Micronychia madagascariensis Oliv.

Randrianasolo, Armand, 2000, A taxonomic revision of the Malagasy endemic genus Micronychia (Anacardiaceae), Adansonia (3) 22 (1), pp. 145-155 : 150-151

Micronychia madagascariensis Oliv.

Hook. Icon. Pl., ser. 3, 14: 27 (1881). — Type:

Langley Kitching s.n., Madagascar, Tanala (holo-, P!).

Trees or vines, 3 m tall; young twigs ferrugineous pubescent and with lenticels, bark with translucid latex. Leaves coriaceous or subcoriaceous, persistent; blades obovate to elliptic, 4-9 cm long, 2-4.5 cm wide, apex emarginate, rounded or shortly acuminate, base acute or cuneate, rarely obtuse, margin entire; adaxial surface glabrous, abaxial surface pubescent. Venation pinnate and mixed craspedodromous, midvein prominent below, 8-13 pairs of secondary veins, 2-10 mm apart, arcuate, prominent below, forming an obtuse angle with the midrib at the leaf base, tertiary veins somehow reticulate. Petiole 10-13 mm long, pubescent, shallowly channeled at the leaf junction but more flattened toward the stem. Inflorescence a terminal, pendent panicle, 4-15 cm long, branches regular, villous; bracts triangular, 1-6 mm long, 0.5-1 mm wide, abaxial surface woolly. Flowers 5-merous, unisexual; pedicel ca. 0.2 mm long, woolly; calyx lobes triangular, ovate or deltate, 1.5-2 mm long, 1-1.5 mm wide, abaxially hirsute, imbricate, caducous; corolla lobes ovate to oblong or narrowly oblong to narrowly ovate, 6-7.5 mm long, 1.8-3mm wide, pubescent abaxially on the longitudinal main axis, red, imbricate or quincuncial; stamens 5; in staminate flowers filaments 4.5-7 mm long, sigmoid, inserted basally on the outer surface of the disk, glabrous, white; anthers 1.5-2 mm long, ovate to subglobose, yellow, glabrous, dorsifixed, introrse, dehiscent by longitudinal slits; disk dish-shaped, ca. 1.5 mm in diameter, glabrous, ovary rudimentary; in pistillate flowers filaments 0.5-2 mm long, straight, flattened, broadened at the base, glabrous, white, inserted basally on the outer surface of the disk; anthers ca. 0.5 mm long, subglobose, yellow, glabrous; disk annular, 1-1.5 mm long in diameter, glabrous; ovary asymmetrically oblique, 1-3 mm long, 1-1.5 mm broad, glabrous, unilocular, ovule one, anatropous with a long funicle, placentation parietal; the single style trifid, curved and lateral, 3.5-5.5 mm long, glabrous; stigmas 3, capitate. Fruits drupaceous, 0.8-0.9 cm long, ca. 1 cm broad, widely depressed ovate, surface with longitudinal striations, glabrous, mesocarp resinous, one seeded, pyrene with two very well separated cotyledons.

HABITAT, DISTRIBUTION AND PHENOLOGY. — Micronychia madagascariensis occurs in montane or premontane rainforest in the eastern part of Central domain ( HUMBERT 1955) between 1000- 1500 m ( Fig. 3 ). It has been collected in flower in February and July and in fruit in December.

VERNACULAR NAME. — Hazomafana.

Micronychia madagascariensis is markedly distinguished by the very long hairs on its inflorescence and leaf blades, and its small sized leaves (4-9 cm long and 2-4.5 cm wide) with a base that is not decurrent.

ADDITIONAL MATERIAL EXAMINED. — MADAGAS- CAR: Lewis et al. 961, Fianarantsoa Prov , Ambalavao , Andringitra , Camp III, ca. 40 km S of Ambalavao, Andringitra Reserve , along tributary of Sahavatoy river , 22°13’22’S, 46°58’18’E, 1210 m, 1-7 Dec. 1993, fr. (MO, P, TAN); Catat 4339, Toliara Prov. , vallée d’Ambolo , 1 July 1890, fl. (P); Edelman 133, Fianaranstsoa Prov. , Ranomafana, 25 July. 1987, fl. (MO, P, TAN); Humbert 4857, Fianarantsoa Prov. , Ambositra, forêt de Ranomena, 1300-1400 m, 25 July 1928, fl. (P); Raphaël Rakoto 110, Fianarantsoa Prov. , Ifanadiana, Ranomafana National Park , Parcelle 3, Vatoharanana, 21°16’S, 47°26’E, 900-1100 m, July 1992, fl. (MO, P, TAN); SF 6125, Toamasina Prov., Moramanga, Ambatoafo, 4 July 1952, fl. (P); SF 17406 (Jaonarivelo), Toliara Prov., Amboasary: Tsivory, Esira, 19 Feb. 1956, fl. (P) .

Figures

Fig. 3. — Geographic distribution of Micronychia madagascariensis.