Flora of Papua New Guinea 
Lae National Herbarium 
1 0098 Fabaceae 
Pueraria pulcherrima (Koorders) Koorders-Schumacher 
East Sepik Province; buttress ridge N of Garuka village, in foothill 
forest above the swamp, near 4° 1 1’ S, 142° 44’ E. 
near 10095; liane on forested slopes at 100 m elev.; stems terete, 
densely hirsute, the growing tip ensheathed by long stipuliform 
scales, sericeous throughout; leaves lax, pinnately trifoliolate, 
papery, adaxial surface medium shiny green x abaxially whitish, 
leaflets elliptic to subovate, to 17 cm x 9.5 cm, apex ac* minute, 
margin subentire, base rounded, lateral leaflets asymmetr often 
oblique; petioles 7 mm, rachis + petiole c. 12 cm, both densely hairy 
and terete, petiole weakly expanded at the base; leaf venation 
pinnate, laterals approx. 6 pairs, arcuate, becoming progressively 
more angled near the acumen, reticulated, intercostal nerves 
forming crossbars directed approx, perpendicular to the costa, main 
veins embossed above, prominulous below, hairs long and somewhat 
appressed on both sides of the blade; fruit not seen; inflorescence 
axillary, to 25 cm overall length, pedunculate, sparingly ramiform 
with the rachides racemose, all axes with a spreading indumentum 
similar to the stem; flowers purple, calyx puberulent, 4-lobed, usually 
acute, dorsal lobe largest and obtuse; corolla slightly <1.2 cm long, 
the standard abruptly upturned, purple with a yellow eye, refuse at 
the apex; androecium diadelphous, uppermost stamen fused to the 
tube about 2/3 way down. 
Waskuk name-aupchokpok. ’ The bark fibers are used for making a 
strong twine and rope. 
coll: W. Takeuchi 10098 
date: August 19, 1994 
det. WT / 
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