Flora of Papua New Guinea 
Lae National Herbarium 
10287 Euphorbiaceae 
Octospermum pleiogynum (Pax & Hoffm.) Airy Shaw 
East Sepik Province, Waskuk Hills; base of ridge at Garuka village, 
altimeter elev. 100’ (30 m), swamp forest near 4 deg. 11’ S lat. x 142 
deg. 44’ E long. 
canopy tree with long straight bole; twigs orange-brown tomentellous 
on apical parts; leaves spiral, pliant, adaxial side dark green x abaxially 
whitish and apparently with punctulate glands; lamina somewhat 
rhomboid, glandular at the base; venation regular and pinnate, 
nervation scalariform; petioles hirtellous, furrowed; fructescence 
axillary, pendant, racemiform; fruits indehiscent, surface provided with 
closely appressed orange scales; pericarp entire when fresh, 
collapsing along the septae with drying and becoming conspicuously 
ridged; locules 7 or 8. 
fruits bottled. 
Waskuk name = ‘hopkos mange.’ A source of timber for general 
construction. Edible larvae are obtained from the dead wood. 
NCI screening code: OFCZ-1985-S, -1986-T, -1987-U, -1988-V, -1989- 
W; corresponding to LF+TW, RT+RTBK, TWD, TBK, BR+RTWD; 6 
herbarium duplicates and 1 set distributed through NCI. 
coll. W. Takeuchi and J. Regalado 10287 
(= Regalado no. 1495) 
date: July 6, 1995 
det.: WT 
Flora of Papua New Guinea 
Lae National Herbarium 
10288 Sterculiaceae 
Melochia umbellata (Houtt.) Stapf 
East Sepik Province, Waskuk Hills; base of ridge at Garuka village, 
altimeter elev. 100’ (30 m); swamp forest near 4 deg. 11’ S lat. x 142 
deg. 44’ E long. 
5-10 m treelet in anthropogenic regrowth; outer bark grayish, marked 
by transverse ridges; stellate indumentum on most parts; leaves spiral, 
chartaceous, dull medium green both surfaces; lamina broadly ovate, 
margins coarsely toothed; inflorescence long-peduncled, ascending, 
axes slender; flowers crowded, bracteate; calyx yellow-green, densely 
hairy; corolla white with a yellow center, petals 5; capsules oblongish, 
5-sulcate: the grooves extending the entire length of the fruit. 
Waskuk name = ‘mo-op,’ (pronounced with a long vowel on the first o). 
Bilum bags and pulpuls (skirts) are made from the bark fibers. 
NCI screening code: OFCZ-1980-N, -1981-0, -1982-P, -1983-Q, - 
1984-R; corresponding to BR, RT+RTBK, SBK, LF+FR+RTWD, SWD; 
6 herbarium duplicates distributed through NCI. 
coll. W. Takeuchi and J. Regalado 10288 
(= Regalado no. 1494) 
date: July 6, 1995 
det.: WT, May 1997 
