Pytinicarpa sarasinii (Däniker) G.L. Nesom (1994a: 138)

Lannuzel, Guillaume, Pignal, Marc & Gâteblé, Gildas, 2022, Pytinicarpa (Asteraceae, Astereae) in New Caledonia, Phytotaxa 574 (2), pp. 121-136 : 129-131

Pytinicarpa sarasinii (Däniker) G.L. Nesom (1994a: 138) .

Brachyscome sarasinii Däniker (1933:479) .

Type:— NEW CALEDONIA. Am obern Abhang des Mt. Koniambo ob Koné bei der Mine Boume I [Koné, Mt Koniambo , mine Boum I], 14 January 1925, A.U. Däniker 880 (Holotype: Z barcode Z000003139image !; isotypes: Z barcodes Z000003140image!, Z000003141image!, Z000003142image!). ( Figs. 6 , 7 ) .

= Pytinicarpa neocaledonica (Guillaumin) G.L. Nesom (1994a: 138) . Brachyscome neocaledonica Guillaumin (1937: 61) . Type:— NEW CALEDONIA. Gatope, 1861–1867, Vieillard 2823 (Lectotype: P barcode P00537796 !, designated by Wang et al. (2022: 80); isolectotypes: A barcode A00097920image!, GH barcode GH00097921image!, P barcodes P00537797!, P00537798!), syn. nov.

Perennial rhizomatous herbs; roots and rhizomes fibrous; above ground stem absent (leaves in basal rosette). Leaves 5–15, narrowly spatulate, 6–11 cm long × 0.8–1.1 cm wide (7.5–10× longer than wide), lamina attenuate to the base, petiole indistinct; lamina apex obtuse with a terminal tooth; margins entire or dentate, with 2–4 teeth per side, each tooth ca. 0.5 mm when present; upper leaf surface greyish-green; lower leaf surface pale green, both surfaces lanate when young, then with scattered trichomes (1–2 mm long); leaf margins glabrous to densely hairy with trichomes ca. 1.5 mm; secondary veins obscure. Scapes generally 1 per tuft, 10–24 cm long, 1–1.5 mm diameter; bracts 2–6, 1.8–6.4 × 0.2–0.5 mm with trichomes 0.4–0.8 mm long; 0–1 trichomes per mm 2 at mid-point of scape, glabrous towards apex. Capitula 4.2–6.4 mm long, 4.2–5.6 mm diameter; phyllaries ca. 30 in 2–3 rows, ovate, apex acute, glabrous, with margins glabrous to ciliate in distal half, outer phyllaries 1.5–3.2 × 0.4–0.9 mm, inner phyllaries 3.3–4.7 × 1.3 mm. Receptacle sharply conical at anthesis, 2.5–3 mm diameter and 1.5–2 mm high. Ray florets female, 18–22 in 1 row; tube 1–1.3 mm long, 0.4–0.5 mm wide, with scattered trichomes ca. 0.5 mm long, greenish; ligules 6.4–8.2 × 1.3–1.7 mm, with longitudinal veins obscure, glabrous, white or very occasionally pink, apex obtuse and bidentate; style branches ca. 2 mm long, ovary 2–2.5 × 0.6 mm. Disc florets male, sometimes hermaphrodite in the outer row, 54–60, tubular, ca. 2.5 mm long, outer surface glabrous; corolla lobes 5, deltate, 0.6–0.8 × 0.7–0.8 mm; stamens 4–5, anthers ca. 1–1.5 mm long; style branches ca. 2 mm long; sterile ovary ca. 1.6 mm long, fertile ovary ca. 2.8 mm when present; corolla greenish, pappus scales absent. Cypselae oval in cross section, lacking beak, oblanceolate, 2.6–3 × 0.9–1 mm, uniformly brown at maturity; surfaces with 2–3 longitudinal ribs on each side.

Distribution and habitat:—As presently understood, P. sarasinii is restricted to Koniambo and Katepahie ultramafic massifs where the species has been seen growing on the slopes and summits from 50 to 925 m elevation. It has also been recently collected on the Vavouto Peninsula. The species grows in “maquis minier”, on serpentines at low elevations and on peridotitic-derived soil at higher elevations.

