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Melicope cornuta var. decurrens

(B.C.Stone) Appelhans, K.R.Wood & W.L.Wagner (2017)

This name is accepted

Kingdom: Viridiplantae Phylum: Magnoliophyta Class/Clade: Eudicot-Rosids Order: Sapindales Family: Rutaceae Genus: Melicope

Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form: Erect palmoid shrubs 1–2(–7) m tall.

Stems: Main stem up to 2 cm in diameter, few–branched, branches ascending, leafy toward apex, glabrous throughout except new growth and young inflorescences, wood somewhat brittle, with a pepsin-like odor when freshly broken.

Roots:

Leaves: Leaves simple. Opposite. Blades narrowly obovate to oblong–spatulate, 12–40 cm long, 5–13 cm wide. Apex bluntly obtuse to acute. Base long-attenuate or sometimes attenuate. Surfaces glandular punctate. Margins entire. Lateral veins ascending, connected by a deeply arched vein, midrib sulcate on upper surface. Petioles 2–10 mm long. Stipules absent.

Flowers: Flowers (3–)9–15 in axillary, cymose–fasciculate inflorescences, on lower stems below current leaves, peduncles nearly obsolete, pedicels 5–10 mm long, glabrous; bracts hirtellous when young. Flowers bisexual (perfect), actinomorphic. Calyx of 4 sepals, in imbricated pairs, suborbicular, 3–4 mm long, 5–6 mm wide, glabrous, margins ciliolate. Corolla of 4 petals, white or cream, broadly lanceolate, slightly imbricate, 9–16 mm long, ciliolate, otherwise glabrous. Stamens 8; filaments white, nearly completely connate into a staminal tube; anthers dithecal, subsessile on lobes of staminal tube, elongate, base subhastate, alternately larger and smaller. Ovary superior, 4-carpellate, 4-lobed, the carpels connate ½–¾ their length, placentation axile; styles at first connate, but later strongly divergent as the fruit matures; stigmas linear; ovules 5–8 per carpel, pendulous on short, broad funiculi; style columnar; stigmas linear, erect, connate, slightly thickened apically.

Fruit: Fruit cruciate; chartaceous; 16–33 mm in diameter; glabrous; carpels 10–16 mm long; upper part widely spreading in fruit; apex short–beaked; the beak 0.5–2 mm long. Seeds 8 per carpel; embryo with thin; broad; rounded cotyledons; hypocotyl very short; embedded in white endosperm.

Ploidy: 2n = 36*

Habitat: Mesic forest.

Elevation Range: 340–920 m.

Historical Distribution

Uses and Culture

USES

Natural History

Statewide Status

Endemic

Island Status

O'ahu Endemic

Dispersal Agents


Pollinators

Bibliography

Name Published In: PhytoKeys 91: 131 (2017)

Other References

Wagner et al. 1990:1210 (O [as Platydesma cornuta var. decurrens]); Appelhans et al. 2017:131 (COMBNOV, Syn. P. c. var. decurrens = M. c. var. decurrens)

