Garcinia urceolata Munzinger, Bruy & M.Pignal, 2021

Munzinger, Jérôme, Bruy, David & Pignal, Marc, 2021, Novitates neocaledonicae XI: A new endemic species of Garcinia L. (Clusiaceae), with an emended description of G. virgata Vieill. ex Guillaumin, Adansonia (3) 43 (6), pp. 49-60 : 52-55

Garcinia urceolata Munzinger, Bruy & M.Pignal , sp. nov.

( Figs 1 ; 2 ; 3 )

G. virgato Vieill. ex Guillaumin similis, sed cum obtusiore apice et acutiore base foliis obovatis (vs elliptica), longiore petiolo (6-8 vs 3-4 mm), viridulis urceolatis floribus (vs luteolos cupuliformes), staminibus 20 in columna insertis (vs 30 in columna non inserta), ovario oblato, c. 1.5 × 3 mm (vs globosum, c. 2 × 2 mm), stigmate late elliptico (vs quadrangulare cornutum), globoso-pyriforme fructu (23 × 15-21 mm) vs minus obovatumque (11-18 × 8-12 mm), crasso pericarpio (> 3 mm) vs tenue (<1 mm) praecipue differt.

TYPUS. — New Caledonia. Roches de la Ouaième , 20°38’17”S, 164°52’1”E, 764 m, 26.XI.2019, fleur verte, fruit vert, J. Munzinger, G. McPherson & D. Bruy 8115 (holo-, P [ P00864939 !] , iso-, G, MPU [ MPU312616 !]), NOU [ NOU090534 !] ).

ETYMOLOGY. — The species is named after the small urn (Latin: urceus) shaped fresh flowers, with a small apical opening ( Figs 1C ; 2E ).

DISTRIBUTION. — Garcinia urceolata , sp. nov. ranges from the Tchamba River valley at its southern limit to Mandjélia in the north, and occurs from 520 to 950 m elevation ( Fig. 3 ).

HABITAT AND ECOLOGY. — The species is restricted to dense humid forest on non-ultramafic substrate.

PHENOLOGY. — Buds were observed in August, flowers in October- November, green fruit in November and January-February, and mature fruits in March-April.

CONSERVATION STATUS. — Garcinia urceolata , sp. nov. is known from eight subpopulations, three of which occupy two adjacent 2 × 2 km grid cell giving an EOO of 1185 km ² and an AOO of 48 km ². Two of the subpopulations occur in North Province in the “ Réserve de nature sauvage du mont Panié ”, the other six subpopulations falling outside protected areas. The species can be locally abundant (Roches Ouaième) but is threatened by bushfires and invasive browsers in at least some localities (respectively Tchamba, Roches Ouaième, Atéou and Panié). These threats are responsible for an estimated decline in habitat quality and the number of mature individuals of this species. In Tchamba and Roches Ouaième, the species was observed both in burnt edge and heartwood forests (unlikely bushfires). Fire being the main threat to this species, the number of locations (sensu IUCN 2012) is therefore 10. We consequently assign a preliminary conservation status of Vulnerable (VU B1ab(iii,v)+2ab(iii,v)) to G. urceolata , sp. nov. using the IUCN Red List criteria ( IUCN 2012).

VERNACULAR NAME. — Unknown.

