Turraea sambiranensis Callm. & Nusb., 2024

Callmander, Martin W. & Nusbaumer, Louis, 2024, Descriptions of ten new species of Turraea L. (Meliaceae, Turraeeae) from Madagascar with notes on the species described by Buchenau, Adansonia (3) 46 (11), pp. 103-128 : 116-119

Turraea sambiranensis Callm. & Nusb. , sp. nov.

( Figs 3B ; 9 )

DIAGNOSIS. — Turraea sambiranensis sp. nov. can be distinguished by its large broadly elliptic acuminate leaves ([7-]10-13[-19] × [3-]4- 5[-6] cm), its tomentose calyx with acute lobes (1 mm long), its large red flowers (4-5 cm) with petals as long as or slightly longer than the staminal tube, and the style exserted on 5-7 mm beyond the staminal tube.

TYPUS. — Madagascar • Diana Region [Prov. Antsiranana], vallée du Sambirano; [13°06’S, 49°42’E]; 350 m; II.1923; fl., imm. fr.; Perrier de la Bâthie 15464 (holo-, P [ P00842556 ]!; iso-, P [ P00842554 , P00842555 ]!) .

PHENOLOGY. — Flowers buds in June, Flowers in July, October, and February, immature fruits in February.

DISTRIBUTION AND ECOLOGY. — Known from lowland moist evergreen forests of the Sambirano Domain ( Humbert 1951, 1955) at an altitude between 150 to 500 m.

ETYMOLOGY. — The species epithet refers to the Sambirano Domain where the species is restricted. CONSERVATION STATUS. — Turraea sambiranensis sp. nov. is known from four locations, three of which are situated within the protected area network (Ampasindava, Galoko Kalobinono). All four collections are known from an altitude below 600 m where forests are threathened by slash and burn agriculture ( Goodman et al. 2018).

With an EOO of 1 283 km ² and an AOO of 16 km ², and serious plausible threats on its habitat, the new species is therefore preliminary assessed as “Endangered” [EN B1ab(i, ii,iii,iv,v)+2ab(i,ii,iii,i v,v)] in accordance with IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria ( IUCN 2012).

ADDITIONAL SPECIMENS EXAMINED. — Madagascar • Diana Region [Prov. Antsiranana], Anketrabe Belinta, forêt de ManongarivoKalobinono ; 13°38’18”S, 48°40’29”E; 520 m; 27.IX.2013; fl.; Manjato et al. 403 ( MO, P [ P01059694 ], TAN) • Ampasindava , forêt de Betsitsika, au bord de la rivière de Belinta; 13°46’31”S, 47°58’03”E; 153 m; 22.VI.2012; buds; Rasoanaivo & Tahinarivony 79 ( G [ G00406729 ], K [ K004160915 ], MO, P [ P00800354 ], TEF, WAG) • Beramanja, Anketrabe Belinta , forêt de Galoko; 13°35’23”S, 48°42’43”E; 210 m; 6.X.2013; fl.; Razakamalala et al. 7692 ( MO, P [ P00820312 ], TAN) .

A D C B

DESCRIPTION Shrubs (0.7-) 3.5-5 m tall; young twigs brownish, puberulent. Leaves unifoliolate; leaf blades broadly elliptic, subcoriaceous, glabrous, (7-)10-13(-19) × (3-)4-5(-6) cm, base cuneate to abruptly attenuate, sometimes asymetrical, margin entire, slightly undulate, subrevolute, apex acuminate with an acumen to 2 cm long, adaxial surface glossy green, abaxial surface pale green, domatia absent; primary, secondary veins, and reticulum prominent on both surfaces, brownish abaxially; petiole 5-10 mm long, puberulent, often blackish. Inflorescences pauciflorous with 1-3 flowers. Flower buds enlarged and obtuse at the apex. Flowers 4-5 cm long; pedicel 4-5 mm long, tomentose. Calyx cupuliform, 3 × 2 mm, 5-lobed, each lobe with an apical acute tooth 1 mm long, tomentose on the outside, glabrous on the inside. Corolla red of 5 linear petals, as long as or slightly longer than the staminal tube, 40-50 mm long, 2 mm wide in the proximal part, apex acute, puberulent. Staminal tube cylindrical, 35 × 2.5 mm, glabrous; appendices 10, bifid at base, shorter than the anthers, glabrous; anthers 10, subsessile, oblong, 1.5 × 0.3 mm, mucronate; ovary oblate, c. 1 mm in diam., villose, locules 5, each with 2 collateral ovules; style exserted 5-7 mm, beyond the staminal tube 0.3 mm in diam. Receptaculum pollinis clavate, 3 × 1.5 mm; stigma discoid, 0.4 × 1.5 mm. Fruit mature unknown; immature fruit a capsule, globose to ovoid, 3-4 mm diam., tomentose.

NOTES

Leroy & Lescot intended to describe under the same species epithet a much broader species concept including several high elevation collections from the Tsaratanana and Manongarivo massifs representing a different species: Turraea buerki Callm., Phillipson & Lowry (see Callmander et al. 2012).

Turraea sambiranensis sp. nov. differs from T. buerkii Callm., Phillipson & Lowry by the shape of its leaves (broadly elliptic with an acumen to 2 cm long vs elliptic to subovate with apex acute to broadly cuspidate), its smaller calyx (3 × 2 vs 5-7 × 5-7 mm long) and staminal tube (35 vs 40-50 × 3 mm long), the petals as long as or slightly longer than the staminal tube (vs one third to twice the length of the staminal tube), and the style exserted on 5-7 mm beyond the staminal tube (vs 15-30 mm).

Figures

FIG. 3. — Field pictures of Turraea L.: A, T. flagellata J.-F. Leroy & Lescot ex Callm. & Nusb., sp. nov.; B, T. sambiranensis Callm. & Nusb., sp. nov. A, Onjalalaina et al. 1063; B, Manjato et al. 403. Photographs: A, Guy Onjalalaina; B, Nadiah Manjato.

FIG. 9. — Turraea sambiranensis Callm.& Nusb., sp. nov.: A, flowering stem;B, leaf,adaxial surface; C, inflorescence; D, immature fruits;A-C, Manjato et al. 403; D, Perrier de la Bâthie 15464. Drawings: Alain Jouy. Scale bars: A, 6 cm; B, 3 cm; C, 4 cm; D, 1 cm.