Occurrences

SNo. Scientific Name Locality Habitat Basis of Record Description Recorded By Record Number Island Source Date
1 Melicope cornuta var. decurrens Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Closed canopy of Morinda trimera and Antidesma platyphyllum; sharing a relatively open understory w/ Neraudia melastomifolia and Coprosma foliosa Preserved_Specimen Takeuchi, W.N. 2902 Oahu BISH 1986-10-11
2 Melicope cornuta var. decurrens Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Rain forest at divide. Preserved_Specimen 6-10 ft shrub. St.John, H. 12232 Oahu BISH 1932-11-25
3 Melicope cornuta var. decurrens Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details On wet fern-covered banks by the stream in a valley just SE of the ridge trail to Kanehoa summit Preserved_Specimen Tall unbranched shrubs with pure white flowers. Stone, B.C. 3263 Oahu BISH 1960-03-26
4 Melicope cornuta var. decurrens Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Emergent from Clidemia thicket. Preserved_Specimen An unbranched 7' erect stalk, inflorescence clustered along naked section of stem in a manner reminescent of Myrsine. Takeuchi, W.N. 56 Oahu BISH 1984-02-04
5 Melicope cornuta var. decurrens Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details In gully. Preserved_Specimen Masaki, C. Oahu BISH 1979-12-16
6 Melicope cornuta var. decurrens Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Steep slopes with dense canopy of ohia, colony has plants up to 2 m height. Preserved_Specimen 2 m height. Takeuchi, W.N. 2049 Oahu BISH 1985-03-10
7 Melicope cornuta var. decurrens Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Closed canopy of Morinda trimera and Antidesma platyphyllum; sharing a relatively open understory w/ Neraudia melastomifolia and Coprosma foliosa Preserved_Specimen Takeuchi, W.N. 2902 Oahu BISH 1986-10-11
8 Melicope cornuta var. decurrens Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details In wet forest with Charpentiera, Alectryon. Preserved_Specimen Fls. pure white, cauline. Stone, B.C. 3430 Oahu BISH 1960-04-01
9 Melicope cornuta var. decurrens Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Native remant forest on gully slopes. Among Delissea subcordata, Rauvolfia, Streblus, and Pittosporum #2647. Preserved_Specimen 8' unbranched stalks. Takeuchi, W.N. 2649 Oahu BISH 1986-05-25
10 Melicope cornuta var. decurrens Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Weedy forest, moderate slopes in Tetraplasandra gymnocarpa colony 3863. Many plants in Clidemia congested understory. Preserved_Specimen Stem lengths typically 6'-10', basal interval often prostrate along ground - the apical section upturned and ascending sharply, usually unbranched, most stems sterile. Takeuchi, W.N. 3864 Oahu BISH 1988-05-15
11 Melicope cornuta var. decurrens Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details In native mesic forest; Planchonella dominant Preserved_Specimen Single shrub, multiple stems arising from base (each unbranched), some stems erect, others prostrate, max stem length=7 ft; on prostrate stems flowers were covered with leaf litter, detatched fruits cauliflorous Takeuchi, W.N. 2448 Oahu BISH 1985-09-14
12 Melicope cornuta var. decurrens Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Closed canopy of Morinda trimera and Antidesma platyphyllum; sharing a relatively open understory w/ Neraudia melastomifolia and Coprosma foliosa Preserved_Specimen Takeuchi, W.N. 2902 Oahu BISH 1986-10-11
13 Melicope cornuta var. decurrens Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Moist woods. Preserved_Specimen St.John, H. 11127 Oahu BISH 1931-10-25
14 Melicope cornuta var. decurrens Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details In forest on N side of rim. W/ Ohia, Antidesma, Bobea, Koa, Guava, Psychotria. Preserved_Specimen Plants 3-5 ft ht, fl white, fruit gree, strong anise scent. Perlman, S. 5258 Oahu BISH 1987-02-24
15 Melicope cornuta var. decurrens Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Relatively common on slopes with mixed native-alien canopy. Has definite preference for open under-stories. Preserved_Specimen Colony of plants with sprawling stems, rooting along prostrate interval, only a few plants fertile: either in flower or fruit ( but not both on same axis). Takeuchi, W.N. 3517 Oahu BISH 1987-04-26
16 Melicope cornuta var. decurrens Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Dense Ohia canopy Preserved_Specimen Plants to 2 ft height, but sp. can grow to 10 ft as w/ colls. 2049 and Waianae_56; often cauliflorous, this is a distinguishing feature from P. spathulata Takeuchi, W.N. 2119 Oahu BISH 1985-03-31
