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Melicope puberula

(H.St.John) T.G.Hartley & B.C.Stone (1989)

This name is accepted

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

alani, alani kuahiwi

Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form: Shrubs or small trees 3–10 m tall, new growth densely yellowish brown tomentose, becoming glabrate.

Stems:

Roots:

Leaves: Leaves simple. Opposite. Blades narrowly elliptic to elliptic or elliptic–obovate, 6–17 cm long, 3–6 cm wide. Apex rounded, usually emarginate. Base cuneate to rounded. Upper surfaces glabrous; lower surfaces sparsely to moderately pilose; blades, coriaceous. Margins entire. Pimary lateral veins usually 14–18 pairs, connected by an arched vein 1–6 mm from margin, venation pinnate, lateral veins connected by an arched submarginal vein, higher order venation forming a reticulate pattern. Petioles 20–30 mm long. Stipules absent.

Flowers: Flowers ca. 5 in tomentose, axillary cymes, peduncles 8–14 mm long, pedicels 8–9 mm long, bracts small, opposite. Flowers bisexual (perfect) or functionally unisexual (and then plants monoecious). Calyx of 4 sepals; sepals imbricate, pistillate flowers with sepals ovate, 24.5 mm long, appressed puberulent. Corolla of 4 petals, valvate, pistillate flowers petals deltate, ca. 6 mm long, glabrous. Stamens 8, in 2 whorls, distinct, reduced but always present in functionally pistillate flowers. Ovary superior, 4-celled and 4-lobed, carpels connate, only slightly distinct at apex to almost entirely distinct; ovules 2 per cell, hemitropous, 1 ascending; style 1, terminating in 4 short stigmatic branches, pistillate flowers ovary puberulent; style ca. 2 mm long, sparsely pilose toward base.

Fruit: Capsules dark red; 14–20 mm wide; carpels connate ca. ½ their length; 7–10 mm long; exocarp sparsely to moderately puberulent; endocarp sparsely short–villous. the carpels dehiscing along the upper suture; exocarp. Seeds 1–2 per carpel; ca. 5–6 mm long. glossy black when ripe; crustaceous; ovoid; sometimes angled from compression; embryo straight in fleshy endosperm; radicle short; cotyledons compressed; ovate; putamen brown; warty.

Ploidy:

Habitat: Apparently rare in mesic to wet forest.

Elevation Range: 1,070–1,220 m.

Historical Distribution

Uses and Culture

USES

Natural History

Statewide Status

Endemic

Island Status

Kaua'i Endemic

Dispersal Agents


Pollinators

Bibliography

Name Published In: Taxon 38: 121 (1989)

Other References

Wagner et al. 1990:1202 (K [as Pelea puberula]); Hartley & Stone 1989:121 (COMBNOV, Syn. P. puberula = M. puberula)

