Lasjia erecta explained

Lasjia erecta is a species of forest tree in the protea family that is endemic to the island of Sulawesi, Indonesia. Its closest relative is Lasjia hildebrandii, also a Sulawesi endemic.

History

The tree was first described in 1995 as a species of Macadamia, but was transferred in 2008, in a paper in the American Journal of Botany by Peter Weston and Austin Mast, to the new genus Lasjia.

Description

The species grows to about 14 m height, with a straight trunk up to 70 cm in diameter. The leaves are consistently 4-whorled, 4–9 cm long by 1.5–4.2 cm wide. The creamy-green flowers appear in erect terminal inflorescences. The round fruits are 2.5–3 cm in diameter.[1]

Distribution and habitat

The species has been recorded from the province of Southeast Sulawesi, including the adjacent island of Kabaena, as well as from Lore Lindu National Park in Central Sulawesi. It grows on ultramafic soils at altitudes of 900–1,700 m.[1]

Notes and References

  1. McDonald . J.A. . Ismail . R. . 1995 . Macadamia erecta (Proteaceae), a New Species from Sulawesi . Harvard Papers in Botany . 1 . 7 . 7–10 . 41761991 . 14 April 2021.