Amyema nickrentii Barcelona & Pelser, 2013

Pelser, Pieter B. & Barcelona, Julie F., 2013, Discovery through photography: Amyema nickrentii, a new species of Loranthaceae from Aurora Province, Philippines, Phytotaxa 125 (1), pp. 47-52 : 47-48

Amyema nickrentii Barcelona & Pelser , sp. nov. ( Figs 1 , 2 )

Type:— PHILIPPINES. Luzon: Aurora Prov., Baler Mun., Brgy. Zabali, Dicasalarin Cove, in coastal forest along road from Sitio

Cemento to Dicasalarin beach resort, 15°44’40" N, 121°37'50"E, ca. 140–160 m, 14 March 2013, Barcelona 3853 with Pelser (holotype: PNH, isotypes CHR, L, US) .

Amyema nickrentii differs from all other described Amyema species in having a whorled leaf arrangement with usually 9 linear leaves per node.

Climbing hemi-parasitic epiphyte. Glabrous. Stems terete, dilated at the nodes; internodes up to 7 cm long, reddish-brown. Leaves verticillate, in whorls of (6–)9(–11), sometimes displaced; lamina flat, coriaceous, linear, up to 16 cm long, 5–12 mm wide, length/width ratio 10–22, base attenuate, margin entire and slightly reddish, apex acute and shortly aristate, upper surface dark green, lower surface paler, smooth, midrib only visible on lower surface, secondary venation obscure, slightly ‘v’-shaped in cross-section, young leaves often with a red tinge; petiole 10–12 mm long, reddish green. Inflorescences on the epicortical runners, pedunculate umbels of 15 or 18 triads; peduncle 3–6 mm long; lateral flowers pedicellate; central flower more shortly pedicellate or sessile; bracts triangular, 1.5–2 mm long, 0.75–1 mm wide, pastel green. Flowers 4-merous, 2.4–2.7 cm long; calyx 3–4 mm long, minutely lobed, dark pink to red, fading to cream in lobes; corolla tube 2.1–2.3 cm long, dark yellow to light orange, lobes 3–4 mm long, pastel green; stamens epipetalous, anthers ca. 2 mm long, filaments ca. 2 mm long; style ca. 3 cm long; pedicels up to 1.5 mm long, pink. Fruits ovoid, ellipsoid or nearly globular, up to 8 mm long, 6 mm wide, pink, calyx remains ca. 1 mm long.

Distribution and habitat: —Only known from the type locality and near vicinity at Dicasalarin Cove, but locally common. Coastal low elevation tropical forest.

Host plants: — Amyema nickrentii was found growing on Teijsmanniodendron bogoriense (Barcelona 3856 with Pelser, CHR, L, PNH, US) and Timonius sp. (Barcelona 3857 with Pelser, CHR, L, US).

Etymology: —We name this species after Daniel L. Nickrent to acknowledge his contributions to parasitic plant research and his efforts of documenting plant diversity through photography ( Nickrent et al. 2006 onwards). It is particularly appropriate to name this species in his honor, because the new Amyema species described here was discovered as part of the Co’s Digital Flora of the Philippine project ( Pelser et al. 2011 onwards), of which Nickrent is a founder and editor. Furthermore, Nickrent was the first to note that our photographs represented an Amyema species that was unknown to science.

Additional specimens examined (paratypes): — PHILIPPINES . Luzon: Aurora Prov., Baler Mun., Brgy. Zabali, Dicasalarin Cove, in coastal forest along road from Sitio Cemento to Dicasalarin beach resort, ca. 140–160 m, 8 March 2012, Gapas 147 ( PNH); 14 April 2013, Barcelona 3852 ( CHR, L, MO), 3854 ( CHR, L, SIU, US), 3855 ( CHR, L, PNH), 3858 ( CHR, US), 3859 ( L, MO), 3860 with Pelser ( CHR, US) .

Diagnostic characters: — Amyema nickrentii is quite distinct from all species that have thus far been described throughout the geographical range of the genus. It resembles 11 other Philippine species in having flat (as opposed to terete) leaves in a verticillate arrangement and inflorescences that are pedunculate umbels composed of triads. These are A. acuta (Van Tieghem 1894b: 546) Danser (1929: 293) , A. benguetensis ( Merrill 1909: 134) Danser (1929: 294) , A. celebica (Van Tieghem 1901: 364) Danser (1929: 294) , A. curranii ( Merrill 1909: 144) Danser (1929: 294) , A. haenkeana (Presl ex Schultes 1829: 113) Danser (1929: 295) , A. halconensis ( Merrill 1907: 271) Danser (1929: 296) , A. incarnatiflora ( Elmer 1913: 1970) Danser (1929: 296) , A. luzonensis (Presl ex Schultes 1829: 104) Danser (1929: 296) , A. rhytidoderma Barlow (1992: 359) , A. vernicosa Barlow (1992: 373) , and A. verticillata ( Merrill 1909: 150) Danser (1929: 299) . However, it is different from these taxa in numerous characters ( Table 1). For example, none of these species has leaves that are linear or are placed in whorls of more than eight. In fact, an inspection of photographs of most of the types as well as the taxonomic descriptions of the Amyema species with an extra-Philippine distribution ( Barlow 1974, 1984, 1992) also indicated that none of these share this combination of characters. Although flat leaves of a linear order are not uncommon in Amyema [e.g., A. bifurcata ( Bentham 1867: 393) Van Tieghem (1894a: 507) , A. canaliculata Barlow (1974: 569) , A. eburna ( Barlow 1983: 208) Barlow (1992: 327) ], only five species are reported to have leaves in whorls of more than four [ A. halconensis , A. polillensis ( Robinson 1911: 200) Danser (1929: 298) , A. polytrias Danser (1940: 391) , A. scandens (Van Tieghem 1894a: 509) Danser (1929: 299) , and A. scheffleroides Barlow (1992: 364)] and none of these have more than eight leaves per node or linear leaves.

Figures

FIGURE 1. A–G. Amyema nickrentii. A. Habit of plant with fruits and young flowers on Teijsmanniodendron bogoriense host plant. B. Young inflorescence. C. Infructescence. D. Twig. E. Young inflorescence showing flowers in triads. F. Epicortical runner with infructescence and young inflorescence. G. Senescent flower. A–D, G–F: Barcelona 3853 with Pelser. E: Barcelona 3852 with Pelser. Photographs taken by Pelser & Barcelona. See www.phytoimages.siu.edu for additional photos and photos of the host plants.

FIGURE 2. A–E. Amyema nickrentii. A. Linear leaves in verticillate arrangement. B. Young inflorescence. C. Verticillate leaf arrangement. D. Inflorescence. E. Habitat, Dicasalarin Cove. A, C–D: Barcelona 3853 with Pelser. B: Barcelona 3852 with Pelser. Photographs taken by Pelser & Barcelona. See www.phytoimages.siu.edu for additional photos and photos of the host plants.