Anisophyllea parafallax Li Bing Zhang, Xin Chen & H.He

Chen, Xin, He, Hai & Zhang, Li-Bing, 2015, A monograph of the Anisophylleaceae (Cucurbitales) with description of 18 new species of Anisophyllea, Phytotaxa 229 (1), pp. 448-450 : 448-450

48. Anisophyllea parafallax Li Bing Zhang, Xin Chen & H.He in Chen et al. (2013: 41) ( Figure 94 )

Type:— MADAGASCAR. Analanjirofo ( NE part of former Toamasina): Maroantesetra , Antsirabesahatany , Anjiahely , Ankahaminivola forest , alt. 780 m, 15°23’57”S 49°26’08”E, alt. 780 m, 15 December 2002, P . Antilahimena, Pascal & Ramaroson 1502 (holotype MO-6152218 !) .

Trees to 8 m tall, 10 cm in diam.; branches spreading, young branches densely pannose with brownish hairs ca. 0.16 mm long, and mixed with some longer but relatively fewer hairs up to 0.5 mm long, glabrescent or indumentum splitting into small rectangular pieces when mature, and with prominent pulvini; buds densely pannose. Leaves dimorphic, internodes between similar types of leaves 1.0– 2.2 cm, between two adjacent different types of leaves 5–8 mm; small leaves caducous, only leaving scars visible on young branches; large leaves petiolate, petiole to 4 mm long, 2.0– 2.8 mm in diam., densely pannose; leaf blade elliptic or ovate-elliptic, 10–12 cm long, 4.0– 5.5 cm wide, base slightly oblique, rounded or slightly cordate, apex acuminate, margins revolute, coriaceous, glabrous adaxially, sparsely pubescent with lustrous hairs ca. 0.2 mm long abaxially (more densely along main veins); main longitudinal veins 5, springing from blade base, outermost two veins rather fine, close to blade margins and distally often ±confluent with blade margins, distinctly impressed adaxially and raised abaxially, midrib straight and lateral veins curved, all reaching blade apex and ending at a thickened glandular point; transverse veins parallel, at angles of 75–90° with midrib; veinlets reticulate and tessellate, all impressed adaxially and prominent abaxially. Flowers bisexual, 4–5-merous, sessile, receptacle (developing ovary) cylindrical, 2.5 mm long, 2.8 mm in diam., sepals deltoid, 1.1–1.3 mm long, 1.3–1.5 mm wide at base, pannose abaxially, margins ciliate; petals ca. 1.3 mm long, base entire, ca. 0.6 mm long, ca. 0.3 mm wide, distally irregularly laciniate from middle, laciniae 5–6 (or more?), threadlike, resembling filaments, tips with a globose white anther-like swelling; stamens 8(–10), equal in length, ca. 1.2 mm long, base clavate and dilated, ca. 0.2 mm wide, glabrous, anthers subglobose, ca. 0.2 mm long; disk lobed, glabrous; styles 4(–5), ca. 1.3 mm long, base conically broadened, ca. 0.3 mm wide, pubescent with yellowish hairs ca. 0.16 mm long, distally attenuate, more shortly hairy. Infructescence an axillary spike at lower part of young branches, to 4 cm long, densely pannose as on young branches; immature fruits sparsely pannose, apex with persistent floral parts.

Flowering and fruiting: —Flowering time unknown; fruiting from December.

Habitat and distribution: — In Ankahaminivola forests; 700–800 m. Madagascar (Analanjirofo) ( Figure 95 ) .

Taxonomic notes: — Anisophyllea parafallax is similar to A. fallax in that they share some common characters in leaf shape and venation, but it can be easily distinguished from the latter by the obviously impressed main veins and veinlets adaxially and by the large leaves with rounded or slightly cordate base. Observations made on the remaining floral parts on young fruits of material assigned to this species showed that A. parafallax has 5-merous flowers, while A. fallax has only 4-merous flowers other than 4- or 5-merous as noted by Arènes (1954: 4). In addition, the styles of A. parafallax are covered with short yellowish hairs in the basal part, while the rudimentary styles of male flowers in A. fallax are glabrous throughout (female or bisexual flowers unknown).

The epithet of this new species is from its affinity A. fallax with the prefix para- referring to their morphological similarity.

MONOGRAPH OF ANISOPHYLLEACEAE

Phytotaxa 229 (1) © 2015 Magnolia Press • 125 126 • Phytotaxa 229 (1) © 2015 Magnolia Press

CHEN ET AL.

Figures

FIGURE 94. Anisophyllea parafallax Li Bing Zhang, Xin Chen & H.He. —A. Flowering branch with young fruit (P. Antilahimena, Pascal & Ramaroson 1502; holotype, MO-6152218). —B. Flower (persistent floral parts on young fruit of ca. 0.3 mm long). —C. Petal. —D. Stamen. —E. Styles and disk (Drawn by Fang Cui & Junsheng Shu).

FIGURE 95. Geographical distribution of Anisophyllea parafallax Li Bing Zhang, Xin Chen & H.He.