Cyrtandra jonesii (F. Br.) G. W. Gillett, Univ. Calif. Publ. Bot. 66: 55. 1973.

Wagner, Warren L., Wagner, Anthony J. & Lorence, David H., 2013, Revision of Cyrtandra (Gesneriaceae) in the Marquesas Islands, PhytoKeys 30, pp. 33-64 : 37-38

1. Cyrtandra jonesii (F. Br.) G. W. Gillett, Univ. Calif. Publ. Bot. 66: 55. 1973. Fig. 3

Basionym.

Cyrtandroidea jonesii F. Br., Bernice P. Bishop Mus. Bull. 130: 324. 1935.

Type.

Marquesas Islands: Ua Huka: Hanay [Hane] Bay, 500 m, 16 November 1922, W. B. Jones 1712 (lectotype: BISH-501566!; designated by G. W. Gillett, Univ. Calif. Pub. Bot. 66: 55. 1973). H. St. John made a superfluous lectotypification (Phytologia 33: 422, 1976). A second syntype, Quayle 1243 (BISH) [now referred to Cyrtandra thibaultii ] was mentioned as a "second type sheet" by Brown.

Description.

Shrubs 2-6 m. Leaves opposite, borne on upper 2-5 nodes, leathery when fresh, drying chartaceous, broadly elliptic to broadly elliptic-oblanceolate, 26-40 × 10-25 cm, rugose, upper surface glossy, green, sparsely pubescent when young, especially along major veins, quickly glabrate, lower surface pale green, moderately ferruginous appressed pubescent, especially along major veins, quickly glabrate, margins irregularly serrate-dentate, apex broadly rounded, ± with an often long, acuminate tip, base broadly rounded, truncate or abruptly attenuate, petioles 2.5-7.0 cm long. Flowers in loose, open cymes 8-20 cm long, basally cauliflorouson the main stem, cymules 1-3 flowered, peduncles up to 30 mm long, ca. 3-4 mm in diameter, pedicels 0-1 mm, bracts rhombic, whitish brown, 18-20 mm, soon deciduous; calyx funnelform, whitish brown, plicate, 33-46 mm long, the lobes 10-20 mm long, unequal, triangular, sparsely minutely appressed pubescent, appearing glabrate, deciduous after anthesis; corolla white, tube funnelform, 40-50 mm long, slightly exceeding the calyx, lobes suborbicular, 8-15 mm long; style ca. 7 mm long, glabrous or with a few scattered hairs. Mature berry unknown, but young ones ovoid, ca. 10 mm long.

Distribution.

Marquesas Islands, endemic to Ua Huka, scattered in Hitikau area to Vaikivi summit and drainage, from 500 to 870 m. One collection (Mumford & Adamson 561, BISH) made in 1929 is from Nuku Hiva, but it is possible that the locality on the label is incorrect and the plant was actually collected on Ua Huka, where Adamson was for four days in October 1929 (N. Evenhuis, pers. comm. May 2013).

Ecology.

Cyrtandra jonesii is known only in montane wet shrubland with Freycinetia impavida (Gaudich. ex Hombr.) B. C. Stoneand Hibiscus tiliaceus L. dominant.

Conservation status.

IUCN Red List Category: Endangered EN B1ab (i,ii,iii) + 2 ab (i,ii,iii): B2: total area of occupancy less than 5000 km2 (ca. 423 km2). B1a, severely fragmented; B1b (i-iii), habitat continuing decline inferred. The suitable habitat for Cyrtandra jonesii on Ua Huka (ca. 83 km2) and possibly on Nuku Hiva (ca. 340 km2), is restricted to mountain slopes and summits, indicated as an endangered environment that is threatened by human activity (deforestation and fire), feral animals, and invasive plants, reducing the extent of the forest ( Florence and Lorence 1997; Mueller-Dombois and Fosberg 1998; Meyer and Salvat 2009). If this species is restricted to only Ua Huka, then its conservation status would be CR.

Specimens examined.

Marquesas Islands. Nuku Hiva: Puokohe, 3500 ft [1067 m], 22 October 1929, Mumford 561 (BISH, S). Ua Huka: Hitikau region, ascended via the Matukuoha Ridge over-looking Hane, constitutes the summit of the single crater of Ua Huka, 730 m, UTM 0661697 - 9015668, 5 Dec 2003, Wood 10493 (PTBG), 780 m, Wood 10474, (PTBG), 700 m, Wood 10484 (PTBG); summit of Hitikau area, 872 m, 8°54'30.6"S, 139°31'46.9"W, 15 June 2004, Perlman & Wood 19017 (PTBG, US); Hitikau summit area, 686 m, 8°54'19.7"S, 139°31'7.3"W, 26 July 2005, Perlman & Meyer 19741 (BISH, P, PAP, PTBG, US); Hitikau and the Vaikivi summit region, 870 m, 8°54'40.5"S, 139°31'32.5"W, 14-15 June 2004, Wood & Perlman 10744 (PAP, PTBG, US); Vaikivi summit region and drainage, boulder-strewn stream-bed running south and west below Hitikau, 700 m, 8°54'S, 139°31'W, 14-15 June 2004, Wood & Perlman 10751 (PTBG).

Discussion.

Brown described the genus Cyrtandroidea for this species in the Campanulaceae , but Gillett (1973) effectively placed the generic name in synonymy when he transferred it to Cyrtandra . Gillett, however, did not recognize that the second syntype, Quayle 1243 (BISH) represented another species, subsequently described by Fosberg and Sachet (1981) as Cyrtandra thibaultii . Fosberg and Sachet pointed out that Gillett’s description of Cyrtandra jonesii was based primarily on his own collection of the then undescribed Cyrtandra thibaultii . Here we have revised the description, based on new collections and on the description from original material provided by Fosberg and Sachet (1981).

Figures

Figure 3. Cyrtandra jonesii (F. Br.) G. W. Gillett A Habit B Inflorescence C Bract D Calyx E Corolla F Flower, lateral view. Drawn from Wood 10744 (PTBG) and field photographs.