17 Melicope cornuta var. decurrens Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Native remant forest on gully slopes. Among Delissea subcordata, Rauvolfia, Streblus, and Pittosporum #2647. Preserved_Specimen 8' unbranched stalks. Takeuchi, W.N. 2649 Oahu BISH 1986-05-25
18 Melicope cornuta var. decurrens Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Steep slopes with dense canopy of ohia, colony has plants up to 2 m height. Preserved_Specimen 2 m height. Takeuchi, W.N. 2049 Oahu BISH 1985-03-10
19 Melicope cornuta var. decurrens Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details With Ctenitis honolulensis 3888, Cyanea membranacea 3890, & Nothocestrum longifolium 3891. Preserved_Specimen Stout stems ascending erect to 12' height, stems prostrate and convoluted near ground, prostrate interval often long as the aerial interval, many plants beneath dense canopy, population flowering but no fruits. Takeuchi, W.N. 3889 Oahu BISH 1988-07-17
20 Melicope cornuta var. decurrens Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details In dry forest. Preserved_Specimen Shrubs 1 m high with 2 to 3 branches. Corollas white at anthesis. Lamoureux, C.H. 2557 Oahu BISH 1964-02-22
21 Melicope cornuta var. decurrens Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Under a canopy of tall Metrosideros and associated with Psychotria, Labordia, Gouldia, Myrsine, etc. Preserved_Specimen Plants may attain a height of 3 m (9 ft). Obata, J.K. Oahu BISH 1978-04-16
22 Melicope cornuta var. decurrens Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Steep slopes with dense canopy of ohia, colony has plants up to 2 m height. Preserved_Specimen 2 m height. Takeuchi, W.N. 2049 Oahu BISH 1985-03-10
23 Melicope cornuta var. decurrens Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Open woods. Preserved_Specimen Sprout shoots 3-5 ft high. St.John, H. 14089 Oahu BISH 1934-02-04
24 Melicope cornuta var. decurrens Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Closed canopy of Morinda trimera and Antidesma platyphyllum; sharing a relatively open understory w/ Neraudia melastomifolia and Coprosma foliosa Preserved_Specimen Takeuchi, W.N. 2902 Oahu BISH 1986-10-11
25 Melicope cornuta var. decurrens Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Preserved_Specimen Erect unbranched shrubs 3-4 m tall. Stone, B.C. 3625 Oahu BISH 1961-08-01
26 Melicope cornuta var. decurrens Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Preserved_Specimen Obata, J.K. 1 Oahu BISH 1978-04-16
27 Melicope cornuta var. decurrens Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details With Ctenitis honolulensis 3888, Cyanea membranacea 3890, & Nothocestrum longifolium 3891. Preserved_Specimen Stout stems ascending erect to 12' height, stems prostrate and convoluted near ground, prostrate interval often long as the aerial interval, many plants beneath dense canopy, population flowering but no fruits. Takeuchi, W.N. 3889 Oahu BISH 1988-07-17
28 Melicope cornuta var. decurrens Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Preserved_Specimen Forbes, C.N. 1822 Oahu BISH 1912-04-26
29 Melicope cornuta var. decurrens Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Preserved_Specimen Russ, G.W. Oahu BISH 1929-10-01
30 Melicope cornuta var. decurrens Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Preserved_Specimen Forbes, C.N. 1822 Oahu BISH 1912-04-26
31 Melicope cornuta var. decurrens Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Preserved_Specimen Forbes, C.N. Oahu BISH 1909-02-12
32 Melicope cornuta var. decurrens Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Preserved_Specimen Forbes, C.N. Oahu BISH 1909-02-12
33 Melicope cornuta var. decurrens Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Weedy forest, moderate slopes in Tetraplasandra gymnocarpa colony 3863. Many plants in Clidemia-congested understory. Preserved_Specimen Stem lengths typically 6'-10', basal interval often prostrate along ground - the apical section upturned and ascending sharply, usually unbranched, most stems sterile. Takeuchi, W.N. 3864 Oahu BISH 1988-05-15
34 Melicope cornuta var. decurrens Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details With Ctenitis honolulensis 3888, Cyanea membranacea 3890, & Nothocestrum longifolium 3891. Preserved_Specimen Stout stems ascending erect to 12' height, stems prostrate and convoluted near ground, prostrate interval often long as the aerial interval, many plants beneath dense canopy, population flowering but no fruits. Takeuchi, W.N. 3889 Oahu BISH 1988-07-17
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