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

Syzygium decipens (Koord. & Valeton) Merr. & L.M.Perry

Journal of the Arnold Arboretum Vol. 23: 281 (1942)

Field Characters: Large trees 15-30 m high. Bole cylindrical 20-30 cm diam.; straight bole 15-20 m long; buttresses present; spines absent; aerial roots absent; stilt roots absent. Bark red or brown, rough, scaly or flaky papery or somewhat pustular; lenticels irregular; subrhytidome red; bark thickness <25 mm thick, 10.0 mm thick; blaze consisting of one layer; faintly to non-aromatic; outer blaze brown, slightly speckled or markings absent, fibrous; inner blaze brown, markings absent or slightly speckled, fibrous; exudate absent. Terminal buds not enclosed by leaves; complex hairs absent; stinging hairs absent; mature twig without hairs.

Leaves: Spaced along branches <internodes readily visible>. Leaves opposite, simple; petiole present, not winged, attached to base of leaf blade <not peltate>, not swollen; lamina broadest at or near middle, 5.0-8.0 cm long, 2.0-2.5 cm wide; lamina symmetric, margin entire, not dissected or lobed, apex acuminate, venation pinnate <secondary veins arising from the midrib along its length>, secondary veins open <spaced far apart to easily see tertiary veins>, not prominent, but visible, intramarginal veins present; lower surface pale green, upper surface green, hairs absent; oil dots absent; domatia absent; stipules absent.

Flowers: Inflorescence on the trunk or branches <cauliflorous-ramiflorous> or axillary <from between a leaf and branch>. Flowers on a branched axis; flowers bisexual, stalked, with many planes of symmetry <actinomorphic> perianth present, with distinct sepals and petals, white or pink; free; stamens 100 (pinkish), filaments present, free of each other, free of perianth; ovary inferior <seated below the petals and sepals; epigenous>, carpels joined (when more than one) <syncarpous> styles solitary <including joined together>, 1.

Distribution: Eastern Highlands, Milne Bay & Morobe.

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