Diospyros multimaculata C.Puglisi, 2022

Puglisi, C., Jimbo, T. & Hagwood, A., 2022, Two new species of Diospyros (Ebenaceae) from New Guine, Edinburgh Journal of Botany 79, pp. 1-10 : 3-4

Diospyros multimaculata C.Puglisi , sp. nov.

Diospyros multimaculata is vegetatively most similar to Diospyros rostrata (Merr.) Bakh. and D. pulchra Bakh. It differs from the former in the fruit with a nearly smooth epicarp (markedly colliculate in Diospyros rostrata ) and in lacking the pronounced apical projection, and from the latter in the trimerous calyx and the prolate to fusiform fruit (calyx tetramerous and fruit globose to oblate in D. pulchra ). It also resembles D. janowskyi Bakh. in the overall habit and fruit shape but differs in the conspicuously glandular and subcordate base of mature leaves (leaf base inconspicuously to not glandular and obtuse in D. janowskyi ). Diospyros multimaculata is characterised by the large, mature leaves with subcordate base and acuminate apex; numerous dark glands at the leaf base and alongside the midrib; the hairy leaves; and the prolate to fusiform fruit subtended by a small, trimerous calyx.

– Type: Papua New Guinea, Sandaun (West Sepik) Province, Vanimo District, Ossima , 30 m a.s.l., 30 i 1969, Streimann & Kairo NGF 39283 (holotype K [ K00618534 ] ; isotypes E [ E01014580 ], L [ L.2667453 ]) . Figure 1 .

Small tree 6–8 m tall; bark black, stems hairy. Leaves simple, alternate; petiole 6–8 mm long, hairy, terete; lamina dark green above, paler beneath, ovate, elliptic or slightly obovate, 11–20 × 3.5–8.5 cm, base subcordate (obtuse to rounded in younger leaves), apex acuminate; indumentum simple on both sides, adaxially denser (although brittle and caducous) and more abundant along the midrib, abaxially also including T-shaped hairs on the lamina, young leaves with ciliate margin; black (at least in herbarium specimens) pitted glands along the midrib throughout its length, densely clustered at the leaf base and peculiarly visible on the adaxial side; on the adaxial side midrib raised at the base and then becoming sulcate, secondary veins flat or slightly raised, tertiary veins almost inconspicuous, on the abaxial side midrib raised throughout, secondary veins raised and visibly anastomosing near the margin in loops, tertiary veins raised and scalariform. Male inflorescences and flowers not seen. Remnants of female inflorescences axillary, to 2.5 cm long, 4- to 10-flowered. Flowers not seen, reported as yellow for both sexes. Fruiting calyx very small, tube reduced, lobes 3, divided almost to base, broadly acute, 1–2 mm long, spreading or slightly reflexed, hairy outside, glabrous inside.

Fruit fleshy, prolate to fusiform, light green when immature, orange to red when ripe, sparsely hairy to nearly glabrous, 3.5–5.6 × 2–2.5 cm, acute at the base and acute at the apex, epicarp smooth to slightly irregular. Seeds up to 6, usually 5 or 6, dark brown, smooth.

Distribution. New Guinea ( Figure 2 ).

Habitat and ecology. Lowland swampy or seasonally inundated primary forest, on clay soil.

Etymology. This species is named after the numerous glands at the leaf base and throughout the lamina alongside the midrib.

Vernacular name. Usrapai (Kemtuik [Kamtuk] language).

Other specimens examined. INDONESIA. Papua Province: Jayapura, Sekoli, South of Lake Sentani, 110 m a.s.l., 7 viii 1957, Kalkman BW 3767 ( K, L) .

PAPUA NEW GUINEA. Sandaun (West Sepik) Province: Vanimo District, near Poar River, 30 m a.s.l., 22 vi 1975, Katik LAE 62262 ( E, K, L) ; Madang Province: Wanang Village, 115 m a.s.l., 29 x 2008, Ctvrtecka 2971 ( K) ; Josephstaal FMA area, 160 m a.s.l., 5 viii 1999, Takeuchi et al. 13764 ( K, L) .

Figures

Figure 1. Diospyros multimaculata C.Puglisi, sp. nov. A, Habit; B, upper leaf surface and profile of midrib; C, lower leaf surface and profile of midrib; D, detail of the glands at the base of the leaf on the lower surface; E, side view of the fruit; F, basal view of the fruit, showing the persistent calyx. Drawn by Andrew P. Brown from the type collection, Streimann & Kairo NGF 39283 (K) (A–C) and Takeuchi et al. 13764 (K) (D–F).

Figure 2. Map showing the distribution of Diospyros multimaculata (●) and D. tehno (▲) in New Guinea.