Lepidocupania squamosa (Adema) Buerki, Callm., Munzinger & Lowry

Buerki, Sven, Munzinger, Jérôme, Lowry Ii, Porter P. & Callmander, Martin W., 2020, Two new genera of Sapindaceae (Cupanieae) from the southern Pacific: Lepidocupania and Neoarytera, Candollea 75 (2), pp. 269-284 : 279

Lepidocupania squamosa (Adema) Buerki, Callm., Munzinger & Lowry , comb. nov.

≡ Cupaniopsis squamosa Adema in Bull. Mus. Natl. Hist. Nat., B, Adansonia, 10: 264. 1989.

Holotypus: NEW CALEDONIA. Prov. Nord: massif de la Tiébaghi , c. 550 m, 21.XII.1983, McPherson 6176 ( MO [ MO 2 6 0 7 2 0 ]!; iso-: L [ L0013387 ]!, NOU [ NOU006555 ]!, P [ P00639157 ]!).

Distribution and ecology. – Lepidocupania squamosa is endemic to Grande Terre, where it grows in dense maquis-like scrub vegetation on serpentine, from 200 to 600 m ( ADEMA, 1991, and recent collections) and on isolated ultramafic mountains of the northeast (Boulinda, Kopéto, Tiébaghi, and Poum).

Notes. – Lepidocupania squamosa was assigned an IUCN risk of extinction status of “Endangered” by JAFFRÉ et al. (1998). Since this assessment was conducted, a large portion of the vegetation on the Tiébaghi massif has been cleared for mining, which has surely led to further population decline (especially concerning since this area contained the largest subpopulation of L. squamosa ).