Corynocarpus dissimilis
Corynocarpus dissimilis is a species of tree in the family Corynocarpaceae, reaching in height. It is endemic to New Caledonia. It was first described by the British botanist William Hemsley in 1904. C. dissimilis is the only member of the Corynocarpus genus that is endemic to New Caledonia. C. dissimilis is most closely related to C. laevigatus and C. similis, but is distinct due to its much smaller leaves and flowers. It is commonly found in dense humid and dry forests, reaching above sea level at maximum elevation.
Description
Corynonocarpus dissimilis is a species of tree in the family Corynocarpaceae, growing to a height of up to. Its leaves have an almost leathery texture. Its petioles long and wide. Its flowers are 4–5 mm in diameter. Its sepals are elliptic to rounded in character. Its petals are egg-shaped to rounded in character.Taxonomy
Corynocarpus dissimilis was first described by British botanist William Hemsley in 1904 in his revision of the Corynocarpus genus. C. dissimilis differs from C. laevigatus and C. similis by its much smaller leaves and flowers.Corynocarpus dissimilis is the only member of the Corynocarpus genus that is endemic to New Caledonia. Corynocarpus species are found across the Pacific Islands and Australia, including: C. similis in Vanuatu, C. cribbianus in North Queensland and New Guinea, C. laevigatus in New Zealand, and C. rupestris in the Australian states of New South Wales and Queensland. In a 2000 study, rbcL sequencing reaveled that the species is most closely related to C. laevigatus and C. similis. C. dissimilis emerged approximately 5 million years ago.
Etymology
The etymology of the genus name Corynocarpus derives from the Greek koryne, meaning 'club', and carpus, meaning 'fruit', translating in English to 'club fruit'. The specific epithet, dissimilis, is a Latin word meaning 'different' or 'unlike'. It can also mean "not the same as the others". It is unclear why Hemsley chose this as the specific epithet since he does not provide an explanation.Distribution
Corynocarpus dissimilis is endemic to New Caledonia, where it is commonly found across the main island of Grande Terre and also occurs on Lifou in the Loyalty Islands. It is commonly found in dense humid and dry forests, reaching above sea level at maximum elevation. C. dissimiliss conservation status was assessed by the IUCN Red List in 2021 as "Least Concern", and its population trend was evaluated as "Unknown".Works cited
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