Barringtonia tomentosa Thammar., Pornp. & Chantar., 2017

Thammarong, Woranart, Chantaranothai, Pranom & Pornpongrungrueng, Pimwadee, 2017, Three new species of Barringtonia (Lecythidaceae) from Myanmar and Vietnam, Phytotaxa 309 (2), pp. 151-158 : 154-157

3. Barringtonia tomentosa Thammar., Pornp. & Chantar. sp. nov. ( Figs. 3 & 4 )

Type: VIETNAM. Thua Thien Hue: Phu Loc, Bach Ma National Park, elev. 800–1000 m, 8 May 2003, N. T. Hiep et al. HLF 1685 (holotype: HN!).

Barringtonia tomentosa is similar to B. macrostachya but differs by its elliptic leaf blades, entire leaf margins and tomentose hypanthium and sepals.

Tree 15–20 m high. Leaves with petioles 1–3 cm long, glabrous; lamina elliptic, 10–15 × 4–8 cm, base cuneate, apex acute, margin entire, subcoriaceous, upper and lower surfaces glabrous; secondary veins 9–11 pairs. Inflorescences pendulous spike, 20–22 cm long, terminal, sparsely flowered with up to 30 flowers; rachis 2–3 mm diam., puberulous or glabrous; bracts not seen. Flowers sessile; hypanthium funnel-shaped, 5–6 × 4–5 mm, 4-gonous, tomentose; sepals 4, triangular, 5–7 × 4–5 mm, apex acute, open in bud, tomentose; petals 4, elliptic, 10–15 × 4–6 mm, white-pink; stamens 2–2.5 cm long in 2–3 staminal whorls, inner whorl staminodia 1; staminal tube 1–3 mm long; anthers subcircular, ca. 0.5 × 0.5 mm; disc ca. 3 mm diam., ca. 1 mm high; ovary 4-locular; ovules 2–3 per locule; style 2.5–5 cm long; stigma rounded, ca. 0.5 mm in diam. Fruits not seen.

Distribution:—Endemic to Vietnam.

Ecology:—In broadleaved evergreen primary closed forest along ridge, at elev. 800–1350 m.

Phenology:—Flowering in May.

Etymology:—The specific epithet refers to the tomentose hypanthium and sepals.

Conservation status:—This species is endemic to Vietnam, known only from Bach Ma National Park, Thua Thien Hue. Further collections are needed to allow a more complete understanding of this species. A conservation status of Data Deficient ( DD, IUCN 2012) is here assessed on the basis of the data above.

Notes:— Barringtonia tomentosa is morphologically similar to B. macrostachya in its pendulous spike with sessile flowers and 4-gonous hypanthium but it distinctly differs in its elliptic leaf blades, entire leaf margins and tomentose hypanthium and sepals, whereas B. macrostachya has elliptic-oblong leaf blades, serrate-crenulate leaf margins and glabrous hypanthium and sepals ( Table 1).

Additional specimens examined:— VIETNAM. Thua Thien Hue: Phu Loc, Bach Ma National Park, Dong Truoi, elev. 1300–1350 m, 21 March 2005, J. Regalado et al. CFH-094 ( HN).

Figures

FIGURE 3. Barringtonia tomentosa: A. branchlets and inflorescence; B. flower bud; C. flower in cross section; D. petal. Drawn from N.T. Hiep et al. HLF 1685 (HN) by Woranart Thammarong.

FIGURE 4. Distribution of Barringtonia laxiflora (z), B. parkinsonii (*) and B. tomentosa („).