Eugenia andapae N. Snow, 2015

Snow, Neil, Callmander, Martin & Phillipson, Peter B., 2015, Studies of Malagasy Eugenia - IV: Seventeen new endemic species, a new combination, and three lectotypifications; with comments on distribution, ecological and evolutionary patterns, PhytoKeys 49, pp. 59-121 : 60

Eugenia andapae N. Snow sp. nov. holotype (Figure 1): http://www.tropicos.org/Image/100314911

Frutex usque ad 9 m altus; ramuli complanati, glabri; folia usque ad 19 × 11.5 cm, obovata vel late elliptica, basi cordata vel rotundata, nervo medio supra sulcato, nervis secundariis infernis elevatis.

Type.

Madagascar. Prov. Antsiranana: Sud-Ouest d’Andapa, Réserve Spéciale d’Anjanaharibe-Sud. Ambodisatrana, aux environs des sommets, 14°32'45"S, 49°35'15"E, 809-1364 m, 25 May-3 June 1994, D. Ravelonarivo 206 + Raymond & Bekamisy (holotype: MO-6277713!; isotypes: KSP [KSP000041]!, P [P05097480]!, TAN).

Description.

Shrubs or trees 4-12 m tall; bark of main bole unknown. Vegetative and reproductive parts mostly glabrous except as noted. Branchlets laterally compressed, the terminal internode sometimes with a distal sulcus but becoming rounded, smooth, minutely and sparsely short-sericeous but soon glabrous, oil glands faint and moderately common but soon fading; emerging (youngest) internodes sometimes bearing 1-2 pairs of opposite to broadly ovate bracts 1.5-4.0 mm long. Leaves opposite, thinly coriaceous (dried material cracking with only moderate pressure), discolorous, matte above and below, venation brochidodromous. Axillary colleters absent. Petioles 3-4 mm long, slightly striate below, flattened above, epunctate. Leaf blades (15-)18.5-25 × (7-)13.5-14 cm, broadly elliptic to broadly obovate, base cordate and somewhat clasping (or rounded), surface and margin flat, apex obtuse to broadly acute, tip acuminate (or rarely retuse), secondary veins more or less straight, 11-15 per side protruding prominently below and arising at 25-55° angles and connected by slightly arching (but also prominent) inner marginal veins, tertiary veins relatively well-spaced but projecting only slightly (dried material); adaxial surface glabrous, oil glands faint (use magnification), sparse to common, more or less flush and darkish (dried), midvein sulcate; abaxial surface glabrous, midvein projecting prominently throughout and punctate (especially proximally) or epunctate, secondary veins projecting prominently, straight or only curving slightly towards margin, the secondaries connected at their ends by moderately arching connecting veins, tertiary veins projecting but less so than secondaries, intramarginal vein of same thickness as tertiaries, 1.5-5 mm from margin at midpoint of blade. Inflorescence (material scant) a monad; flowers cauliflorous, arising from short brachyblasts (<3 mm long) above nodes on naked branches. Pedicels 8-32 mm long (possibly elongating after fertilization), 0.7-2.0 mm wide, somewhat compressed laterally, longitudinally striate, somewhat flexuous (bending with light touch), habit unknown, moderately glandular (glands faint), anthopodium and metaxyphylls absent. Bracteoles narrowly to broadly ovate, 1.5-2.5 × 0.5-1 mm, minutely and sparsely hairy dorsally and apically (hairs clear or whitish with some reddish). Hypanthium campanulate, 3.0-3.3 mm long, 3-4 mm wide at base of calyx lobes, densely but very shortly sericeous in proximal half (hairs reddish-brown) but glabrous distally; ovary apex glabrous. Calyx lobes 4 and often tearing irregularly towards hypanthium, up to 3.5 mm long × 4.5 mm broad (at base), irregularly hemispherical, glabrous on both faces apart from occasional minute hairs, evidently reflexed irregularly in anthesis. Petals 4 (material scant), 5.5-19.0 × ca. 10 mm, narrowly to broadly obovate, glabrous, epunctate, rose to violet. Staminal ring 3.5-4.0 mm in diameter (rounded or somewhat squarish), sparsely short hairy (hairs whitish). Stamens ca. 140 (estimated from scars on ring), multiseriate; filaments up to 10 mm long; anthers globular, ca. 0.8 mm long. Fruit 23-35 × 21-50 mm, depressed globular to globose, glabrous, base and apex rounded or apex crowned by calyx lobes, pinkish-reddish.

Phenology.

Flowering in February and March; fruiting March through November.

Etymology.

The species occurs in the Andapa Basin.

Distribution.

Known in northeast Madagascar in and around the Anjarahabe-Sud and Marojejy protected areas (Figure 7).

Habitat and ecology.

Humid forests, riparian areas and near summit of Ambodisatrana; ca. 200-1540 m.

Conservation status.

With an Extent of Occurrence (EOO) of 1586 km2, and Area of Occupancy (AOO) of 45 km2 and five subpopulations, two of which are situated within the protected area network (Anjanaharibe-Sud, Marojejy), Eugenia andapae is assigned a preliminary risk of extinction of “Vulnerable” [VU B1ab(iii)+2ab(iii)] following the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria ( IUCN 2012).

Comments.

The calyx lobes of this species tear towards the hypanthium during anthesis (see also Eugenia lacerosepala N. Snow and Eugenia ambanizanensis N. Snow). In this regard Eugenia andapae is similar to taxa first described by Scott (1979) from the Mascarenes in Monimiastrum A.J. Scott, which were reduced to synonymy under Eugenia ( Snow 2008). The relatively long and broadly elliptic to obovate leaf blades with cordate bases, and the relatively straight and projecting abaxial secondary veins are diagnostic among other species of Eugenia in Madagascar. On herbarium material the abaxial tertiary veins also protrude slightly despite being thin. The label of the type specimen indicates that the fleshy fruits typically are crowned by the calyx lobes, although this was not true for the specimen from the Beamalona River.

Specimens examined.

MADAGASCAR. Prov. Antsiranana: Vallée inférieure de l’Androranga, affluent de la Bemarivo (NE), aux environs d’Antongondriha, à la base du massif du Betsomanga, [14°15'30"S, 49°44'00"E], 200 m, 17-20 Nov. 1950, H. Humbert 24234 + R. Capuron (P [P05208578]); Quartier d’Ambodisatrana, SW d’Andapa, Réserve Spéciale d’Anjanaharibe-Sud, suivant la piste au bord de la rivière de Beamalona, vers la chaîne d’Anjanaharibe dans la réserve, 14°38'30"S, 49°25'30"E, 1235 m, 23 Mar. 1995, D. Ravelonarivo 694 + R. Rabesonina (MO). Andapa, Anjialavabe, Ankiakabe, 14°09'50"S, 49°22'47"E, 952 m, 11 Feb. 2007, R. Razakamalala 3234 + D. Ravelonarivo, C. Rakotovao, Jacky & José (G, K, MO-6175410, P [P04885355]). Prov. Mahajanga: Amparihy, Ruisseau d’Andasinanantsomanga, 14°55'38"S, 49°25'50"E, 1199 m, 23 Feb. 2008, P. Bernard 860 + J. Ramiadana & J. Jocelyn (MO-6432613).