Vavaea amicorum

Family

Meliaceae

Botanical Name

Vavaea amicorum Benth.

Bentham, G. (1843) Hooker's London Journal of Botany 2: 212. Type: Vavau Tonga, May 1840, G. Barclay s.n.; holo: K.

Common name

Vavaea

Stem

Blaze odour fragrant. Blaze darkening markedly on exposure. Lenticels numerous and conspicuous.

Leaves

Leaf blades about 3-22 x 5-9 cm, clustered near the ends of the twigs but not really whorled. Terminal buds, young twigs and petioles densely clothed in pale brown hairs. Younger leaves hairy on the upper surface.

Flowers

Inflorescence about 2-13 cm long, usually not exceeding the leaves. Calyx pubescent, about 1-5 mm long, shallowly or deeply lobed. Petals pubescent, oblong, oblanceolate, rarely spathulate, about 4-10 mm long. Staminal filaments fused towards the base, villous on the inner surface. Disk reddish, cupular, adhering to the inner surface of the base of the staminal tube. Ovary villous, about 1-1.5 mm long, ovules about 1-3 per locule. Style about 2-5 mm long, hairy towards the base.

Fruit

Fruits globular, 10-20 mm diam. Seeds globular, 8-10 mm diam., testa smooth.

Seedlings

Seed coat often remaining on top of seedling after first few leaves are produced. At the tenth leaf stage: leaf blade obovate, apex obtuse, base cuneate, hairy on the upper surface; petiole, stem and terminal bud densely clothed in pale or golden hairs.

Distribution and Ecology

Occurs in WA, NT, CYP and NEQ. Altitudinal range from sea level to 200 m. Grows in well developed rain forest, monsoon forest and beach forest. Also occurs in Malesia and the Pacific islands.