Acalypha decaryana Leandri, 2985

Muñoz, Iris Montero, Levin, Geoffrey A. & Cardiel, José María, 2023, Monograph of Acalypha L. (Euphorbiaceae) of the Western Indian Ocean Region, with the description of a new species from Mayotte, Adansonia (3) 45 (26), pp. 395-496 : 431-432

13. Acalypha decaryana Leandri

Notulae Systematicae. Herbier du Muséum de Paris. Phanérogramie. Paris 10: 284 ( Leandri 1942). — Type: Madagascar. Prov. Toliara, Ambovombe , 20.VIII.1924, R. Decary 2985 (lecto-, designated here: P[P00508553]; isolecto-,W[W1962-0013399]) .

ICONOGRAPHY. — Leandri (1942: 285); Figs 28F ; 35A.

ETYMOLOGY. — The epithet honors French botanist Raymond Decary (1891-1973).

DISTRIBUTION AND HABITAT. — Endemic to Madagascar (Menabe, Atsimo-Andrefana, Ihorombe, Androy, Anosy, and Atsimo-Atsinanana). Dry deciduous forest and spiny thickets; sometimes in riparian forest. On Mesozoic limestone, basalt, basement rocks, sandstone, and unconsolidated sand. Altitudinal range (10-) 30-900 (-1000) m ( Fig. 27 ).

PRELIMINARY CONSERVATION ASSESSMENT. — The EOO of Acalypha decaryana is estimated to be 130 409 km 2 and its AOO 172 km 2, which is less than the 500 km 2 threshold of the B2 subcriterion of the Endangered category. This species grows mainly in dry deciduous forest (see assessment of A. diminuta ) and spiny thickets, one of the most threatened ecosystems in Madagascar ( Aronson et al. 2018). Acalypha decaryana has been collected in some protected areas, but it is also known from several unprotected forests subject to various threats (uncontrolled fires for grazing and crops, logging, mining, etc.). Ongoing habitat loss will cause continued decline of its EOO and AOO. Acalypha decaryana is assessed as Near Threatened (NT) under criterion B. It meets the AOO values needed for a threatened category, but the number of locations is too high to meet the conditions required for a listing under the Endangered category.

MATERIAL EXAMINED. — 78 collections. Madagascar. Allorge, L. 2185 (P[P00122670]); Birkinshaw, C.R. 424 (P[P04779214]); Boiteau, P. 2539 (P[P00508569]); Bosser, M.J. 4022 (P[P04779809]), 4073 (P[P04779789]), 10208 (P[P04779811]), 13994 (P[P04779791]), 17213 (P[P00324548]), 17275 ( MO [MO-3025010], P[P00324551], TAN), 17417 (P[P00324550, P05543683]), 17840 (P[P00324555, P05543685]); De Block, P. 2383 ( BR [BR0000005518647], K, P[P04786280], TAN); Decary, R. 2964 (P[P00508568]), 2985 (P[P00508553], W[W1962-0013399]), 3115 (P[P00508567]), 3247 (L[L0241288], P[P00508566]), 3433 (P[P00508565]), 3728 (P[P00508564, P04786273], S[S13-13801]), 3789 (G, P[P00508563]), 4264 (G, P[P00508562]), 4278 (P[P00508561]), 4343 (P[P00508560]), 8433 (P[P00508559]), 8526 (P[P00508558]), 8878 (P[P00508557], US[US01287334]), 8910 (P[P00508556]), 8956 (P[P00508555]), 8985 (P[P00508554]), 9030 (P[P00508552]), 9079 (B[B100273581], P[P00508551]), 9206 (P[P04779838]), 9864 (P[P00508550]), 10452 bis (P[P04779825]), s.n. (L[L0241289]); Dequaire, J. 24109 (P[P05547013]); Descoings, B. 3108 (P[P05547016]), 3625 (P[P05547012]), 3626 (P[P05547014]); Eboroke,S.959 (P[P05547078]); Groeninckx, I. 317 ( BR [BR0000005513222]); Homolle, A.M. 1706 (P[P05547015]); Humbert , H. 2997 (G, K, MO, P[P00508547, P00508548]), 2997 bis (P[P00508546], WAG[WAG.1930096]), 5405 (B[B100351094], BR[BR0000005045341], GH[GH01097245], MA[MA-01-00820754],NY[NY3091182], P[P00508544, P00508545], S, US[US01287332]), 5640 ( GH [GH01097253], P[P00508542, P00508543], US[US01287333]), 11412 (P[P05547248]), 12423 (L[L3795925], MEXU[MEXU1364277], P[P00508537, P00508538, P00508539, P00508540, P00508541]), 12835 (P[P00508536]), 12902 (P[P00508535]), 13098 (B[B100174358], G, P[P00508532, P00508533, P00508534], WAG[WAG1930098]), 13809 (P[P00508530, P00508531]), 14166 (P[P00508529]), 29130 (P[P05547080]), 29182 (P[P05547251]), 29434 (G, P[P05547252], NY[NY2710390]), 29449 (P[P05547253]), 29450 (G, P[P05547254], WAG[WAG.1930092]); Leandri, J.3564 (P[P05547079]), 3566 (G, P[P05547247], WAG[WAG.1930091]); Lowry II,P.P.6930 ( MA, MO), 6991 ( MA, MO,P[P05481880]); McPherson,G.14916 (P[P00508528]); Messmer, N. NM 184 (G[G00420832], WAG[WAG.1930097]); O’Connor, S. 38 (K), 53 (K); Peltier, J. 2820 (P[P05547017]); Perrier de la Bâthie, H. 9763 (P[P00508527]), 9780 (P[P00508526]); Phillipson, P.B. 1751 ( MO, P[P00508525], WAG[WAG.0133186]); Rakotomalaza, P. 211 ( MO [MO-2965752], P[P05547994]), 217 ( MAUAM, MO, P[P00460980],TAN), 305 (P[P04779767]); Rakotonasolo,F.6580-RN (P[P05547077]); Randriatsivery, M.F.351 ( MO); Ravelonarivo, D. 4648 ( MO [MO-3086130]); Richard, M. 0128 (K); Schlieben, H.J. 8214 ( BR [BR0000014625152], G); Service Forestier Madagascar 8486-SF (P[P00508524]).