Phenology:—From information on herbarium specimens, the species appears to flower from December to February, April–July and October. In cultivation, specimens are flowering almost all year long.

Conservation status:—The old Gatope locality sensu Vieillard, if correct, corresponds to the Koniambo / Katepahie area. The Koniambo massif is under intensive open nickel mining so that the populations at the top of the massif are severely threatened. The Katepahie location is not presently under pressure from nickel mining, but under anthropogenic fire threats. With an EOO of 121 km ² and an AOO of 28 km ², the species is proposed as Endangered (EN) under criterion B with four localities as EN B1ab(i,ii,iii,iv,v)+2ab(i,ii,iii,iv,v), using IUCN (2019) guidelines.

Notes:—The species is readily distinguishable from the two other Pytinicarpa species, P. comptonii and P. kaalaensis and from Lagenophora by its long and almost linear leaves. The closest morphologically species is P. tonitrui which does not bear trichomes on the corolla tube of both ray and disc florets. Full explanations of the differences between both taxa are provided in the dedicated section of P. tonitrui ( Table 1 ). It is also the only Pytinicarpa species in New Caledonia having hermaphrodite disc florets; however, these are not on every individual. At first glance, we were also about to include two specimens from the Tchingou Massif in P. sarasinii . However, a closer examination of these specimens at P (Bernardi 10414, P03276808! and Hürlimann 121, P04234043!) shows that the top of the disc floret’s ovary is covered by glands. Further collections are needed to fully describe this taxon, but this character being distinctive of Lagenophora ( Lannuzel et al. 2021a) , it is not treated in the present work.

Brachyscome neocaledonica was recently lectotypified by Wang et al. (2022) who accepted Vieillard 2823 (P00537796) as the lectotype, based only on herbarium scans available online. However, they have not discussed the identity of both species, P. neocaledonica and P. sarasinii . Our careful examination of syntypes of B. neocaledonica (Vieillard 2823, Deplanche 425 and Pancher 94) at P revealed two different species among the plants on these specimens—see notes under P. tonitrui section below for a full explanation. It was customary for Deplanche, Pancher, and Vieillard specimens to pass through CN where plants were often rearranged (and mixed) by R. Lenormand and colleagues. The same collection number thus cannot be considered as one gathering, neither can several plants on one sheet be considered coming from the same population. All plants from this ancient material must then be examined individually. Vieillard 2823 (P00537796, designated by Wang et al. 2022 as P. neocaledonica lectotype), presents all characters of P. sarasinii as circumscribed above. The name P. neocaledonica thus becomes a synonym of P. sarasinii . Deplanche 425 (P00537801!) was examined by MP, but we could not confirm the identity of each plant. However, from some flower fragments, at least some P. sarasinii were present. The specimen Deplanche 425 (P00537799!) also went through CN. On this specimen, the two plants on the right belong to P. sarasinii , while the two on the left belong to P. tonitrui .

The name Brachyscome sarasinii does not require lectotypification because Däniker (1933) cited his specimen Däniker 880 (Z-000003139) as the type in the protologue. The other specimens (Heim 50 and Sarasin 86), cited by Däniker (1933), could not be retrieved in the Z database, neither in G or B. In his discussion, Däniker (1933) compared his new species against B. neocaledonica Guillaumin that was published four years later. Däniker and Guillaumin may have discussed these together at that time as we cannot find any mention of the name B. neocaledonica in previous literature. Surprisingly, however, Guillaumin (1937) did not cite B. sarasinii described four years earlier in his revision of New Caledonian Asteraceae , but later established a key between the two species, based on leaf pubescence ( Guillaumin 1948). It is unclear to which point both authors were aware of each other work. However, they clearly considered that both species were different. If the synonymy here presented seems to be in contradiction with the previous works of Guillaumin and Däniker, it is only because we believe that Wang et al. (2022) didn’t choose the right lectotype for P. neocaledonica (see Lannuzel et al. 2022 for full explanation).

