Mucuna stanleyi C.T.White

Wiriadinata, H., Ohashi, H. & Adema, F., 2016, Notes on Malesian Fabaceae (Leguminosae-Papilionoideae) 16. The genus Mucuna, Blumea 61 (2), pp. 90-124 : 118

41. Mucuna stanleyi C.T.White

Mucuna stanleyi C.T. White (1922) 36; Verdc.(1979) 455; Wilmot-Dear (1990) 19. — Type: White 497 (BRI, K), Papua, Mafulu.

Distribution — Malesia: Papua New Guinea: Morobe, E Highlands, New Britain, Central, Milne Bay Prov.

Habitat & Ecology — Primary and secondary forest, logging area, roadsides. Soil: limestone.Altitude up to 2100 m. Flowering: April to November; fruiting: September to November.

Notes — Twigs, petiole and rachis, and inflorescence axes with patent hairs of various length. Longest hairs at twigs, petiole and rachis 2.0–4.2 mm long, at inflorescence axes 2.8–3.5 mm long.

In several aspects rather similar to M. platyphylla . Mucuna stanleyi differs in the conspicuous indumentum with the longest patent hairs 1.8–4.2 mm long (in M. platyphylla 1–1.5 mm long), the much longer stipellae, larger bracts and brachyblasts, larger calyx, the presence of hairs at the stamen tube and the smaller seeds.

Brass 5327 according to the label with ‘panicles very stiff; petals pale green’ probably belongs here. The L sheet is rather incomplete consisting of a twig with an old inflorescence without flowers or fruits to which a leaf and an old flower with a young fruit are added. It is not certain that all parts belong together. Also NGF 24252 with, according to the label, pale green flowers, could belong to M. stanleyi from which it differs mainly in the seemingly glabrous stamen tube and glabrous longer anthers. It also resembles M. platyphylla from which it differs in the length of the longest hairs. Veldkamp & Stevens 5924 has been included here, this specimen differs from M. stanleyi in its smaller leaflets, on average shorter ‘longest’ hairs and longer pedicels.According to the label of Hopkins & Hopkins 1016 the ‘Flowers [are] visited by striped possum at night’; Hopkins & Hopkins 1018 states: ‘Seeds attacked by moth and fly larvae.’.