Aspidostemon apiculatum, 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 : 17

3. Aspidostemon apiculatum

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

A congeneris foliis coriaceis, apiculatis, floribus staminibus sex, staminodiis libris recedit.

TYPUS. — Madagascar. Tampolo , Fenerive, [17°17’S, 49°23’30”E], 27.XII.1955, fl., Service Forestier 15325 (holo-, P; iso-, HBG, MO, P, TEF) .

PARATYPES. — Madagascar. Tampolo , Fenerive [17°17’S, 49°23’30”E], fr., Service Forestier 15907 ( MO, P, TEF). — Massif forestier de Tsingafiafy, au N de Fort-Dauphin, [24°28’S, 49°12’E], fl., Service Forestier 28694 ( P) .

DESCRIPTION

Tree, 14 m. Twigs terete, glabrous; terminal buds glabrous. Leaves opposite, 6-8.5 × 2-2.5 cm, glabrous, coriaceous, elliptic or obovate-elliptic, the base acute, the apex acute, obtuse or emarginate, apiculate, the tip often folded into a short tube, margin flat, reticulation immersed on both surfaces; lateral veins scarcely or not visible; petioles 5-10 mm long, canaliculate. Inflorescences 3-5 cm long, paniculate, glabrous, pedicels 3 mm long. Flowers cup-shaped, 3 mm in diam., 2 mm long, the pedicel gradually widened into the flower, tepals 1 mm long, about as long as wide, erect, stamens 6, tepaloid, locelli introrse, stamens pubescent in their basal half, staminodia III with a peltate apex, free, pubescent as the stamens; staminodia IV stipitiform, densely hairy and easily mistaken for a tuft of hairs; upper rim of the hypanthium pubescent; pistil and inner surface of the receptacle glabrous. Fruits ellipsoid, 2.5 × 1.2 cm, wrinkled, the floral remnants persisting on top.

REMARKS

Aspidostemon apiculatum is best recognized by its coriaceous, apiculate leaves, the tip of the leaves often folded into a short tube, its flowers with 6 stamens, for the genus densely pubescent inside and the free staminodia. It is known from three collections, two from Tampolo, the third much further south, near Fort-Dauphin ( Fig. 3 ).

ALTITUDINAL DISTRIBUTION

0-50 m.

PHENOLOGY

Flowers: December; fruits: June.

VERNACULAR NAME

Tapiky mavo.

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.