tulip-wood tree

Harpullia arborea is a tree that typically grows to a height of up to 30 m (98 ft), sometimes to 40 m (130 ft), with a trunk dbh of 60–70 cm (24–28 in), its branchlets covered with woolly brown hairs. Its leaves are paripinnate, 40–220 mm (1.6–8.7 in) long with 6 to 10 elliptic to egg-shaped leaflets with the narrower end towards the base, mostly 100–190 mm (3.9–7.5 in) long and 40–75 mm (1.6–3.0 in) wide on a petiole 40–90 mm (1.6–3.5 in) long. Separate male and female flowers are borne on the same plant, usually in racemes in leaf axils, sometimes on old wood, and are 40–220 mm (1.6–8.7 in) long. Each flower is on a pedicel 10–50 mm (0.39–1.97 in) long. The sepals are 6–7 mm (0.24–0.28 in) long and covered with woolly hairs. The petals are pink or pale green and 12–14 mm (0.47–0.55 in) long, there are 5 stamens, and the ovary is covered with soft hairs. The fruit is a broadly heart-shaped, orange-yellow to red capsule 15–23 mm (0.59–0.91 in) long, containing shiny black seeds.

Harpullia arborea usually grows in rainforest or monsoon forest in India, Bangladesh, Borneo, Cambodia, Fiji, Indonesia, Peninsular Malaysia, Nepal, New Guinea, the Philippines, Australia, Samoa, the Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Tonga, Vanuatu and Vietnam. In New Guinea, it has been recorded in Madang, Morobe, the New Guinea Highlands, Milne Bay, New Britain and Bougainville. In Australia, it occurs from the Kutini-Payamu National Park on Cape York Peninsula to Cardwell in north-east Queensland.

== References ==