Piper bosnicanum C.DC.

Gardner, R. O., 2013, Piper (Piperaceae) in New Guinea: the climbing species, Blumea 57 (3), pp. 275-294 : 280

4. Piper bosnicanum C.DC.

Piper bosnicanum C.DC. (1917) 207; Chew (2003) 17; R.O. Gardner (2010) 8. — Type: Gibbs 6277 (holo K; iso L n.v.), West New Guinea, Schouten Islands, Wiak, Bosnik.

Distribution — New Guinea, Solomon Is.

Habitat & Ecology — In forest, to 400(–750) m altitude.

Notes — Recognized by its symmetrical, subcoriaceous, greyish, glabrous leaves that may be conspicuously silverglandular (as in P. caninum and P. interruptum ), and especially, by the very short fruiting spike and large ovoid fruitlets.

Of male material from New Guinea I have seen only Docters van Leeuwen 11202 and Kanehira & Hatusima 12103. They contrast with three male Solomon Is. collections in having relatively large stamens, and in these being paired rather than solitary ( Gardner 2010: 8). Also, the leaf and the female spike tend to be larger in the Solomons, and possibly the fruitlets are larger there too, being, according to Chew (2003: 17), “c. 10 6 mm ”. The basal leaf nervation, solitary anther (sometimes) and short female spike with large free fruitlets, give this plant a resemblance to P. quinqueangulatum Miq. ( P. korthalsii Miq. ) of Borneo, Java and the Philippine Is. The latter, however, tends to dry more intensely orange-brown and its stems are more strongly ridged.