ADDITIONAL MATERIAL EXAMINED. — New Caledonia: Vallée de la Tchamba , exploitation Létocart , 21°0’20”S, 165°14’2”E, 520 m, 13.I.2009, Lisière de forêt dense humide, fr., L. Barrabé, D. Létocart, I. Létocart & A. Morignat 835 (NOU[ NOU033932 ], P[P04899833]) ; Crête entre Haute Tchamba et Haute Amoa ( Expl. For. Létocart ), 600 m, [21°0’54”S, 165°14’11”E], 14.I.1966, Forêt humide, fr., H.S. MacKee 14248 (P[P04666014]) ; Massif Ton-Non: Secteur Sud , 800-900 m, [20°39’1”S, 164°51’45”E], 21.III.1968, Forêt humide, très dense, ripe fr., H.S. MacKee 18541 (NOU[ NOU018078 ], P[P04667145]) ; Pouébo: Crête entre Mandjélia et Salandané , 600 m, [21°0’54”S, 165°14’11”E], 26.II.1970, Forêt humide, fr., H.S. MacKee 21643 (NOU[ NOU018077 ], P[P04898188]) ; Pouébo: Mt. Mandjélia , 600-750 m, [20°23’45”S, 164°31’25”E], 29.XI.1972, Forêt humide, fl., H.S. MacKee 25920 (P[P04898186]) ; Pouébo: Mt. Mandjélia , 750 m, [20°24’2”S, 164°31’41”E], 14.II.1977, Forêt basse humide, jfr., H.S. MacKee 32775 (NOU[ NOU018079 ], P[P04665835]) ; Massif Ton-Non, 650 m, [20°38’7”S, 164°52’17”E], 20.X.1977, fl., H.S. MacKee (leg. Cherrier) 34095 (NOU[ NOU018068 ], P[P04665820]) ; Pouébo, Mt. Mandjélia , 750 m, [20°24’2”S, 164°31’41”E], 9.I.1981, Forêt humide, green fr., H.S. MacKee 38538 (NOU[ NOU018067 ], P[P04665819]) ; Mt. Panié , 950 m [-20.58139, 164.77556], 1.IV.1981, fr., G. McPherson 3708 (MO, P[P04667141]) ; Below radio tower at Mandjélia, above Pouébo, 700 m, [20°24’9”S, 164°31’28”E], 18.VIII.1981, Forested slopes, bt., G. McPherson 4065 (MO, NOU[ NOU018085 ], P[P04667139]) ; Mt. Panié, above Haut Coulna , on SW forested slopes, 20°36’82”S, 164°44’40”E, 970-1060 m, 29.X.1999, fl., G. McPherson & H. van der Werff 17799 (MO, NOU[ NOU018083 ]) ; Mt. Panié , above Haut Coulna , on SW forested slopes, 20°36’82”S, 164°44’40”E, 970-1060 m, 29.X.1999, fl., G. McPherson & H. van der Werff 17803 (MO, NOU[ NOU018084 ]) ; Mt Colnett , forested eastern slopes, 20°30’00”S, 164°42’52”E, 1000 m, 29.X.2003, fl., G. McPherson, U. Swenson & A. Mouly 19032 (MO, NOU[ NOU004326 ]) ; Mt Colnett, forested eastern slopes, 20°29’13”S, 164°42’39”E, 800-925 m, 02.XI.2003, fl., G. McPherson, U. Swenson & A. Mouly 19160 (MO, NOU[ NOU004343 ]) ; Province Nord, Roches de la Ouaième , c. 750 m, [20°38’24”S, 164°51’55”E], 28.X.2005, fl., J. Munzinger, P.P. Lowry, H. Blaffart & E. Brown 3129 (NOU[ NOU009686 ], P[P04899853, P04899854]) ; Panié , 900 m, [20°34’37”S, 164°46’46”E], 15.II.2006, fr., J. Munzinger, I. Spir, Y. Pillon, C. Grignon & M. Wanguene 3554 (NOU[ NOU014114 ], P[P04899832]) ; Mont Panié , versant Sud , cascade de la Guen , 20°37’28”S, 164°46’57”E [585 m], 3.IV.2007, jfr., J. Munzinger, H. Blaffart, M. Wanguene, O. Chapelle & J. Tiavouane 4300 (NOU[ NOU021353 ], P[P04897539]) ; Mandjélia , sous l’antenne, 750 m, [20°23’51”S, 164°31’53”E], 14.XI.2007, fl., J. Munzinger 4708 (NOU[ NOU029109 ]) ; Roches de la Ouaième, Panié , Wayem Parcelle 2, 20°38’27”S, 164°52’17”E, 607 m, 3.XI.2010, Forêt sur pente, fl., J. Munzinger, V. Hequet, H.Vandrot, I. Pounds & J. - P. Butin 6125 (NOU[ NOU063303 ], P[P00903334, P00903335]) ; Roches de la Ouaième , Panié , Parcelle 4, 20°38’29.8”S, 164°51’40.9”E, 900m, 4.XI.2010, fl., J. Munzinger, V. Hequet, H. Vandrot, P. Birnbaum & I. Pounds 6146 (NOU[ NOU063324 ]) ; Roches de la Ouaième , 20°38’20”S, 164°52’6”E, 704 m, 26.XI.2019, fleur verdâtre, J. Munzinger, G. McPherson & D. Bruy 8112 ( G, MPU [ MPU312618 ]), NOU [ NOU090660 ], P [ P00864992 ]) ; Koné, Atéou , 20°57’7”S, 164°55’8”E, 731 m, 1.XII.2019, fleur verte, J. Munzinger, G. McPherson, D. Bruy, H. Vandrot, C. Laudereau, H. Cazé & J. - P. Butin 8162 (MPU[ MPU312628 ], NOU[ NOU090661 ], P[P00864986]) ; Piémont (versant sud) du Ka [n]talupaik, sommet de la chaîne de l’Inédète, 20°49’56”S, 165°0’25”E, 805 m, 31.X.2017, fl., M. Pignal, J. Munzinger & D. Bruy 5254 (MO, MPU[ MPU1180002 ], NOU[ NOU090541 ], P[P01073104]) .

