Noronhia perrieriana, Hong-Wa, 2016

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 : 207-209

64. Noronhia perrieriana Hong-Wa, spec. nova ( Fig. 47 ).

Typus: MADAGASCAR. Prov. Fianarantsoa: Vatovavy-Fitovinany, Ranomafana PN, c. 7 km W of town of Ranomafana, 21°16’S 47°25’E, 950-1000 m, 17. V .1990, Lowry 4534 (holo-: MO-3850549!; iso-: P [ P03532690 ]!, TAN!) .

Diagnosis

Noronhia perrieriana Hong-Wa can be distinguished from other species of the genus by its chartaceous, ovate leaf blades, with long acumen, its long pedicels, its fasciculate pinkish flowers, and its subglobose fruits without a distinct apex.

Description

Small trees to 6 m tall, trunk to 10 cm diameter; young twigs cylindrical, 0.7-1.8 mm diameter, glabrous; bark light gray to whitish, smooth. Leaves opposite, persistent; bud scales rarely persistent; blades medium green above, lighter below, ovate, 5.5-8.5 3 1.7-3 cm, chartaceous, glabrous, domatia absent, base acute, margin flat, apex acuminate, the acumen 8-20 m long, midrib flat above, slightly raised below, secondary veins conspicuous only below, 6-8 per side, 6-14 mm apart, looping 1.5-3.2 mm from the margin; petiole light gray to whitish, 4-6 3 0.7-1 mm, entirely woody, glabrous. Flowers fasciculate; pedicel 8-21 mm long, sparsely pubescent; calyx sparsely pubescent outside, glabrous inside, lobes triangular, 1.5-1.8 3 1.5-2.4 mm; corolla pink to purplish outside, cream inside, urceolate, 4-8.5 mm long, glabrous on both sides, the tube 2.5-5 mm long, lobes deltate, apex obtuse; corona absent or vestigial, 0-1 mm long; stamens 1.8-2.4 mm long, anthers obovate, 1.4-1.6 mm long; pistil 2.2-2.8 mm long, stigma capitate. Fruiting pedicel 5-20 3 0.6-1.2 mm; young fruits green, purplish black when mature, subglobose, 15.5-17 3 16-19 mm, surface smooth, apex flat, style persistent; dry pericarp 1.1-1.3 mm thick; endocarp woody; seed 8.5-9.5 3 9-12 mm.

Etymology

This name honors Joseph Marie Henry Alfred de Perrier de la Bâthie (1873-1958), who initiated the taxonomic study of Noronhia and much of the Malagasy flora. He published numerous volumes on the flora and vegetation of the island, including prominent works such as “La végétation malgache” (1921), “Biogégraphie des plantes de Madagascar ” (1936), “Flore de Madagascar et des Comores ” (1946-1952: 76 families out of the 190 originally recognized). He also made a rich collection of c. 20,000 Malagasy plants that included many new species, and contributed to the creation of the first ten protected areas in Madagascar ( HUMBERT, 1958; L éANDRI, 1962).

Distribution, ecology and phenology

Noronhia perrieriana occurs in mid- to high-elevation humid forests in Ranomafana in central Madagascar ( Fig. 36 ). It produces flowers and fruits from December to May.

208 Boissiera 70

Conservation status

Currently known from four collections representing three localities, Noronhia perrieriana occurs only within the protected area of Ranomafana PN, at mid- to high-elevation. Despite a very restricted range (AOO = 8 km 2) and a single location, N. perrieriana can be assigned a preliminary status of “Least Concern” because of its exclusive occurrence within a protected area, where decline is projected to be minimal.

Notes

Noronhia perrieriana resembles N. brevituba , from which it differs by its woody (vs. non-woody) petioles, ovate (vs. elliptic to obovate), acuminate (vs. cuspidate) leaf blades, fasciculate flowers (vs. thyrsoid inflorescences), urceolate (vs. campanulate to rotate), purplish-pink tinged cream (vs. yellow tinged orange) flowers, and subglobose (vs. ovoid) fruits, with a flat (vs. apiculate) apex. Chartaceous, ovate leaf blades, with long acumen, long pedicels, fasciculate pinkish flowers, and subglobose fruits without a distinct apex characterize this species.

Paratypi

MADAGASCAR. Prov. Fianarantsoa: Ifanadiana , Ranomafana PN, 21°16’S 47°26’E, 980 m, 5.XII.1994, Kotozafy & Rasabo 848 ( K, MO, P); ibid. loc., Talatakely , 21°16’S 47°25’E, 800-1000 m, 18.V.1992, Rakoto 36 ( MO); ibid. loc., Parcelle 3, 21°15’30”S 47°25’00”E, 950-1150 m, 14.IV.1993, Turk 406 ( K, MO, P, TAN) .

Figures

Fig. 47. Noronhia perrieriana Hong-Wa

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