Hydnophytum leytense Merr. PJS

Ordas, Jorge Anton D., Pinarok, Neil Alejandro A., Romeroso, Roanne B., Alejandro, Grecebio Jonathan D. & Banag-Moran, Cecilia I., 2019, A checklist of Rubiaceae species from Eastern Samar, Visayas, Philippines, Check List 15 (2), pp. 295-312 : 306-308

Hydnophytum leytense Merr. PJS 8 (1913) Bot. 390.

Materials examined. Table 2.

Epiphytic, myrmecophytic shrub about 60 cm high. Leaves oblong, 5–8 × 1–3 cm, coriaceous, glabrous. Inflorescences axillary. Flowers not seen. Fruits ovoid, 5 mm long, fleshy, red. This species occurs on Laguna, Sorsogon, and Leyte on lowland undisturbed forests. DENR-DAO (2017) classified this species under “Other threatened species”, but its numbers may decline with the loss of its hosts due to deforestation.

Myrmecodia tuberosa Jack, Trans. Linn. Soc. London 14 (1823) 123.

Materials examined. Table 2. Fig. 7C

Psychotria conglomeratiflora Sohmer & A.P.Davis, Sida Bot. Misc. 27 (2007) 120.

Materials examined. Table 2.

Medium-sized shrub about 2–3 m high. Leaves

oblanceolate-oblong, 30–34 × 10–12 cm, coriaceous, glabrous. Infructescences trichotomous, but appearing monochotomous, with many fruits. Flowers not seen. Fruits obovoid, dark purple, glabrous, 8 mm, with prominent longitudinal ridges. This species is very distinct from other species of Philippine Psychotria by its prominently large leaves and unique inflorescences.

This species was originally described from Samar. It was initially classified as a Critically Endangered or a possibly Extinct species ( Sohmer and Davis 2007), so our rediscovery of this remarkable species is important.

Psychotria membranifolia Bartl. ex DC., Prodr. 4 (1830) 522.

Materials examined. Table 2. Fig. 6D

Psychotria paloensis var. subelliptifolia Sohmer & Davis, Sida Bot. Misc. 27 (2007) 199.

Materials examined. Table 2. Fig. 7E

Medium-sized shrub about 3 m high. Leaves oblanceolate, with hairs along the midrib below. Infructescences monochotomously branching, puberulent. Flowers not seen. Fruits obovoid, with distinct longitudinal ridges, orange to dark red.

According to Sohmer and Davis (2007), this variety was only collected once, from its type locality at Lake Danao, Ormoc, Leyte in 1950. Because this variety is very rare and has not been re-collected, they classified it as Critically Endangered, or possibly Extinct. Our recollection of this taxon outside of its type locality proves that there are existing populations scattered throughout the Samar and Leyte islands. The species is occurs throughout the Philippines with 5 known varieties.