Noronhia oblanceolata H. Perrier

Hong-Wa, Cynthia, 2016, A taxonomic revision of the genus Noronhia Stadtm. ex Thouars (Oleaceae) in Madagascar and the Comoro Islands, Boissiera 70, pp. 1-292 : 189-190

57. Noronhia oblanceolata H. Perrier in Mém. Inst. Sci. Madagascar, Sér. B, Biol.Vég. 2: 284. 1949 ( Fig. 40B ).

Lectotypus (designated here): MADAGASCAR. Prov. Antsiranana: près de la cîme du Mt Mahabenofo ( N) , bassin de la Loky, [13°16’S 49°26’E], 1932, Perrier de la Bâthie 2316 ( P [ P00701217 ]!) . Syntypus: MADAGASCAR. Prov. Mahajanga: Boeny, 7e Réserve [Ankarafantsika PN], chemin Ankorika-Sainte Marie, [16°09’S 47°04’E], 150 m, Service Forestier 82 ( P [ P00413237 ]!) .

Description

Shrubs to small trees to 6 m tall, trunk to 11 cm diameter; young twigs cylindrical, 0.5-1.2 mm diameter, glabrous; bark medium gray, smooth to slightly rugose. Leaves opposite, verticillate at the tips of the branches, semi-deciduous; bud scales persistent; blades dark green above, lighter below, oblanceolate, 1.5-5 3 0.5-1.5 cm, coriaceous, glabrous, domatia absent, base acute to attenuate, margin flat to slightly revolute, apex retuse, midrib sunken above, slightly raised below, secondary veins inconspicuous, 5-11 per side, 2-6 mm apart, looping 0.4-1.5 mm from the margin; petiole yellow to brownish, 2-5 3 0.4-1.1 mm, not woody, glabrous. Thyrses fasciculate, pauciflorous, compact to diffuse; peduncle 2-5 mm long, moderately pubescent; pedicel 1.5-4 mm long, moderately pubescent; calyx moderately pubescent outside, glabrous inside, lobes triangular, 1.5-2.2 3 0.9-1.2 mm; corolla white, oblong, 3.3- 5.5 mm long, glabrous on both sides, the tube 1.5-2 mm long, lobes deltate, apex obtuse; corona absent; stamens 1.6-2.1 mm long, anthers ovate to lanceolate, 1.3- 1.6 mm long; pistil 1.4-2 mm long, stigma slightly bilobed. Fruiting pedicel 4-11 3 1.1-1.9 mm; young fruits green, dark red when mature, globose to subglobose, 11.5- 23 3 9.5-17 mm, smooth, apex apiculate to rostellate, the rostellum circular, apiculate; dry pericarp 0.7-2.2 mm thick; endocarp woody; seed 9-12.5 3 7-10 mm.

Distribution, ecology and phenology

Noronhia oblanceolata occurs in low-elevation dry forests in the north (Analamera to Daraina) and the west (Ankarafantsika) ( Fig. 36 ). It produces flowers and fruits from October to March.

Conservation status

The assessment used 12 collections representing 12 localities and resulted in an EOO of 12,991 km 2, an AOO of 40 km 2, and eight subpopulations representing seven locations, of which five occur within protected areas (Analamerana, Ankarafantsika, Ankarana, and Loky-Manambato). Because of forest exploitation, land conversion and artisanal mining, habitat degradation and loss will likely persist outside of protected areas, although a reduction in EOO is not expected in the near future. Therefore, N. oblanceolata is assigned a preliminary status of “Vulnerable” [VU B1ab(ii,iii,iv,v) +2ab(ii,iii,iv,v)].

190 Boissiera 70

Notes

Noronhia oblanceolata can be recognized by its oblanceolate leaf blades that are verticillate at the tips of the branches and its globose to subglobose, apiculate fruits. It differs from N. maculata by its non-woody (vs. woody) petioles, oblanceolate (vs. obovate) leaf blades, oblong (vs. subrotate), white (vs. pale green) corolla lacking a corona, and globose to subglobose (vs. ovoid) fruits. PERRIER DE LA BâTHIE (1949, 1952) used Service Forestier 82 (from Ankarafantsika in the west) as the flower-bearing syntype and Perrier de la Bâthie 2316 (from Analamera in the north) as the fruit-bearing syntype. The flowers of Service Forestier 82 are clustered into diffuse inflorescences and were described as subcampanulate, the corolla being wider than long, with a thick corona as long as the corolla tube. Flowers of specimens recently collected in the north and corresponding to Perrier de la Bâthie 2316 are clustered into compact inflorescences, are oblong, have only a short corolla tube, and lack a corona. The northern and western plants may thus represent two different entities. However, because the western entity is known only from a single specimen that may simply represent an extreme in variation, it is preferable to await more collections from this area to determine their respective identities. In the meantime, a broad definition of N. oblanceolata is retained but in order to avoid ambiguity regarding the use of the name N. oblanceolata and to associate it permanently with populations from the north, Perrier de la Bâthie 2316 has been selected here as the lectotype.

Additional specimens examined

MADAGASCAR. Prov. Antsiranana: Daraina, forêt d’Antsahabe , 13°12’55”S 49°33’00”E, 750 m, 3.XII.2004, Gautier 4820 (Daraina, G, MO, P, TEF) ; Analamera , [12°42’S 49°20’E], 50-400 m, 1. I.1938, Humbert 19137 ( P) ; Ambohipiraka , [13°11’S 49°06’E], 1.X.1932, Perrier de la Bâthie 18757 ( P) ; 3 km E d’Ambilobe , 13°11’57”S 49°04’44”E, 72 m, 23. I.2007, Rakotonandrasana et al. 1069 ( CNARP, G, MO, P, TAN) ; Daraina, forêt d’Antsahabe , 13°10’51”S 49°33’13”E, 415 m, 1. V.2004, Ranirison 756 (Daraina, G, K, MO, P, TEF) ; Daraina, forêt d’Ambohitsitondroina , 13°07’56”S 49°27’16”E, 230 m, 6. I.2006, Ranirison & Nusbaumer 1053 (Daraina, G, K, MO, P, TEF) ; Daraina, forêt d’Antsahabe , 13°12’32”S 49°33’15”E, 560 m, 3.XI.2005, Razafitsalama et al. 757 ( CNARP, MO, P, TAN) ; ibid. loc., 13°12’32”S 49°33’15”E, 560 m, 3.XI.2005, Razafitsalama et al. 760 ( CNARP, MO, P, TAN) ; ibid. loc., 13°12’32”S 49°33’15”E, 560 m, 3.XI.2005, Razafitsalama et al. 765 ( CNARP, MO, P, TAN) ; Ankarana RS, [12°49’S 49°01’E], 50-409 m, Service Forestier 10421 ( P, TEF) .

Figures

Fig.40.Photographs of Noronhia Stadtm.ex Thouars.

Fig. 36. Distribution maps of species of Noronhia Stadtm. ex Thouars.N. maculata Hong-Wa to N. perrieriana Hong-Wa.