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Manilkara dissecta (L. f.) Dubard [ Sapotaceae ]

Taxonomy Reports: ITIS | IPNI | IOPI

Samoan Name: Pani
English Name:
Status: Indigenous
Habit: Tree

Indigenous to American Samoa, ranging westward to New Caledonia. This small tree’s only occurrence in Polynesia other than Samoa is in Tonga, but it is known there only in cultivation and is perhaps an ancient introduction to that archipelago. It is rare in Samoa in coastal and lowland forest between ca. 20 and 200 m elevation, and in American Samoa is restricted to the north-central coast of Tutuila between Masefau and Vatia. Guest (1939), however, reported, probably based on informants rather than first hand observation, “three or four trees at Ta‘ū” and “one tree at A‘oloau” (Tutuila). In independent Samoa, it is restricted to the eastern end of ‘Upolu (particularly on the adjacent islet of Nu‘utele). The bark of pani bark was formerly used to prepare a dye and the wood was employed for fashioning various artifacts, but the tree, its name, and its uses are now virtually forgotten in Samoa. The tree is recommended for a threatened or endangered status because of its rarity in American Samoa and independent Samoa, and its restricted Pacific range. This species was already listed as a “species of concern” by the USFWS (Anon. 1998).

Small tree up to 15 m in height (but usually much smaller), with a gnarled trunk, and glabrous stems thickened apically; bark dark, inner bark tan, exuding a copious white latex. Leaves simple, alternate, crowded at the branch tips, blade coriaceous, obovate, 3–9 cm long, acute to cuneate at the base, rounded to retuse at the tip; surfaces concolorous, finely parallel veined from the midrib, mostly glabrous or lower side glabrescent, midrib of lower side prominent; margins entire, narrowly revolute to entire; petiole 8–20 mm long. Inflorescence of axillary clusters of 1–5 flowers congested towards the stem tips. Calyx 4–7 mm long, deeply divided into 6 ovate to lanceolate lobes in 2 whorls of 3, the inner series white, conspicuously sericeous on the outer surface, inner surface less so, on a down-curved petiole up to 3.5 cm long. Corolla white, deeply divided into 6 narrowly elliptic lobes 5–7 mm long, concave and appearing linear at anthesis, each with a shorter pair of dorsal, recurved appendages, falling as a ring with the stamens attached. Ovary superior, 6-angled and 6-celled, with a glabrous, unlobed style 6–8 mm long. Stamens 6, epipetalous, with an equal number of staminodes. Fruit a red to orange, ovoid to subglobose, 1-seeded berry 6–10 mm long. Flowering reported in February and from July to December, and fruiting in February, April, and July, but both probably periodically occurring throughout the year.

Distinguishable by its small tree habit; milky sap; small, mostly obovate leaves notched at the tip; axillary clusters of 1–5 flowers; calyx of 6 lobes in 2 whorls; small white, 6-lobed corolla; and small globose, red to orange berry.

TUTUILA:
214. Guest s.n.—Probably at Vainu‘u Point (“sea level to 500 ft”).
215. Whistler 8466—In forest on Vainu‘u Point.
216. Whistler 8679—On top of the saddle behind Vatia Village.
217. Whistler 10508—Uncommon in the forest on Vainu‘u Point
218. Whistler 10957—On top of the saddle behind Vatia Village.
219. Whistler 11598—Occasional to common on the saddle behind Vatia Village, 100 m elevation.

Other Samoan Collections: UPOLU: (2). WITHOUT FURTHER LOCALITY: (1).

Other Collections:

Georeference: -14.315569, -170.701986

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