Pentachlaena, H. Perrier

Lowry Ii, Porter P., Haevermans, Thomas, Labat, Jean-Noël, Schatz, George E., Leroy, Jean-François & Wolf, Anne-Elizabeth, 2000, Endemic families of Madagascar. V. A synoptic revision of Eremolaena, Pentachlaena and Perrierodendron (Sarcolaenaceae), Adansonia (3) 22 (1), pp. 11-31 : 16

PENTACHLAENA H. Perrier

Bull. Mus. Natl. Hist. Nat. 26: 669 (1920).

TYPE. — Pentachlaena latifolia H. Perrier.

The genus Pentachlaena was originally described with a single species ( P. latifolia ), which is restricted to the Col des Tapias, the Ibity mas- sif, and the area immediately to the south. CAPURON (1970) mentioned a second member of the genus growing at low elevations in the east, which he later described ( CAPURON 1973) as P. orientalis . Here we describe a third species, known only from the type collection in flower, made at Betampona RNI over 40 years ago, but which could very well still occur in the wild, considering how many other rare species characteristic of low elevation humid evergreen forest have been rediscovered there within the last several years. Pentachlaena can be distinguished from its presumed relatives by its dehiscent, 5-locular fruit with a particularly thick, almost woody exocarp, in which each locule contains 4-6 seeds.