Litsea banaensis de Kok, 2023

De Kok, Rogier P. J., 2023, The Lauraceae Juss. of Indo-China: fifteen new species, four new combinations and two neotypifications, Adansonia (3) 45 (1), pp. 1-25 : 13

8. Litsea banaensis de Kok , sp. nov.

( Fig. 7 )

DIAGNOSIS. — This species differs from its close relative Litsea balansae Lecomte by having a lanceolate terminal leaf bud about 4.6 mm long (vs terminal leaf bud linear and 2.7-3 mm long in L. balansae ); leaves chartaceous with scalariform-reticulate tertiary nerves which are indistinct above and distinct below (leaves membranous with tertiary nerves reticulate and distinct on both surfaces in L. balansae ) and petioles 10-14 mm long and fruits 11-14 × 6.5-8 mm (vs petioles 3-6 mm long and fruits 4-8 × 3-4 mm in L. balansae ).

TYPE SPECIMEN. — Vietnam, Ba-Na, près deTourane, 16°1’6.096”N, 108°0’36.972”E, 4.III.1939, Poilane 29230 (holo-, P[P02035872]) .

DISTRIBUTION. — Vietnam ( Fig. 7 ).

ECOLOGY. — Growing in forest over granite, between 800-900 m altitude. Flowering from January to May; fruiting from February.

CONSERVATION ASSESSMENT. — Critically Endangered (CR B1ab(i,iii), B2ab(ii,iii)). This species is only known from two collections, both from the same locality in Ba-Na. The Extent of Occurrence (EOO) and Area of Occupancy (AOO) suggest an IUCN Conservation Assessment of Critically Endangered.

ADDITIONAL COLLECTIONS SEEN. — Vietnam. Đà N ẵng: Ba-Na, près de Tourane, 11°22’39.648”N, 108°50’36.996”E, 27.II.1939, Poilane 29117 ( P [ P02035874 ]) .

DESCRIPTION

Tree 5-6 m tall, dbh c. 10 cm.Twigs slender, 2.6-3 mm thick, rounded in cross-section, densely hairy when young, glabrescent; hairs yellowish, appressed; terminal leaf bud lanceolate, c. 4.6 mm long, apex acute, velutinous. Leaves alternate; blade elliptic to lanceolate, 8.5-19 × 3.8-6 cm, apex acuminate, chartaceous, base cuneate, secondary nerves 9-12 pairs, curving near margins, tertiary nerves scalariform-reticulate; upper surface glabrous, midrib and secondary nerves sunken, tertiary nerves indistinct; lower surface sparsely hairy, midrib and secondary nerves raised, tertiary nerves distinct; hairs appressed to erect, yellowish; petiole half-terete, 10-14 mm long, sparsely hairy, slightly swollen.

Inflorescences axillary, 11-16 mm long, a series of clusters of umbels, sparsely hairy. Flowers unknown.

Fruits 1-2 per infructescence, ellipsoid, 11-14 × 6.5-8 mm, apex acute, smooth, glabrous; cupule shallow, 3.7-4.3 × 1.4- 1.6 mm, margin entire, patent, smooth, sparsely hairy; stalk swollen up to 1.9 mm thick, slightly hairy.

NOTES

Although flowers are unknown for this new species, which would normally be problematic for its generic placement in this family, it fits morphologically (inflorescences a cluster of umbels, fruits with a shallow cupule) very well in Litsea , and I have decided to place it here.

Figures

FIG. 7. — Distribution of Cinnamomum petelotii Kosterm.ex de Kok,sp.nov.(), Cinnamomum scalarinervium Kosterm.ex de Kok,sp.nov.(), Litsea banaensis de Kok,sp. nov. (), Litsea honbaensis de Kok, sp. nov.() and Litsea nhatrangensis de Kok, sp. nov. ().