Aglaia samoensis A.Gray
-
Authority
Smith, Albert C. 1952. Studies of Pacific Island plants, X. The Meliaceae of Fiji, Samoa and Tonga. Contr. U. S. Natl. Herb. 30: 469-522.
-
Family
Meliaceae
-
Scientific Name
-
Type
Type locality: Tutuila, Samoa; type collected by TJ. S. Exploring Expedition, cited below.
-
Description
Description - The plant is a slender tree, up to 15 m, in height, with a trunk diameter up to 25 cm. or perhaps slightly more. The small flowers are said to be yellow, but the lepidote indument of all inflorescence-parts (except the petals) is typically cinnamon-brown.
Local Names and Uses - Langa'ali and variants are applied to this species, of -which the fragrant inflorescences are used for personal adornment and for scenting coconut oil; Christophersen mentions that the wood is used for house posts.
-
Discussion
Among the species of § Euaglaia in our region, A. samoensis is readily distinguished by the combination of glabrous petals and lepidote indument on the vegetative and the other inflorescence parts. In herbaria the species has been interpreted to include material from Tonga, Niue, and Fiji, but more careful consideration indicates that such material does not belong here and that A. samoensis occurs only in Samoa. Upon superficial examination such species as A. psilopentala, A. saltatorum, and A. heterotricha all belonging to § Euaglaia could be confused with A. samoensis, but all these have the indument stellate rather than lepidote and are distinguished by other dependable characters. I am much indebted to Prof. C. Baehni, Director of the Conserva-toire Botanique, Genève, for the privilege of examining fragments of the types of A. whitmeei and A. betehei. In all respects of indument, leaf-texture, and floral detail these fragments agree with the type and other cited specimens of A. samoensis. No reasons for the proposal of these two species were given by de Candolle, and his descriptions indicate that the dimensions are well within the extremes for A. samoensis. The same conclusion has already been stated by Setchell (in Carnegie Inst. Washington Publ. 341:85. 1924). Two specimens from Upolu, collected by Hochreutiner and cited by de Candolle (in Ann. Conserv. Jard. Bot. Geneve 15: 246. 1912) as A. forbesiana C. DC., should also be compared with A. sanboensis, since the type of A. forbesiana is from New Guinea and its occurrence in Samoa is unlikely. In my observation there is only one species of Aglaia in Samoa; Christophersen mentions a specimen (listed at the end of this treatment) which differs from A. samoensis in its fewer leaflets and larger fruit, but it is possible that this specimen represents merely an extreme form of A. samoensis.