b. Hydnophytum stenophyllum Valeton

Hydnophytum stenophyllum Valeton (1927) 140. — Type: Schlechter 18173 (K not seen, presumed lost), Papua New Guinea, Madang Province, Finisterre Mts.

Description taken from Valeton (1927): “ Tuber ? Stem? Branch apices slender acute-quadrangular internodes short (10–20 mm) nodes not at all swollen (2–5 mm thick). Leaves less than subsessile (petiole 1–2 mm), linear-lanceolate (4–9 by 0.5–1.4 cm) often slightly falcate gradually acute to apex, base attenuate and acute, softly coriaceous, margin strongly recurved, midrib prominent below, sunken above, veins inconspicuous. Flowers minute in axils, scarcely congregated, bracts small glabrous not encasing inflorescence. Calyx cupuliform, short. Fruit flask-shaped (4.5 mm long), calyx remains coronate. Pyrenes lanceolate-ovate (3 by 1 mm); apex attenuate-acute.”

Ecology & Habitat — Unknown.

Distribution — Papua New Guinea (Madang Province).

Note — Amongst the Valeton archive material at Leiden there was no drawing of H. stenophyllum, so the description is all that is available. The leaf and quadrangular stem would suggest a relationship to H. linearifolium [49], but the inflorescence appears to be sessile and not pedunculate, in this respect it is similar to H. virgatum below.