Acalypha cardielii I.Montero & G.A.Levin

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 : 426

9. Acalypha cardielii I.Montero & G.A.Levin

South African Journal of Botany 146: 636 ( Montero Muñoz et al. 2022). — Type: Madagascar. Melaky region (Mahajanga prov.), Tsingy du Bemaraha, 1932-1933, J. Leandri 115 (holo-, P[P00887484]; iso-, P[P05547055]) .

ICONOGRAPHY. — Montero Muñoz et al. (2022); Fig. 25F.

ETYMOLOGY. — The epithet honors Dr. José María Cardiel, codirector of the first author’s PhD dissertation. He has published extensively about the genus and has contributed to worldwide Acalypha knowledge.

DISTRIBUTION AND HABITAT. — Endemic to Madagascar (Melaky). Dry deciduous forest. On limestone. Altitude c. 360 m ( Fig. 22 ).

PRELIMINARY CONSERVATION ASSESSMENT. — Acalypha cardielii is only known from one collection from the Tsingy de Bemaraha. Its EOO could not be calculated; its AOO is estimated to be 8 km 2. The Tsingy de Bemaraha lies within a national park and a nature reserve that have been IUCN category II and Ia protected areas since 1927, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1990. The forest of this area has local anthropogenic pressures such as fire associated with the renewal of zebu (cattle) pastures, logging for construction, and deforestation for new agricultural lands, resulting in loss of forest cover during the last decade ( Dudley 2008; Goodman et al. 2018). No specimens of this species have been collected for 88 years, so we cannot rule out that this species has become extinct. In conclusion, due to habitat loss, the restricted geographic range, and the absence of recent collections, A. cardielii is assigned a preliminary conservation status of Critically Endangered: CR B2ab(ii,iii) (probably EX). MATERIAL EXAMINED. — 1 collection. Madagascar: Leandri, J. 115 (P[P05547055, P00887484]).

DESCRIPTION

Shrubs, probably deciduous, height unknown, monoecious. Branches whitish, pubescent with simple, curved, antrorse trichomes, glabrescent when mature. Axillary buds spherical, to 1 mm diameter, perulate, perules 2, imbricated, chartaceous, dark brown, glabrous. Stipules to 1 mm long, triangular-lanceolate, apex acute, sparsely hairy with simple, short trichomes, margin with some sessile glands. Petioles canaliculate, 0.5-1.5(-2) cm long, indumentum similar to that on young branches. Leaf blades 1.8-2.6(-3) × 1.1-1.6 cm, subrhombic, membranous; base acute; apex obtuse to retuse; margin crenate-serrate, revolute, reddish, teeth rounded; upper surface sparsely hairy with some simple, short trichomes; lower surface glabrous; venation actinodromous, basal veins 3, secondary veins 3-4 per side. Stipels glandular, to 0.2 mm long, glabrous. Inflorescences spiciform, androgynous and male, axillary. Androgynous inflorescences to 5.5 cm long, mostly male with short female segment; peduncle to 15 mm long, it and rachis with indumentum similar to that on petioles. Female segment to 2.5 cm long; bracts 2, sessile, enlarging in fruit to 8 × 6 mm, reniform, glabrous; margin crenate, teeth 6-12, rounded, central tooth not prominent; bracteoles absent. Male segment persistent, to 2.5 cm long; flowers glomerate; bracts to 1 mm long, elliptic-lanceolate, glabrous. Male inflorescences laxly flowered, to 3.5 cm long; subsessile, peduncle to 0.3 mm long; bracts like those on androgynous inflorescences. Male flowers: pedicel to 0.5 mm long, sparsely hairy; buds to 0.5 mm diameter, glabrous. Female flowers 1 per bract, sessile; sepals 3, to 1 mm long, triangular-lanceolate, glabrous, margin with some sessile glands; ovary c. 1 mm diameter, 3-lobed, papillose-hispid, papillae acute, ending in simple trichome to 0.5 mm long, surface with some subsessile glandular trichomes; styles 3, to 4 mm long, distinct, glabrous, each divided into 7-9 segments. Allomorphic flowers sometimes present at inflorescence apex; pedicel filiform, to 1.5 cm long, glabrous; sepals 3, similar to those of normal flowers; ovary 1-lobed, to 2 × 1.5 mm, sparsely hairy, distally fimbriate; style 1, to 4 mm long, glabrous. Capsules to 2 mm diameter, papillose-hispid, papillae triangular. ending in simple trichome to 1 mm long, surface glabrous. Seeds not seen.

Figures

FIG. 25. — Distribution map of Acalypha claoxyloides Hutch. in Seychelles (Aldabra group).

FIG. 22. — Distribution map of Acalypha cardielii I.Montero & G.A.Levin in Madagascar.