Aspidostemon andohahelense, Van der Werff, 2006

Werff, Henk Van Der, 2006, A revision of the Malagasy endemic genus Aspidostemon Rohwer & Richter (Lauraceae), Adansonia (3) 28 (1), pp. 7-44 : 13-16

1. Aspidostemon andohahelense

Van der Werff, sp. nov. ( Figs 1A ; 2A )

Aspidostemoni microphyllo simile, sed foliis majoribus, tenuioribus et locellis minutis distinguenda; A. trianthera tepalis non incrassatis, floribus latioribus quam longioribus differt.

TYPUS. — Madagascar. Prov. Toliara, Andohahela, Réserve intégrale 11, 24°45’S, 46°51’E, 250-500 m, 17-20.X.1992, fl., Van der Werff, Malcomber, Gray & Rapanarivo 12748 (holo-, MO; iso-, B, BR, HBG, K, L, LE, MO, NY, P, PRE, QRS, TAN, TI, US) .

PARATYPES. — Madagascar. Ifarantsa , [24°53’S, 46°52’E], bud, Réserves Naturelles 8182 ( P) . — Col du Maningotry, route d’Ifarantsa à Ranomafana , [24°53’S, 46°52’E], fl., Service Forestier 8512 ( MO, P, TEF) . — Col du Maningotry, Isaka-Ivondro, Ifarantsa , [24°53’S, 46°52’E], fl., Service Forestier 14161 ( P, TEF) . — Toliara, Andohahela, Réserve intégrale 11, 24°45’S, 46°51’E, Van der Werff et al. 12737 ( BR, CAS, G, HBG, KUN, K, L, LE, MO, P, PRE, QRS, US) . — Idem , fl., Van der Werff et al. 12738 ( HBG, MO, P, QRS, TAN) .

DESCRIPTION

Trees, to 10 m. Twigs terete, glabrous or with a few appressed hairs near the tip, lenticellate; terminal buds with a fringe of hairs. Leaves opposite, 6-9 × 2-3 cm, glabrous, thinly chartaceous, the base acute, apex acuminate, acumen 4-8 mm long, margin flat, reticulation immersed on the upper surface, weakly raised on the lower surface, lateral veins 8-10, petioles 4-6 mm long, canaliculate. Inflorescences to 1.5 cm long, with a few scattered, appressed hairs, pedicels 2 mm long. Flowers 3 mm in diam., 2 mm long, glabrous, disc-shaped, tepals wider than long, erect to incurved; stamens 6, their tips peltately expanded, locelli apical-lateral, minute; staminodia III with the tips greatly enlarged, fused, forming a shieldlike structure; filaments of stamens and staminodia pubescent with red, curly hairs. Fruits unknown.

REMARKS

Aspidostemon andohahelense is best recognized by its rather thin leaves, presence of 6 (or 3, see below) stamens with small, apical locelli and the scattered hairs on the inflorescence; it is close to A. microphyllum ; differences between the two species are discussed under A. microphyllum . It is only known from the SE of Madagascar ( Fig. 3 ). The three collections made by Van der Werff et al. were found along the same trail, growing not far apart and are vegetatively very similar – same leaf shape, leaf texture, scattered hairs on the inflorescence. However, two of those have mostly flowers with 3 stamens, while one, the type of A. andohahelense , has flowers with 6 stamens. The simplest explanation for this is that this species has 6 stamens, but that in young flowers only the outer three open, while in mature flowers all 6 stamens are open. The alternative, regarding the collection with 6 stamens as a different species from the one with 3 stamens, overlooks the very strong vegetative similarity between these specimens. See also comments under A. occultum and A. manongarivense .

A paratype of A. andohahelense was cited by Kostermans as a paratype of A. trianthera . As accepted here, A. trianthera has strongly thickened tepals, which give the flowers a 6-lobed appearance.

ALTITUDINAL DISTRIBUTION

200-500 m.

PHENOLOGY

Flowers: August, September, October.

VERNACULAR NAMES

Oviary, Hazomasina, Sagna.

Figures

FIG. 1. — Species of Aspidostemon Rohwer & Richter:A, A. andohahelense Van der Werff; B, A. antongilense Van der Werff; C, A. apiculatum Van der Werff; D, A. capuronii Van der Werff. A, Van der Werff et al. 12748, MO; B, Service Forestier 18319, MO; C, Service Forestier 15325, MO; D, Service Forestier 28458, MO.

FIG. 2. — Scanning electron microscope images of Aspidostemon Rohwer & Richter: A, A. andohahelense Van der Werff;B, A. apiculatum Van der Werff; C, A. fungiforme Van der Werff;D, A. glandulosum Rohwer.A, Van der Werff et al. 12748, MO; B, Service Forestier 18319, MO; C, Schatz et al. 3804, MO; D, Service Forestier 16534, MO. Scale bars: 0.5 mm.

FIG. 3. — Distribution of Aspidostemon Rohwer & Richter in Madagascar: Ϙ, A. andohahelense Van der Werff; Ϙ, A. antongilense Van der Werff; ▲, A. apiculatum Van der Werff; ▲, A. capuronii Van der Werff.