I 
Flora of Papua New Guinea 
Lae National Herbarium 
9277 Pteridaceae 
Pteris pacifica Hieron. 
Morobe province, Atzera Range, disturbed lowland forest near the 8 mile 
settlement; elev. 200-400 m, lat. 6 deg. 41’ S x long. 146 deg. 57’ E. 
with 9271; gap pioneer along trail through old subsistence garden, 
uncommon in area; terrestrial fern to slightly >1.1 m height; rhizome 
tufted, radial, short, mostly covered by fibrous roots, the apex 
paleaceous; scales linear, spreading, fuscous, venose_mostly 
longitudinally but not clathrate, basifixed, central axis opaque with the 
margin somewhat hyaline and sub-fimbriate; stipes to nearly 70 cm, 
yellow-green or various shades of brown, dorsally canaliculate, basally 
squamose with scales as the rhizome, also puberulent; vasculature a U- 
shaped strand; frond bipinnate, concolorously dull medium to light green 
both sides, catadromous; primary pinnae opposed, obliquely spreading; 
basal pinnae generally the longest, often bearing a basiscopic segment; 
terminal pinna present, conform with the lateral ones; lamina essentially 
glabrous, the pinnae to about 20 x 4 cm, roughly linear-oblong in form, 
apex decrescent to a long cauda; pinnules oblong, to 24 x 3 mm, apex 
obtuse, margin serrulate, flared at the base, alternately inserted; ligule 
present at the dorsal confluence of costulae to costae; rachis purple- 
black, puberulous, channelled above with raised edges bordering the 
groove (like the stipe); venation free, pinnate from the costules, the 
lateral nerves bifurcate and paired; sori linear, marginal, extending 
virtually the whole length of the pinnulets, partially protected by a reflexed 
pseudoindusium. 
coll. W. Takeuchi 9277 
date: Nov. 23, 1 993 
det.: WT 
Flora of Papua New Guinea 
Lae National Herbarium 
9279 Icacinaceae 
7 Rhyticaryum longifolium K. Sch. & Laut. 
Morobe province, Atzera Range, disturbed lowland forest near the 9 mile 
settlement; elev. 200-400 m, approx, lat. 6 deg. 41’ S x long. 146 deg. 57’ 
E. 
with 9278, 2 m understory shrub in deep shade; twigs dark green, terete, 
slender, sparsely foliaceous, velutinous, the hairs medium brown; leaves 
alternate, spiral, exstipulate, spreading, thickly herbaceous, adaxial 
surface dark glossy green and bullate x abaxially dull medium to slightly 
yellowish-green and somewhat densely strigose; lamina elliptic-oblong, 
typical blade 19.5 x 7.25 cm, apex acuminate or caudate, margin entire, 
base obtuse; lateral venation in 8-10 pairs, divergent from the midrib then 
arcuate and closing by marginal loops, ramifying beyond the looping 
nerves and areolate between the laterals; petioles to c. 1 cm long, flat 
above, densely brown velutinous; fruits not seen (genus is dioecious, cf. 
9065 for conspecific female); inflorescence in axillary spikes, single, 
shortly pedunculate (1-2 mm), rachis c. 2 cm long, the entire 
inflorescence pubescent; flowers actinomorphic, congested, 5-merous, 
perianth densely setiferous, often with the outer surface obscured by 
coarse septate bristles; sepals lanceolate, essentially free; petals acute, 
connate about half their length, usually 4 (sometimes 5), cream-colored, 
adaxial side glabrous; stamens alternate the petals, erect; filaments 
translucent, short and wide, glabrous; anthers subsagittate, opening 
longitudinally, basifixed; rudimentary ovary umbonate, densely covered by 
coarse bristle-like hairs, 
flowers bottled at A. 
coll. W. Takeuchi 9279 
date: Nov. 27, 1993 
det.: WT 