Occurrences

SNo. Scientific Name Locality Habitat Basis of Record Recorded By Record Number Island Source Date
1 Melicope puberula Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Preserved_Specimen Stone, B.C. 3402 Kauai BISH 1960-04-14
2 Melicope puberula Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Dubautia-Sadleria shrubland-fernlad w/Dubautia imbricata subsp. acronaea, D. knudsenii subsp. filiformis, D. laxa subsp. hirsuta, D. paleata, D. raillardioides. D. pauciflorula, Sadleria cyatheoides, S. pallida, S. souleyetiana, S. squ Preserved_Specimen Wood, K.R. 16202 Kauai BISH 2015-01-08
3 Melicope puberula Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details In forest. Preserved_Specimen Degener, O. 21632 Kauai BISH 1952-01-13
4 Melicope puberula Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Wet forest dominated by Metrosideros polymorpha with Cheirodendron, Scaevola and Diplazium. Preserved_Specimen Flynn, T.W. 3283 Kauai BISH 1989-03-06
5 Melicope puberula Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Metrosideros-Cheirodendron-Dicranopteris montane wet forest and riparian vegetation w/Kadua fffinis, Psychotria marinana, Coprosma kaualensis, Syzgium sandwicensis, Perrottetia sandwicensis, Myrsine wawraea, Scaevola prodcera, Broussaisia arguta, Labordia waialealae, Pereromia mem Preserved_Specimen Wood, K.R. 16163 Kauai BISH 2014-12-10
6 Melicope puberula Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Off road In Metrosideros-Cheirodendron wet forest with Elaeocarpus bifidus, Myrsine lessertiana, Perrottetia sandwicensis, Cyrtandra longiflora, Cyrtandra kauaiensis, Psychotria greenwelliae, Diplazium sandwichianum, Ilex anomala, Kadua affinis, Sadleria, Myrsine linearifolia, Rubus argutus, Myrica faya, Hedychium gardnerianum. Preserved_Specimen Perlman, S. 21327 Kauai BISH 2009-01-08
7 Melicope puberula Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Metrosideros diverse montane mesic forest with: Labordia, Dubautia, Hedyotis, Eurya, Nothocestrum, Myrsine. Preserved_Specimen Wood, K.R. 1181 Kauai BISH 1991-08-29
8 Melicope puberula Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Metrosideros/Cheirodendron Montane Wet Forest w Melicope clusiifolia, Metrosideros polymorpha, Cheirodendron trigynum subsp. helleri, Clermontia fauriei, Vaccinium calycinum, Smilax melastomifolia, Coprosma elliptica, Athyrium microphyllum, Cibot [truncated]ium Preserved_Specimen Williams, A.M. 45 Kauai BISH 2014-04-04
9 Melicope puberula Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Metrosideros- Cheirodendron montane wet forest with sedges, grasses, and bryophytes. Epiphytes are common in the shrub layer. Associated plants; Adenophorus, Trematolobelia, Dubautia, Elaeocarpus, Dicranopteris, Vaccinium, Cheirodendron, Cyrtandra, Perrottetia, Mariscus, Sadleria, Coprosma, Hedyotis. Preserved_Specimen Wood, K.R. 1754 Kauai BISH 1992-03-30
10 Melicope puberula Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Metrosideros-Cheirodendron-Dicranopteris montane wet forest, 5-7 m tall canopy, 70-90% closed, with adjacent riparian vegetation with Melicope clusiifolia, Kadua affinis, Scaevola glabra, Broussaisia arguta, Vaccinium calycina, Syzygium sandwicensis, Astelia argyrocoma, Cibotium glaucum, Leptecophylla tameiameiae, Smilax melast Preserved_Specimen Wood, K.R. 15310 Kauai BISH 2012-12-13
11 Melicope puberula Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Metrosideros- Cheirodendron montane wet forest with sedges, grasses, and bryophytes. Epiphytes are common in the shrub layer. Associated plants; Adenophorus, Trematolobelia, Dubautia, Elaeocarpus, Dicranopteris, Vaccinium, Cheirodendron, Cyrtandra, Perrottetia, Mariscus, Sadleria, Coprosma, Hedyotis. Preserved_Specimen Wood, K.R. 1753 Kauai BISH 1992-03-30
12 Melicope puberula Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Narrow wet gulch w/ Selaginella and moss covered walls. Metrosideros- Dicranopteris - Cheirodendron Wet Montane forest with Syzygium, Leptecophylla, Melicope clusiifolia, Elaeocarpus, Psychotria, Viola wailenalenae, Stenogyne purpurea, Dianella sandwicensis, Tetraplasandra, Rubus hawaiensis, Scaevola, Broussaisia Preserved_Specimen Tangalin, N. 2412 Kauai BISH 2010-10-08
13 Melicope puberula Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Metrosideros-Cheirodendron-Dicranopteris wet forest and deeply carved drainage with riparian vegetation with Ilex anomala, Kadua affinis, Psychotria mariniana, P. hexadra, Coprosma kauaiensis, Elaeocarpus bifidus, Syzygium sandwicensis, Perrotteria sandwicensis, Dubautia raillardioides, D. laxa, Melicope Preserved_Specimen Wood, K.R. 16058 Kauai BISH 2014-09-02
14 Melicope puberula Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Sadleria-Dubautia shrubland Machaerina angustifolia, Labordia waialeale, Metrosideros waialeale. Viola kauaiensis, Bidens forbesii, Plantago pachyphylla Preserved_Specimen Perlman, S. 24281 Kauai BISH 2015-01-08
15 Melicope puberula Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Ohia Lowland Wet Forest Metrosideros polymorpha var. dieteri, M. polymorpha var. glaberrima, Coprosma kauensis, Dubautia raillardioides, Dubautia laxa subsp. Hirsuta, Cheirodendron platyphyllum subsp. Kauaiensis, C. trigynum Preserved_Specimen Rogers, K. 790 Kauai BISH 2023-05-23
16 Melicope puberula Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details In wet forest on left (E) side of road. Preserved_Specimen Stone, B.C. 3402 Kauai BISH 1960-04-14
17 Melicope puberula Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Metrosideros - Cheirodendron - Dicranopteris montane wet forest and riparian vegetation with Kadua affinis, Psychotria mariniana, Coprosma kauaiensis, Syzyglum sandwicensis, Perrottetia sandwicensis, Myrsine wawraea, Scaevola procera, Broussaisia arguta, Labordia waialealea, Peperomia mem Preserved_Specimen Wood, K.R. 17501 Kauai BISH 2017-08-10
18 Melicope puberula Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Metrosideros-Cheirodendron-Dicranopteris wet forest and deeply carved drainage with riparian vegetation Kadua affinis, Psychotria mariniana, P. hexandra, Coprosma kauaiensis, Syzygium sandwicensis, Perrottetia sandwicensis, Dubautia raillardioides, D. laxa, Melicope wawrana, M. clusiifolia, Myrsine wawr Preserved_Specimen Wood, K.R. 1170 Kauai BISH 2013-03-07
19 Melicope puberula Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Wet, Metrosideros dominated forest along N side of road. With Broussaisia, Diplazium and Cyanea. Preserved_Specimen Flynn, T.W. 3261 Kauai BISH 1989-01-02
20 Melicope puberula Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Montane Metrosideros-Dicranopteris forest w/ Psychotria hexandra, Syzygium sandwicensis, Broussaisia arguta, Cheirodendron. Preserved_Specimen Tangalin, N. 2404 Kauai BISH 2010-09-27
21 Melicope puberula Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Relatively open wet forest with Metrosideros, Tetraplasandra and Cheirodendron. Preserved_Specimen Lorence, D.H. 5993 Kauai BISH 1988-05-17
22 Melicope puberula Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Ohia (Metrosideros) Wet Forest. Metrosideros polymorpha var. microphylla, Syzygium sandwicense, Cheirodendron trigynum subsp. helleri, Cheirodendron platyphyllum subsp. kauaiensis, Diplazium sandwichianum, Sticherus owhyhensis, Meli Preserved_Specimen Williams, A.M. 796 Kauai BISH 2023-06-22
23 Melicope puberula Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Preserved_Specimen Zimmerman, E.C. Kauai BISH 1937-07-21
24 Melicope puberula Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Preserved_Specimen Stone, B.C. 3402 Kauai BISH 1960-04-14
25 Melicope puberula Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Preserved_Specimen Flynn, T.W. 532 Kauai BISH 1983-08-10
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