Operculicarya borealis Eggli

Randrianasolo, Armand & Lowry Ii, Porter P., 2006, Operculicarya (Anacardiaceae) revisited: an updated taxonomic treatment for Madagascar and the Comoro Islands, with descriptions of two new species, Adansonia (3) 28 (2), pp. 359-371 : 362-364

1. Operculicarya borealis Eggli

Bulletin du Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, Paris, 4e sér., sect. B, Adansonia 17: 152 (1995). — Type: Madagascar, Prov. Antsiranana, forêt d’Analafondro, sur sables, au pied SE du plateau de Sahafary (bassin inférieur du Rodo), [12°37’S, 49°32’E], 27.XII.1963, fr., Service Forestier (Capuron) 23097 (holo-, P!; iso-, P!, TEF!) .

ADDITIONAL MATERIAL EXAMINED. — Madagascar. Prov. Antsiranana, Andavakoera, Razafitsalama et al.632. — Orangea, Service Forestier (Capuron) 22726, 22954 bis, 22967. — Forêt d’Analafondro, Service Forestier (Capuron) 23097. — Route Diégo-Orangea, Service Forestier (Capuron) 29225.

REMARKS

Operculicarya borealis is a shrub or small tree only known from the Orangea and Sahafary forests

FIG. 1. — Distributions of Operculicarya , mapped on the bioclimatic zones of Madagascar (after Cornet 1974; see Schatz 2000): O. borealis (■), O. decaryi (●), O. hirsutissima (★), O. pachypus (▲).

in far northeastern Madagascar (Fig. 1), where it grows on unconsolidated sand (Orangea) and sandstone (Sahafary). It can be distinguished from other members of the genus by its small elliptic to slightly obovate leaves with a rounded, mucronate apex, villous to lanate indument, and secondary venation on the lower surface that is moderately raised but does not form distinct cavities between the individual veins.

CONSERVATION STATUS

With an Extent of Occurrence (EOO) less than 100 km 2, an Area of Occupancy (AOO) of 200 km 2, and only three subpopulations, none of which are

currently included within Madagascar’s protected areas network, Operculicarya borealis is assigned a preliminary status of Endangered (EN B1ab(ii,iii) +2ab(ii,iii)) using the IUCN Red List threat criteria ( IUCN 2001).