A revision of the Malagasy endemic genus Aspidostemon Rohwer & Richter (Lauraceae) Werff, Henk Van Der Adansonia 2006 3 28 1 7 44  15.  Aspidostemon longipedicellatumVan der Werff, sp. nov.( Figs 7C; 9C)   A congeneris inflorescentiisglabris, staminibus tribus, pedicellis longis recedit.   TYPUS. —  Madagascar. Toamasina, Nosy Mangabe, 15°30’S, 49°46’E,  0-300 m,  4.XI.1992, fl.,  Van der Werff ,  Schatz, Gray & Razafimandimbison 12838(holo-, MO; iso-, KUN, MO, P, QRS, TAN).   PARATYPES. —  Madagascar. Forêt d’Ibanda, au SW d’Antambe, [ 16°23’S, 49°43’30”E], fl.,  Raharimalala446( P). —  Toamasina, Nosy Mangabe, 15°30’S, 49°46’E, fr. buds,  Schatz2739( MO, P, TAN). —  Bordsde piste Andrahanjo-Antongondrika, [ 14°18’30”S, 49°46’E], fr.,  Service Forestier732( P). —  Massif d’Amnohitsitondroina de Mahalevona, Nde la presqu’île du Masoala, [ 14°18’30”S, 49°46’E],  600 m, fl.,  Service Forestier8689( MO, P, TEF). —  Masoala Peninsula,  Sof Ambanizana, [ 15°38’S, 49°58’E], ster.,  Vasey& Velo28( MO). —  Masoala Peninsula,  Sof Ambanizana, [ 15°38’S, 49°58’E], fr.,  Vasey& Behasy52( MO, P). —  Masoala Peninsula,  Sof Ambanizana, [ 15°38’S, 49°58’E], fr.,  Vasey& Velo88( MO, P). —  Masoala Peninsula,  Sof Ambanizana, [ 15°38’S, 49°58’E], buds,  Vasey& Behasy108( MO, P). DESCRIPTION Tree,  20 m.Twigs terete, glabrous, lenticellate; teminal buds glabrous. Leaves opposite, 7.5-11 × 2.5-4 cm, glabrous, elliptic to ovate-elliptic, papyraceous, the base acute, apex acuminate, acumen 7-12 mmlong, margin flat, reticulation immersed on the upper surface, faintly raised on the lower surface, lateral veins difficult to separate from the tertiary veins; petioles 5-8 mmlong, canaliculate. Inflorescences to 1.5 cmlong, glabrous; pedicels 4-5 mmlong. Flowers 2-2.5 mmin diam., 1.5 mmlong, glabrous, tepals about as wide as long, erect, the outer tepals thickened at their base and slightly bulging outwards; stamens 3, thick, but their tips not peltate, locelli apical, readily visible, staminodia II not seen, either lacking, reduced to a few hairs at the base of the inner tepals or fused completely with the staminodia III; staminodia III with their tips flattened, fused into a flat-topped column, and not covering any part of the stamens. Fruits ellipsoid, 2.3 × 1.2 cm, smooth, the floral remnants persisting on top.  REMARKS   Aspidostemon longipedicellatumcan be confused with  A. trianthera; both species have basally thickened tepals that bulge outwards. The tepals in  A. triantheraare more strongly thickened and give the flowers a 6-lobed appearance.Other differences are the longer pedicels in  A. longipedicellatum, the fused staminodia III in  A. longipedicellatum(free in  A. trianthera), the apical locelli in  A. longipedicellatum(introrse in  A. trianthera) and the absence of visible hairs in the flowers of  A. longipedicellatum(although a few hairs are present, but hidden, inside the flowers and are covered by the staminodia III). It is only known from the NE part of Madagascar( Fig. 10). The fruiting paratypewas initially identified by Kostermans (in sched.) as a new species; later he cited it as a paratypeof  A. trianthera. ALTITUDINAL DISTRIBUTION  0-600 m. PHENOLOGY Flowers: February, November, December; fruits: November. VERNACULAR NAME Tapiramena. 1992-11-04 TYPUS Van der Werff Madagascar 150 -15.5 Nosy Mangabe 1284 49.766666 22 29 1 Toamasina P Raharimalala Madagascar -16.383333 d'Antambe 925 49.725002 Foret d'Ibanda 22 29 1 paratype MO, P, TAN Schatz Madagascar -15.5 Nosy Mangabe 1284 49.766666 22 29 1 Toamasina paratype P Service Forestier Madagascar -14.308333 Andrahanjo-Antongondrika 896 49.766666 Bords 22 29 1 paratype N, MO, P, TEF Service Forestier Madagascar 600 -14.308333 Masoala 896 49.766666 Massif d'Amnohitsitondroina de Mahalevona 22 29 1 paratype S, MO Vasey & Velo Madagascar -15.633333 Masoala Peninsula 1284 49.966667 22 29 1 paratype S, MO, P Vasey & Behasy Madagascar -15.633333 Masoala Peninsula 1284 49.966667 22 29 1 paratype S, MO, P Vasey & Velo Madagascar -15.633333 Masoala Peninsula 1284 49.966667 22 29 1 paratype S, MO, P Vasey & Behasy Madagascar -15.633333 Masoala Peninsula 1284 49.966667 22 29 1 paratype