Creochiton brevibracteatus Mansf.

Kartonegoro, A. & Veldkamp, J. F., 2013, Revision of Creochiton (Melastomataceae), Blumea 58 (3), pp. 217-227 : 222

4. Creochiton brevibracteatus Mansf.

Creochiton brevibracteatus Mansf. (1925) 135. ― Type: Ledermann 8660 (holo B†), New Guinea, E Sepik , Aprilfluβ ( April River ), Standlager (Main Camp).

Liana; stem as thick as an arm, innovations terete, furfuraceous. Leaves ovate, rarely broadly elliptic, 5–7 by 3–4 cm, 5-nerved (excl. marginal nerves), base rounded, apex acute, dark green, above glabrous, below glabrous except for the prominent nerves, petiole 8–15 mm long, furfuraceous. Inflorescences paniculate, axillary, up to 5 cm long, incl. the 2 cm long pedun- cle, axes somewhat furfuraceous; pedicels 7 mm long, about glabrous; bracteoles hardly 1 mm long. Hypanthium glabrous, 4 mm long, hardly 4-dentate; petals 4, ovate, shortly before anthesis 5 mm long, white. Stamens 8, subequal, filaments 3 mm long, anthers 4 mm long, dorsal appendix 1.5 mm long. Fruits and seeds not seen.

Distribution ― New Guinea (E Sepik).

Ecology & Habitat ― Primary forest with many tree ferns, bamboos, small palms and Selaginella up to 1 m, at 100 m altitude.

Note ― No specimens have been seen, and the description is after Mansfeld (1925). From this the species seem to differ from all congeners by: Petioles 8–15 mm long, densely furfuraceous. Leaves 5–7 by 3–4 cm wide, underneath glabrous (but for midrib). Inflorescence paniculate. Bracteoles partially covering the flower bud, 1 mm long. Hypanthium glabrous. The type was lost during the Second World War. The description agrees quite well with the Philippine C. dipterus which differs mainly by the possibly more pubescent leaves, 3-flowered cymes, bracteoles 5 –7 mm long, hypanthium densely stellate furfuraceous, rim truncate with 4 0.3–0.5 mm long lobes.