Flora of Papua New Guinea 
Lae National Herbarium 
1 0260 Vitaceae 
Tetrastigma sp. 
East Sepik Province, Waskuk Hills; along the foot track between 
Garuka and Ambunti; in Glei clan territory; alluvial forest at elev. 100’ 
(c. 30 m); near 4 deg. 11’ S lat. x 142 deg. 44’ E long. 
with 10255-10259; common woody climber; stems cylindrical, 
etuberculate; leaves alternate, glabrous, brittle, concolorously green on 
both sides; tendrils leaf-opposed and 2-fid; infructescence shortly 
peduncled; berries large and spherical, pericarp black; seed 1, 
endosperm ruminate. 
Waskuk name = ‘up-ke,’ (pronounced with a long vowel on the e). 
Leaves are crushed in bathwater to calm crying infants. 
NCI screening code: OFCZ-1899-Y, -1900-Z, -1901 -A; corresponding 
to LF+TW, stem, RT; 4 herbarium duplicates distributed through NCI. 
coll. W. Takeuchi and J. Regalado 10260 
(= Regalado no. 1473) 
date: July 4, 1995 
Flora of Papua New Guinea 
Lae National Herbarium 
1 0261 Moraceae 
Ficus sp. 
East Sepik Province, Waskuk Hills; along the foot track between 
Garuka and Ambunti; in Glei clan territory; alluvial forest at elev. 100’ 
(c. 30 m); near 4 deg. 11’ S lat. x 142 deg. 44’ E long. 
small tree with buttress swell; not noticeably lactiferous; outer bark pale 
brown and transversely ridged, inner bark straw, wood concolorous 
with inner bark; twigs inflated and fistulose, centralium inhabited by 
numerous black ants; stipules acuminate, c. 1 .5 cm long, falling early; 
leaves spiral, thick-papery, scabrid, adaxial surface dark dull green x 
abaxially light yellow-green; lamina variable in shape, margins sinuate; 
veins yellow, plexus conspicuous; peduncles yellow; figs axillary, 
several together, globose, receptacle orange. 
Waskuk name = may-uk' or me-uk' (the latter pronounced with a long 
vowel on the e). The figs are eaten by many bird species and a 
prolifically fruiting tree is often staked out by hunters. Also useful as 
timber for construction. 
NCI screening code: OFCZ-1902-C, -1903-F, -1904-G, -1905-H, -1906- 
I, -1907-J; corresponding to BR, TBK, LF+stem, RTBK+RTWD+TWD, 
TWD, FR+TW+BR; 10 herbarium duplicates distributed through NCI. 
coll. W. Takeuchi and J. Regalado 10261 
(= Regalado no. 1474) 
date: July 4, 1995 