DESCRIPTION

Dense shrub, 2-3 m tall or tree to 5-8 m, 7-15 cm DBH, bark grey; sapwood cream; young branchlets opposite decussate, quadrangular in section, becoming terete; latex yellow in trunk and twigs; all parts glabrous. Leaf blade obovate to widely obovate, (17-)43-60(-89) × (11-)16-21(-34) mm, chartaceous to slightly coriaceous, longitudinal black lines on both surfaces sometimes present in sicco.; base attenuate, forming an acute angle of (19-)33-45(-76) degrees; margin slightly to strongly revolute, sometimes with a thin hyaline fringe; apex rounded, rarely slightly obtuse and forming an angle of (69-)92-113(-124) degrees; midvein slightly prominent adaxially, strongly prominent abaxially; lateral veins more or less visible on both surfaces in herb., 8-12 pairs, the basal veins ascending to c. half of the blade length; petiole slightly canaliculate, (4.1-)6.1-8(-9.1) × (0.8-)1.0-1.2(-3.8) mm. Flowers solitary or grouped in axillary fascicles, usually borne just under the leafy part of the twigs, corolla urceolate, pale green in both sexes. Flower bracts ovate-triangular, 2 mm long × 1.7 mm wide, membranous, brownish, quickly caducous. Male flowers 1-4 per inflorescence; pedicel 2-4 × 2-2.5 mm. Sepals 4, glabrous, two external ones obovate, 4 × 4 mm, two internal ones widely-elliptic to oblong, 5-6 × 3-3.5 mm, 2 mm thick, margin not or only slightly membranous. Petals 4, elliptic, 4-5 × 3-3.5 mm, fleshy, apex obtuse and truncate. Stamens 20, filaments fused into a distinct column 1 mm high, anthers c. 0.5 mm wide; rudimentary pistil conical, c. 1 × 1 mm, truncate at summit. Female flowers solitary, pedicel 1.5-2 mm long, 2-2.5 mm in diameter. Sepals 4, pale green, two external ones widely ovate, c. 3 × 3-4 mm, two internal ovate, 3 × 2.5 mm, margin not or only slightly membranous. Petals ovate, 4 × 2.5-3 mm, fleshy, connate in basal quarter. Staminodes 0. Ovary oblate, c. 1.5 × 3 mm, glabrous, 4-locular, vertically grooved; stigma widely elliptic, warty, pale yellow. Fruit globose-pyroid, 23 × 15-21 mm in fresh material (crushed in herb. 35-123 × 19-53 mm), dehiscence not observed (but expected), the pericarp 3.5- 6 mm thick, surface smooth, fleshy, probably green when mature, yellow inside. Calyx persistent. Peduncle c. 2 mm × 3 mm. Seeds 1-4, ellipsoid, sometimes slightly compressed laterally, c. 18 × 6-7 mm, surface with irregular longitudinal lines, brown-blackish, tegument thin, fleshy and orangish.

