Cnesmocarpon Adema

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

Distribution

A genus of four species, all of which occur in Australia and New Guinea.

Morphology General Habit

Trees to 30 m tall

Morphology General Indumentum

Indumentum of simple hairs

Morphology Leaves

Leaves paripinnate, petioles and petiolules pulvinate, 1–8 jugate, leaflets alternate to opposite, base asymmetric, margin entire to minutely dentate, papillate below, domatia sometimes present

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescences axillary, rarely ramiflorous, densely hairy, often unbranched or branched near the base and appearing racemose

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers actinomorphic, unisexual, 5-merous; sepals imbricate, subequal; petals spathulate, clawed, shorter or longer than sepals, usually with 2 marginal appendages; stamens 8, filaments hairy; ovary 3-locular, 1 ovule per locule, style with 3 stigmatic lines

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit a 3-locular, loculicidal capsule, locules winged at the base, exocarp covered with a mix of short and long irritant hairs, inside densely tomentose-pubescent

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds shiny, black, with a basal aril, sometimes minute.

Ecology

Cnesmocarpon is found between 10–2000 m, in primary forest.

Recognition

The genus can be recognised by the entire or serrate leaflets with papillae on the lower surface, the imbricate, unequal sepals, the petals which are longer than the sepals and which have 2 appendages, the 3-lobed fruit with the outside covered with a mix of short and long irritant hairs and which is hairy inside, and the seed with a basal aril.