Characteristics
A tall tree. It grows 12 m tall. The branches are brown with shallow cracks along their length. They also have round air pores in the bark. The leaves are thin and can be soft or papery. They are oval and have a tail at the tip. They are smooth and 20 cm wide by 25 cm long. The leaves are mid green above and more pale underneath. The flower cluster has male and female flowers separately. The fruit is a composite fruit with parts fused together. It is 5 cm across. The fruit are orange, pulpy and edible. Four varieties have been recognised.
| Life form |
-
|
| Growth form |
tree
|
| Growth support |
free-standing
|
| Foliage retention |
evergreen
|
| Sexuality |
monoecy
|
| Pollination |
-
|
| Spread |
-
|
| Mature width (meter) |
0.05
|
| Mature height (meter) |
12.0
|
| Root system |
-
|
| Rooting depth (meter) |
-
|
| Root diameter (meter) |
-
|
| Flower color |
-
|
| Blooming months |
-
|
| Fruit color |
-
|
| Fruiting months |
-
|
| Nitrogen fixer |
-
|
| Photosynthetic pathway |
-
|
Environment
A coastal tropical plant. It is widely distributed around Papua New Guinea except New Ireland and Bougainville. It grows up to 2,000 m above sea level.
| Light |
-
|
| Soil humidity |
-
|
| Soil texture |
-
|
| Soil acidity |
-
|
| Soil nutriment |
-
|
| Hardiness (USDA) |
-
|
Usage
The fruit are eaten after cooking. The young fruit are chewed as a substitute for betel nut.
Cultivation
Plants are mostly self sown. Presumably they grow from seeds.
| Mode |
seedlings
|
| Germination duration (days) |
-
|
| Germination temperacture (C°) |
-
|
| Germination luminosity |
-
|
| Germination treatment |
-
|
| Minimum temperature (C°) |
-
|
| Optimum temperature (C°) |
-
|
| Size |
-
|
| Vigor |
-
|
| Productivity |
-
|
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