A revision of the Malagasy endemic genus Aspidostemon Rohwer & Richter (Lauraceae) Werff, Henk Van Der Adansonia 2006 3 28 1 7 44   1.  Aspidostemon andohahelense Van der Werff, sp. nov.( Figs 1A; 2A) Aspidostemoni microphyllo simile, sed foliis majoribus, tenuioribus et locellis minutis distinguenda; A. trianthera tepalis non incrassatis, floribus latioribus quam longioribus differt. TYPUS. —   Madagascar.Prov. Toliara, Andohahela, Réserveintégrale 11, 24°45’S, 46°51’E,  250-500 m,  17-20.X.1992, fl.,  Van der Werff, Malcomber, Gray& Rapanarivo12748(holo-, MO; iso-, B, BR, HBG, K, L, LE, MO, NY, P, PRE, QRS, TAN, TI, US).   PARATYPES. —  Madagascar. Ifarantsa, [ 24°53’S, 46°52’E], bud,  Réserves Naturelles8182( P). —  Col du Maningotry, route d’Ifarantsaà Ranomafana, [ 24°53’S, 46°52’E], fl.,  Service Forestier8512( MO, P, TEF). —  Col du Maningotry, Isaka-Ivondro, Ifarantsa, [ 24°53’S, 46°52’E], fl.,  Service Forestier14161( P, TEF). —  Toliara, Andohahela, Réserveintégrale 11, 24°45’S, 46°51’E,  Van der Werffet al. 12737( BR, CAS, G, HBG, KUN, K, L, LE, MO, P, PRE, QRS, US). —   Idem, fl.,  Van der Werffet al. 12738( HBG, MO, P, QRS, TAN). DESCRIPTION Trees, to  10 m.Twigs terete, glabrous or with a few appressed hairs near the tip, lenticellate; terminal buds with a fringe of hairs. Leaves opposite, 6-9 × 2-3 cm, glabrous, thinly chartaceous, the base acute, apex acuminate, acumen 4-8 mmlong, margin flat, reticulation immersed on the upper surface, weakly raised on the lower surface, lateral veins 8-10, petioles 4-6 mmlong, canaliculate. Inflorescences to 1.5 cmlong, with a few scattered, appressed hairs, pedicels 2 mmlong. Flowers 3 mmin diam., 2 mmlong, glabrous, disc-shaped, tepals wider than long, erect to incurved; stamens 6, their tips peltately expanded, locelli apical-lateral, minute; staminodia III with the tips greatly enlarged, fused, forming a shieldlike structure; filaments of stamens and staminodia pubescent with red, curly hairs. Fruits unknown.  REMARKS   Aspidostemon andohahelenseis best recognized by its rather thin leaves, presence of 6 (or 3, see below) stamens with small, apical locelli and the scattered hairs on the inflorescence; it is close to  A. microphyllum; differences between the two species are discussed under  A. microphyllum. It is only known from the SE of Madagascar( Fig. 3). The three collections made by Van der Werff et al.were found along the same trail, growing not far apart and are vegetatively very similar – same leaf shape, leaf texture, scattered hairs on the inflorescence. However, two of those have mostly flowers with 3 stamens, while one, the typeof  A. andohahelense, has flowers with 6 stamens. The simplest explanation for this is that this species has 6 stamens, but that in young flowers only the outer three open, while in mature flowers all 6 stamens are open. The alternative, regarding the collection with 6 stamens as a different species from the one with 3 stamens, overlooks the very strong vegetative similarity between these specimens. See also comments under  A. occultumand  A. manongarivense.  FIG. 1. — Species of  AspidostemonRohwer & Richter: A,  A. andohahelenseVan der Werff; B,  A. antongilenseVan der Werff; C,  A. apiculatumVan der Werff; D,  A. capuroniiVan der Werff.A, Van der Werff et al. 12748, MO; B, Service Forestier 18319, MO; C, Service Forestier 15325, MO; D, Service Forestier 28458, MO.  FIG. 2. — Scanning electron microscope images of  AspidostemonRohwer & Richter: A,  A. andohahelenseVan der Werff; B,  A. apiculatumVan der Werff; C,  A. fungiformeVan der Werff; D,  A. glandulosumRohwer.A, Van der Werff et al. 12748, MO; B, Service Forestier 18319, MO; C, Schatz et al. 3804, MO; D, Service Forestier 16534, MO. Scale bars: 0.5 mm.  FIG. 3. — Distribution of  AspidostemonRohwer & Richterin Madagascar: Ϙ,  A. andohahelenseVan der Werff; Ϙ,  A. antongilenseVan der Werff; ▲,  A. apiculatumVan der Werff; ▲,  A. capuroniiVan der Werff. A paratypeof  A. andohahelensewas cited by Kostermans as a paratypeof  A. trianthera. As accepted here,  A. triantherahas strongly thickened tepals, which give the flowers a 6-lobed appearance. ALTITUDINAL DISTRIBUTION  200-500 m. PHENOLOGY Flowers: August, September, October. VERNACULAR NAMES Oviary, Hazomasina, Sagna. 1992-10-17 1992-10-20 1992-10-17 MO, B, BR, HBG, K, L, LE, NY, P, PRE, QRS, TAN, TI, US Van der Werff & Malcomber & Gray & Rapanarivo Madagascar 375 -24.75 Reserve 1249 46.85 Andohahela 6 13 1 Toliara P Reserves Naturelles Madagascar -24.883333 Ifarantsa 1249 46.866665 6 13 1 paratype MO, P, TEF Service Forestier Madagascar Col du Maningotry -24.883333 Ranomafana 1249 46.866665 d'Ifarantsa 6 13 1 paratype P, TEF Col du Maningotry & Service Forestier Madagascar -24.883333 Ifarantsa 1249 46.866665 Isaka-Ivondro 6 13 1 paratype BR, CAS, G, HBG, KUN, K, L, LE, MO, P, PRE, QRS, US Van der Werff Madagascar -24.75 Reserve 1249 46.85 Andohahela 6 13 1 Toliara paratype HBG, MO, P, QRS, TAN Van der Werff Madagascar Idem 6 13 1 paratype