Cinnamomum scalarinervium, Kosterm. ex 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 : 11-13

7. Cinnamomum scalarinervium Kosterm. ex de Kok, sp. nov.

( Figs 7 ; 8 )

Cinnamomum scalarinervium Kosterm. unpublished; P.H. Hô, Câyc ỏ Vi ệ tnam 1: 432 ( Hô 1991 nom inval.); Nguyén Kim Đào, Lauraceae in Checklist of Plant Species of Vietnam 2: 80 (Nguyén Kim Đào 2003), nom. inval.; Nguyén Kim Đào, Flora of Vietnam 20: 290 (Nguyén Kim Đào 2017), nom. inval.

DIAGNOSIS. — This species differs from its close relative Cinnamomum bokorense Tagane & Yahara by having twigs that are sparsely hairy when young (vs glabrous in C. bokorense ), leaves with one pair of secondary nerves that extend to the leaf tip (vs one pair extending up to ¾ of the length of the blade in C. bokorense ), and with the lower surface very sparsely hairy (vs glabrous in C. bokorense ), inflorescences which are densely white hairy (densely to sparsely yellowish hairy in C. bokorense ) and a fruit cupule with minute velutinous lobes (c. 1 mm long) or lobes absent (vs margin always entire in C. bokorense ).

TYPE SPECIMEN. — [ Vietnam] Đà Nẵng: Ba Na , près de Tourane , 15°59’51.864”N, 107°59’17.088”E, alt. 700 m, 11.VII.1923, Poilane 7077 (holo-, P [ P00333195 ]; iso-, P [ P02132175 ]) .

VERNACULAR NAME. — Vietnamese: Re gân hình thang (Nguyén Kim Đào 2017: 290).

DISTRIBUTION. — Endemic to Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia ( Fig. 7 ).

ECOLOGY. — Grows in forests, sometimes along rivers, between 555-1500 m altitude. Flowering from February to June; fruiting from July to September.

CONSERVATION ASSESSMENT. — Vulnerable (VU B2ab(ii,iii)). This species is only known from nine localities. An analysis of the Extent of Occurrence (EOO) gives an assessment of Least Concern and an Area of Occupancy (AOO) gives an IUCN Conservation Assessment of Vulnerable. Given that it is known from few populations and has small area of occupancy, as well as the intensive logging and landscape modification that has occurred in the region during the last 50 years, this species must be considered Vulnerable.

ADDITIONAL COLLECTIONS SEEN. — Vietnam. Quang Tri, Poste 6, 15°40’12”N, 107°39’0”E, 24.III.1939, Poilane 29571 ( P [ P01752651 , P01964443 ]); Poste 6, 15°48’14.472”N, 107°50’4.524”E, 18.III.1939, Poilane 29403 ( P [ P01752649 , P01964442 ]); Đà Nẵng, Ba-Na , 15°59’51.864”N, 107°59’17.088”E, 4.VI.1920, Poilane 1505 ( P [ P01752648 , P01752655 ]); Dalat, 11°56’25.512”N, 108°27’29.916”E, 3.XII.1924, Evrard 2035 ( P [ P01752652 , P01964391 ]). — Thừa-Thiên, Haut cours du Bo-Giang , 16°31’55.668”N, 107°30’48.888”E, Eberhardt 2718 ( P [ P01752644 , P01752645 ]). — Quang Nam: près Poste 6, 15°40’12”N, 107°39’0”E, 24.III.1939, Poilane 29571 ( P [ P01752651 , P01964443 ]). Laos. Vientiane: Pu tat, 18°7’19.596”N, 102°37’37.596”E, 22.IV.1932, Kerr 21198 ( BM, K, P [ P01752653 ]). — Khammouane: Nakai District, Ban Talang , 28.II.2007, Vannachak BT 873 ( E, K, P [ P01062904 , P01062905 ]). Cambodia. Kampot: Kiricom , 11°19’18.552”N, 104°3’13.248”E, 8.IX.1948, S.R.R.F. 444 ( P [ P01752656 ]); Pusat: Vers Anlong Krauch , 12°19’0.516”N, 103°15’5.04”E, 29.XII.1968, Martin 1395bis ( P [ P01752654 ]).

DESCRIPTION

Tree 1.8-12 m tall, dbh 16-20 cm, bark green. Twigs slender 1.3-4 mm thick, rounded in cross-section, sparsely hairy when young, glabrescent; hairs whitish, appressed; terminal leaf bud ovoid, 1.5-1.7 mm long, apex acute, velutinous. Leaves alternate to (sub)opposite, drying light green, domatia absent; leaf blade linear to lanceolate, 6-15 × 1.6-4.7 cm, apex acute, base cuneate, leathery, trinerved, secondary nerves one pair, extending to the tip of the blade, tertiary nerves scalariform; upper surface glabrous, midrib and secondary nerves raised, tertiary nerves indistinct; lower surface glaucous, very sparsely hairy, midrib and secondary nerves raised, tertiary nerves indistinct; hairs white, indistinct; petiole half-terete, 4.5-8 mm long, slender, glabrous.

Inflorescence 8-14 cm long, a few-flowered panicle, terminal, densely hairy; hairs whitish, appressed; bracteoles linear, 1-1.9 mm long, apex acute, velutinous, caducous. Flowers yellowish; perianth tube shallow; perianth lobes elliptic, 15- 1.7 × 1.3-1.4 mm, apex acute, densely hairy outside; stamens 9, c. 1.4 mm long, hairy, anthers 4-celled; ovary 1.6 mm diameter, glabrous.

Fruits ellipsoid, 10-18 × 8.5-11 mm, apex rounded, smooth, glabrous; cupule lobed, 5.7-9.8 mm diameter; lobes linear, 0-1 mm long, velutinous; stalk hardly swollen, up to 1.3 mm thick (see Fig. 8 ).

NOTES

No evidence that this name was ever validly published could be found and it is therefore validated 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. ().

FIG. 8. — Plate of Cinnamomum scalarinervium Kosterm.ex de Kok, sp. nov.: A, twig with leaves, inflorescence and infructescence; B, fruit with cupule; C, detail of leaf under surface. All from Poilane 7077 (P00333195). Drawing by Giulia Iaconelli. Scale bars: A, 5 cm; B, 1 cm; C, 0.5 cm.