Flora of Papua New Guinea 
Lae National Herbarium 
9212 Sterculiaceae 
Melochia odorata L. f. 
Southern Highlands Province; Kutubu district, limestone ridge S of Ubogo 
village, toward the Hegigio River, mature hill forest at elev. c. 425 m, lat. 
6 deg. 33’ S x long. 143 deg. 12’ E. 
with 9211; 2-3 m understory shrub; twigs terete, tomentulose_often 
stellate; leaves alternate, spiral, chartaceous, adaxially dull medium 
green x abaxially lighter green, pale stellate indumentum on both sides; 
lamina ovate or subcordate, typical blade 19.5 (from sinus) x 14.5 cm, 
apex acuminate, margin irregularly toothed, base acute to truncate or 
(older blades) subcordate; basal venation 3-5-7 digitate, laterals in 6-8 
opposed or subopposite pairs, the main basal and lateral costa with 
secondary veins extending directly outward to the margin, nervation 
reticulate; petioles slender, to 10 cm long, twiglike in aspect, terete, 
densely stellate pubescent, light green, geniculate at the blade; 
inflorescence terminal and axillary, paniculiform, ultimately 
subumbelliform, congested, hairy, all axes with pale brown indumentum; 
pedicels light green with white hairs; sepals 5, acute, divided halfway to 
the base, reddish green; corolla 5, sub-oblong, pink, imbricate, glabrous; 
androecium of 5 contiguous stamens, erect; filaments and connectives 
pink, filaments basally connate around the ovary forming a short 
membranous tube; anthers extrorse, dorsifixed; ovary superior, woolly, 
crowned by 5 short styles; styles pink, divaricate; developing fruits ovoid, 
densely hairy, longitudinally channelled to the base, 
flowers bottled at A. 
coll. W. Takeuchi 9212 
date: Sept. 13, 1993 
Flora of Papua New Guinea 
Lae National Herbarium 
9213 Urticaceae 
Pilea sp. 
Southern Highlands Province; Kutubu district, limestone ridge S of Ubogo 
village, toward the Hegigio River, mature hill forest at elev. c. 425 m, lat. 6 
deg. 33’ S x long. 143 deg. 12’ E. 
with 9211; understory shrub; epipetric on limestone; twigs green, 
glabrous, slender, terete; stipules long-acuminate, cream to pale brown, 
puberulous, caducous; leaves alternate, spreading, thickly herbaceous, 
adaxially dark dull green x abaxially pale green, strigose both sides, the 
hairs slightly irritant on dried specimens; lamina lanceolate or subovate, 
typical blade 9 x 3.5 cm, apex caudate, both cauda and leaf margins 
serrate-crenate, base acute to rounded, subequal; venation distinctive: 3 
longitudinal costae consisting of a midvein, weak basal costa, and a 
stronger costa diverging more distally, reticulated, the larger high-order 
nerves secund; petioles to c. 5 mm, strigulose; inflorescence from the 
nodes, weakly branching, entirely pink, axes puberulent; flowers small, 
glomerate, unisexual (only male flowers found in bottled coll.); males: 5- 
merous, perianth calyciform, no petals, lobes connate at base, valvate, 
glabrous; stamens 5, opposite the sepals; anthers bilocular, introrse, 
opening lengthwise; fruits not seen, 
flowers bottled at A. 
coll. W. Takeuchi 9213 
date: Sept. 13, 1993 
