Corynocarpus dissimilis is a species of tree in the family Corynocarpaceae, reaching 25 metres (80 feet) 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 1,200m (3,900ft) above sea level at maximum elevation.
C. dissimilis is a species of tree in the family Corynocarpaceae, growing to a height of up to 25 metres (80 feet). Its leaves have an almost leathery texture. Its petioles6–12cm (2.4–4.7in) long and 5–6cm (2.0–2.4in) wide. Its flowers are 4–5mm in diameter. Its sepals are elliptic to rounded in character. Its petals are egg-shaped to rounded in character.[1][2]
Cladogram showing the relationship of the species within the sole genus in the family Corynocarpaceae.[3]
C. 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.[1]
C. 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.[4] In a 2000 study, rbcL sequencing reaveled that the species is most closely related to C. laevigatus and C. similis.[5]C. dissimilis emerged approximately 5 million years ago.[6]
Etymology
The etymology (word origin) of the genus name Corynocarpus derives from the Greekkoryne, meaning 'club', and carpus, meaning 'fruit', translating in English to 'club fruit'.[7] The specific epithet (second part of the scientific name), dissimilis, is a Latin word meaning 'different' or 'unlike'.[8] It also means "not the same as the others".[9] It is unclear why Hemsley chose this as the specific epithet since he does not provide an explanation.[1]
Distribution
C. dissimilis is endemic to New Caledonia,[10] 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 1,200m (4,000ft) above sea level at maximum elevation.[2]C. dissimilis's conservation status was assessed by the IUCN Red List in 2021 as "Least Concern", and its population trend was evaluated as "Unknown".[2]
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