Specimens examined:— NEW CALEDONIA. North Prov. Koniambo , 820 m, 11 October 2006, Dagostini & Barrière 1256 ( NOU019061 !) ; Nene [Neue], Deplanche 425 ( P00537801 ! – pro parte see notes) ; Nene [Neue], Deplanche 425 ( P00537799 ! – pro parte see notes) ; Massif du Koniambo, 900 m, 1 June 1972, Jaffré 780 ( NOU054760 !, P04431194 !) ; Koniambo , 650 m, 13 February 2002, Jaffré 3483 ( NOU071917 !, NOU071918 !, P03276806 !, P03276807 !) ; Massif du Koniambo , 875 m, 20°59’45”S, 164°49’49”E, 20 December 2017, Lannuzel & Loslier (leg. Gensous) 151 ( NOU089026 !) ; Mont Koniambo , 925 m, 20°59’45”S, 164°49’50”E, 24 May 2018, Lannuzel (leg. Gensous) 168-1 ( NOU088996 !) ; Mont Koniambo , 925 m, 20°59’45”S, 164°49’50”E, 24 May 2018, Lannuzel (leg. Gensous) 168-2 ( NOU088997 !) ; Mont Koniambo , 925 m, 20°59’45”S, 164°49’50”E, 24 May 2018, Lannuzel (leg. Gensous) 168-3 ( NOU088987 !) ; Mt. Katepahie , 600 m, 20°55’10”S, 164°42’11”E, 26 July 2018, Lannuzel & Karnadi 189-1 ( NOU090307 !) ; Mt. Katepahie , 600 m, 20°55’10”S, 164°42’11”E, 26 July 2018, Lannuzel & Karnadi 189-2 ( NOU090308 !) ; Voh , Mt Katépahie, vers 600 m, 20 January 1963, MacKee 10087 ( CANB 145979.1 , P04234042 !, P04234045 !) ; Voh , base sud-ouest du Mt Katepahie, 7 June 1967, MacKee 16835 ( NOU054757 !, P04234046 !) ; Voh , crête sommitale du Mt Katepahie, 600 m, 5 April 1968, MacKee 18635 ( NOU054757 !, P04234044 !) ; Mont Koniambo (base S. O.) , 100 m., 24 April 1974, MacKee 28534 ( NOU054758 !) ; Mont Koniambo , plateau sud, 800 m, 7 May 1974, MacKee 28634 ( P03276804 !) ; Mt Koniambo , 800 m, 11 October 1982, McPherson 4990 ( CHR 440389 Aimage!, CHR 440389 Bimage!, NOU054759 !, MO 784036) ; Koniambo , 854 m, 20°59’55”S, 164°49’40”E, 4 April 2008, Munzinger & Ducousso 5034 ( NOU049652 !) ; Vavouto , 9 September 2004, Munzinger, Jaffré & Roumagnac 2368 ( NOU006848 !) ; Massif du Koniambo tronçon 28, 20°59’39”S, 164°49’2”E, 6 January 2003, Tronchet & Roumagnac 652 ( NOU004864 !, P00354671 !) ; Gatope , 1861–1867, Vieillard 2823 ( A00097920 image!, A00097921 image!, P00537796 !, P00537797 !, P00537798 !) ; Massif de Koniambo , 850 m, 13 December 1973, Webster & Jaffré 19301 ( P03276830 !) .

The other specimens (Heim 50 and Sarasin 86), cited by Däniker, could not be retrieved in the Z database, neither in G or B.

Figures

FIGURE 6. Pytinicarpa sarasinii (Däniker) G.L.Nesom.A. Habit; B. Capitulum; C. Capitulum in longitudinal section; D. Disc floret; E. Ray floret; F. Cypsela. A–D, F from Lannuzel 189, E from Lannuzel 168. Photos from G. Lannuzel. Scale bars: 1 mm.

FIGURE 7. Distribution of Pytinicarpa sarasinii (Däniker) G.L.Nesom. Inset (A) shows the Katepahie / Koniambo massifs.Dots represent reliable localities, stars doubtful ones, grey shaded areas represent ultramafic outcrops.