Rotheca mirabilis (Baker) Callm. & Phillipson

Callmander, Martin W., Phillipson, Peter B., Wearn, James A. & de Kok, Rogier P. J., 2013, Adieu Adelosa Blume (Lamiaceae): Further observations on Rotheca Raf. for Madagascar, Candollea 68 (2), pp. 316-320 : 318

Rotheca mirabilis (Baker) Callm. & Phillipson , comb. nova.

Ξ Clerodendrum mirabile Baker in J. Linn. Soc., Bot. 22: 513. 1887.

Typus: MADAGASCAR: Central , s.d., fl., Baron 4755 (holo-: K [ K000192959 ]!; iso-: BM [ BM000923602 ] image seen, NY [ NY00137366 ] image seen, P [ P00446657 ]!).

Observations. – The type collection has no indication of origin other than “Central Madagascar ”, but in the Flore de Madagascar et des Comores ( MOLDENKE, 1956), a second collection was cited for the species – Baron 6889 (K [ K0006 07528]), collected at “Ankavandra” a small town in the Manambolo River valley in the Menabe Region of Toliara Province. The discovery of a third specimen, Du Puy MB733 (MO-3846948, P [ P00075324 ]), collected recently and with precise locality just 40 km SW of Ankavandra, helps to confirm the species as a likely highly-restricted endemic, possibly confined to the area just to the east of the Bemaraha protected area ( Fig. 1 ).

Conservation status. –With only three collections known (AOO of 27 km 2), two of which dating back to acentury and only one recent, all of them falling outside the Protected Area network, Rotheca mirabilis can be assessed as “Critically Endangered” [CR 2ab(i,ii,iii,iv)] following the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria ( IUCN, 2012) (calculation following CALLMANDER & al., 2007).

Figures

Fig. 1. – Distribution of Rotheca microphylla (Blume) Callm. & Phillipson (triangles) and Rotheca mirabilis (Baker) Callm. & Phillipson (stars) in Madagascar mapped on the biogeographic zones of CORNET (1974).