REFERENCES. — Govaerts et al. (2000: 59); Seebaluck et al. (2015: 150); Montero Muñoz et al. (2018a: 95).

DESCRIPTION

Shrubs, deciduous, to 3 m tall, monoecious. Branches reddish, appressed-pubescent and with rounded resinous glands, glabrescent when mature; brachyblasts present. Axillary buds ovoid, to 1 × 0.7mm, perulate,perules 2,imbricate, chartaceous,blackish, sparsely hairy. Stipules to 1.5 mm long, triangular-lanceolate, midrib appressed-pubescent with simple trichomes,margin ciliate. Petioles 2-5 cm long, pubescent with simple, short trichomes. Leaf blades 1.5-2.5(-4)[-7.5] × 0.4-0.6(-2)[-3.5] cm, elliptic to oblong, sometimes obovate, membranous; base obtuse to acute; apex rounded to obtuse, sometimes acute; margin serrate, teeth subacute; upper and lower surfaces pubescent with simple, short trichomes; lower surface also with rounded resinous glands; venation pinnate, secondary veins 6-7 per side. Stipels absent. Inflorescences spiciform,unisexual, axillary. Male inflorescences densely flowered, to 1.5 cm long; subsessile, peduncle to 1 mm long, densely pubescent; flowers glomerate; bracts to 0.5 mm long, ovate-lanceolate, ciliate with simple, short, trichomes. Female inflorescences laxly flowered, to 3 cm long; peduncle filiform, 6-10 mm long, it and rachis pubescent with simple, short trichomes; bracts 1-3, sessile, enlarging in fruit to 4 × 5.5 mm, orbicular-reniform, with two reddish papillae at base, pubescent with simple, short trichomes and rounded resinous glands; margin dentate to crenate-dentate,teeth c. 20, rounded to subtriangular,central tooth not prominent; bracteoles to 0.3 mm long, triangular, sparsely hairy. Male flowers: pedicel to 1 mm long, sparsely hairy; buds to 0.5 mm diameter, sparsely hairy and with some rounded resinous glands. Female flowers 1 per bract, sessile; sepals 3-4, to 1 mm long, triangular, appressed-pubescent with simple, short trichomes; ovary c. 1 mm diameter, 3-lobed, smooth,surface pubescent with simple,short,appressed trichomes and rounded resinous glands; styles 3, to 4 mm long, distinct, sparsely hairy on rachis,with simple trichomes, each divided into 8-10 slender segments. Allomorphic flowers sometimes present at female inflorescence apex; pedicel filiform, to 2 mm long, pubescent with simple, curved, antrorse trichomes; sepals 3, to 0.5 mm long, triangular, pubescent with simple,short trichomes and rounded resinous glands; ovary 1-lobed, to 1 mm diameter, densely pubescent with simple trichomes; style 1, to 4 mm long, glabrous. Capsules to 3 mm diameter, smooth, surface pubescent with simple, short, appressed trichomes and rounded resinous glands. Seeds c. 1.8 × 1.2 mm, pyriform, foveolate.

NOTE

Leandri designated Decary 2985 as the type, but he did not indicate the herbarium.We located two specimens of this collection. The one at P, where Leandri worked, is the only one that bears the word “type” written by Leandri. We therefore designate this as the lectotype.

Figures

FIG. 28. — A, Acalypha diminuta Baill. (photo by L. Gillespie, L. Gillespie 10704); B, C, A. andringitrensis Leandri (photo by P. Phillipson, P. Phillipson 5669); D, E, A. boinensis Leandri (photo by L. Gillespie, L. Gillespie 10813); F, A. decaryana Leandri (photo by P. Lowry II, P. Lowry II 6991); G, H, A. emirnensis Baill. (photo by L. Nusbaumer, P. Ranirison PR994).

FIG. 35. — Mature female bracts: A, Acalypha decaryana Leandri (R. Decary 2985); B, A. emirnensis Baill. (G. McPherson 14590); C, A. filiformis Poir. (P. Commerson s.n.); D, A. fimbriata Schumach. & Thonn. (J. Audru 40466); E, A. gillespieae G.A.Levin & I.Montero (L. Gillespie et al. 10692); F, A. gracilipes Baill. (R. Rabevohitra 2054); G, A. humbertii Leandri (W. Kaudern 222). Illustration by Iris Montero Muñoz. Scale bars: A, C-G, 1 mm; B, 2 mm.

FIG. 27. — Distribution map of Acalypha decaryana Leandri in Madagascar.