Deplanchea tetraphylla F.Muell. ex Steenis

Tree, without buttresses, 4-25 m; d.b.h. 10 to over 100 cm; bole 1-17 m; bark grey or grey-brown, corky, furrowed and rectangular-flaking; wood pale straw-coloured. Leaves chartaceous to coriaceous, usually obovate or oblong-obovate, underneath yellow-velutinous, base somewhat cuneate to stunted, exceptionally cordate, on the base above with 1-7 cup-shaped large glands, 11-23(-60) by 7-14(-30) cm; petiole 2½-5 cm. Peduncle 4-12 cm; rachis 3-9 cm; branches 2-7½ cm; pedicels 1-2 cm. Calyx 12-14 mm. Fruit 5-11 by c. 2½ cm. Seeds incl. the wings 2 by 1½ cm.

Predominantly in the periodically dry belts of New Guinea, also in gallery forest, very rarely in rainforest, almost confined to grassland and wooded savannahs and associated with Eucalyptus tereticornis (Central Distr.) or Melaleuca, but also in mixed savannahs (Antidesma, Schefflera, palms, etc., at Merauke), not rarely common, also a pioneer in fired areas, from sea-level to c. 600 m, rarely at 1200 m (Mafulu). Fl. May-Oct.; fr. July-Oct., often flowers and fruits together, but fruiting specimens very rare in the herbarium. Dwarf specimens may in places flower and fruit.C. J. STEFELS ( C. J. STEFELS Verkenningsrapport Berari Komebwaller. Mimeo, Fak Fak 1956 p. 6, 7, 10 phot. 2 ) reported D. tetraphylla from sandy soils, often inundated through an impervious subsoil in a heathy forest of Melaleuca.

Uses. At Fak Fak the timber is used for prahus by the Papuans.