner perianth 5, free; stamens 5, filaments present, free of each other, free of perianth; ovary superior <seated above petals and sepals; hypogenous>, carpels joined (when more than one) <syncarpous>, locules 3; styles solitary <including joined together>, 1.

Fruits: Fruits arranged on branched axis. Fruit 30-33 mm long, dark red or black, not spiny, fleshy, simple, indehiscent, drupe. Seeds 3 (with white aril), much more than 10 mm long 15-25 mm long, not winged, as wide as long, >10 mm diam. c. 15 mm diam.

Distribution: Morobe, Western Highlands, Gulf & Bougainville.

Botanical records in PNGplants database Map details