TAXONOMIC NOTE

Garcinia urceolata , sp. nov. probably belongs to Sect. Brindonia (Thouars) Choisy , but further studies, including phylogenetic ones, are needed.

SPECIES RECOGNITION

With its small leaves and its general architecture, Garcinia urceolata , sp. nov. could only be confused with G. virgata Vieill. ex Guillaumin. Table 1 compares the main morphological characteristics of these two species. Herbarium specimens without reproductive organs can be difficult to identify. Leaf shape in G. urceolata , sp. nov. is usually obovate or broadly obovate, with an apex rounded, obtuse to sub-obtuse, whereas the leaves of G. virgata are elliptic with an acute apex, but intermediates exist; the size of the petiole makes it easier to distinguish the material, even if some values overlap. The colour of the bark and of the sapwood are apparently reliable characters for identifying sterile material, and should be carefully noted in the field. Moreover, G. urceolata , sp. nov. has been recorded from 520 to 950 m in elevation while G. virgata occurs at lower elevations (50 to c. 650 m). Some individuals of G. urceolata , sp. nov. have been observed in November bearing both open flowers and almost mature fruits (See Munzinger et al. 8115; Fig. 2E; G ) while specimens of G. virgata have only flowers or fruits, never both. Variation in the shape of the fruit (globose to pyroid) might be related to the maturity of the fruit, but this remains to be verified.

Figures

FIG. 1. — Garcinia urceolata Munzinger, Bruy & M.Pignal, sp. nov.: A, flowering branch; B, abaxial surface of leaf; C, male flower (fresh); D, male flower (in herb.); E, adaxial (left) and abaxial (right) surfaces of external sepals; F, adaxial (left) and abaxial (right) surfaces of internal sepals; G, petals; H, androecium; I, fruiting branch with globose fruits; J, pyroid fruit; K, seeds. A, B, D-H, McPherson 4065 (NOU); B, from Munzinger et al. 4708 (NOU); I, from photo by P. Lowry, not vouchered; J, from photo by D. Létocart, not vouchered; K, Munzinger et al. 3554 (P). Drawings by Laurence Ramon. Scale bars: A, B, I-K, 1 cm; C-H, 1 mm.

FIG. 2. — Garcinia urceolata Munzinger, Bruy & M.Pignal, sp. nov.: A, habit; B, aspect of bark and sapwood; C, leaves; D, latex (cross section of a leafy branch); E, female flowers and young fruit; F, pyroid fruit; G, globose fruit; H, cross and longitudinal section of globose fruit and seed; A, B, Munzinger et al. 8162; C-E, G, Munzinger et al. 8115; F, H, not voucher. A-E, G, Photos by J. Munzinger; C, photo D. Létocart; H, photo P. Lowry.

FIG. 3. — Distribution of Garcinia urceolata Munzinger, Bruy & M.Pignal, sp. nov. and G. virgata in New Caledonia. Areas filled in grey indicate ultramafic substrate; dotted areas indicate protected areas; crosshatching indicates dense humid forests (from Jaffré et al. 2012). The collection localities of types specimens are indicated by a white “T”.