Lepisanthes chrysotricha (Buerki & Callmander & Lowry Ii & Phillipson, 2009)

Buerki, Sven, Callmander, Martin W., Lowry Ii, Porter P. & Phillipson, Peter B., 2009, A synoptic revision of the genus Lepisanthes Blume (Sapindaceae) in Madagascar, Adansonia (3) 31 (2), pp. 301-309 : 304

1. Lepisanthes chrysotricha

(Capuron) Buerki, Callm. & Lowry, comb. et stat. nov.

Aphania senegalensis subsp. chrysotricha Capuron, Mémoires du Muséum d’Histoire naturelle (Paris), sér. B, 19: 82, pl. 19 (1969). — Type: Madagascar, Prov. Mahajunga, forêt de Kasiza, sur le causse du Tampoketsa (Ambongo), rive gauche de la Mahavavy, [16°59’S, 45°47’E], X.1908, fl., y.fr., Perrier de la Bâthie 1744 (holo-, P [mounted on 2 sheets, P 00727174 ! and P 00727175 !]) .

ADDITIONAL MATERIAL EXAMINED. — Madagascar. Prov. Mahajunga, bords de la Manambolo, Bemaraha AP, [18°41’S, 44°46’E], 150-750 m, X.1964, fl., Morat 1224 ( G, MA, MO, P, TAN, TEF). — Forêt de l’Antsingy (bordure occidentale du Bemaraha), Bemaraha AP, [18°40’S, 44°44’E], 1.IX.1953, fl., Service Forestier 8435 ( G, MO, P, TEF) .

DISTRIBUTION AND ECOLOGY

Lepisanthes chrysotricha is endemic to western Madagascar (Bemaraha and Causse de Kelifely, Ambongo), where it occurs exclusively on limestone substrates ( Fig. 1 ).

REMARKS

Lepisanthes chrysotricha is a small tree to 7 m tall known only from three collections made in deciduous forest on limestone in western Madagascar. This species can easily be distinguished from all other Malagasy members of the genus by the golden indument covering its entire inflorescence and the outer surface of its sepals and petals, by its leaves with two pairs of leaflets that are usually c. 7 cm long, and by its petiole and rachis, whose combined length does not usually exceed 4.5 cm. Fruits of this species are not known.

CONSERVATION STATUS

With an EOO of 433 km 2, an AOO of 27 km 2, and two subpopulations, one of which is situated within a protected area (Bemaraha), Lepisanthes chrysotricha is assigned a preliminary status of Endangered (EN B1ab(iii); B2ab(iii)).

Figures

FIG. 1. — Distributions of Lepisanthes Blume mapped on the bioclimatic zones of Madagascar (after Cornet 1974;see Schatz 2000): L. chrysotricha (Capuron) Buerki, Callm. & Lowry (■), L. perrieri (Choux) Buerki, Callm.& Lowry (●), and L. sambiranensis Buerki, Callm. & Lowry (▲).