Flora of Papua New Guinea 
Lae National Herbarium 
10281 Bombacaceae 
Bombax ceiba L. 
East Sepik Province, Waskuk Hills; ridge near Langu; hill forest at 
altimeter elev. 600’ (183 m); near 4 deg. 11’ S lat. x 142 deg. 44’ E 
long. 
with sequence 10280-10284; large canopy tree, uncommon, aphyllous 
and reported by villagers as being deciduous; bole straight to base, 
outer bark greyish-brown, spinescent on branches and twigs; inner 
bark and sapwood concolorously straw; flowers showy, entirely bright 
red; calyx completely enclosing the bud, glabrous; corolla 
choripetalous, 5, outer surface densely stellate-pubescent; fruits not 
seen but said by villagers to be long and dehiscent with black seeds. 
flowers bottled. 
Waskuk name ‘ail-gom,’ (with a long vowel on the o). By village 
tradition, the cutting of this tree species is prohibited. It serves as an 
indicator of the seasons. Flowering reportedly occurs only during the 
dry months and leaf flush is taken as the sign of coming rains. 
NCI screening code: OFCZ-1 958-0, -1959-P, -1960-Q, -1961-R, - 
1962-S; corresponding to TWD, TBK, BR+RTWD, 
RT+RTBK+TBK+BR, FL+TWD; 4 herbarium duplicates distributed 
through NCI. 
coll. W. Takeuchi and J. Regalado 10281 
(= Regalado no. 1489) 
det.: K. Demas and W.T. 
date: July 5, 1995 
Flora of Papua New Guinea 
Lae National Herbarium 
10282 Lamiaceae 
Faradaya splendida F.v.M. 
East Sepik Province, Waskuk Hills; ridge near Langu; hill forest at 
altimeter elev. 600’ (183 m); near 4 deg. 11’ S lat. x 142 deg. 44’ E 
long. 
with sequence 10280-10284; woody climber; twigs robust, cylindrical, 
lineate, pithy; leaves whorled, glabrous, somewhat firm and rugose, 
shining green on both surfaces, underleaf papillose; lamina 
conspicuously reticulate, abaxially with several glands near the basal 
nerve axils; infructescence axillary and terminal, long-peduncled, 
ultimate axes crowded; fruits dull white, misshapen. 
Waskuk name and use not known by villagers interviewed. 
NCI screening code: OFCZ-1 954-K, -1955-L, -1956-M, -1957-N; 
corresponding to TW, RT, SWD, LF+BR; 2 herbarium duplicates 
distributed through NCI. 
coll. W. Takeuchi and J. Regalado 10282 
(= Regalado no. 1488) 
date: July 5, 1995 
det.: WT 
