Alyxia caletioides (Baill.) Guillaumin [1911: 193

Lannuzel, Guillaume, Munzinger, Jérôme, Vandrot, Hervé & Gâteblé, Gildas, 2024, Alyxia Banks ex R. Br. in New Caledonia: a clarification of several species complexes, nomenclatural notes, and a description of three new species, Phytotaxa 649 (1), pp. 1-43 : 5-6

Alyxia caletioides (Baill.) Guillaumin [1911: 193 , combination not made] ex Däniker, ( Däniker 1933: 380).

Gynopogon caletioides Baillon (1889: 782) .

Lectotype (designated by Boiteau (1981: 106):— NEW CALEDONIA, sommet du Mont Poume [Poum], vers 400 m. d’altitude, May 1871, Balansa 3287: P [ P00072131 !]; isolectotypes: P [ P00072132 !; P00072133 !], K [ K000894134 !] ( Figs. 1 , 2 )

Species circumscription:— Alyxia caletioides was defined by Boiteau (1981) and Middleton (2002) with a corolla tube of 5–8 mm, and respectively with a solitary flower or with a subterminal or terminal inflorescence. Both authors however included a number of specimens having axillary flowers with corolla tube ca. 3 mm long, representing the southern half of the species’ distribution. Further analysis (see under A. urceolata sp. nov. section) confirmed that specimens included in Alyxia caletioides by both authors actually represent two distinct species. Alyxia caletioides is here confirmed as a species following Boiteau’s (1981) and Middleton’s (2002) opinions, but with a narrower distribution and a more stable morphology.

Distribution and habitat: — Alyxia caletioides occurs only in the northwestern part of Grande Terre, on ultramafic substrates. It grows in shrublands between 100 and 1000 m elev.

Phenology:— From herbarium specimens and pictures available, A. caletioides flowers and fructifies all year round.

Specimens examined:— NEW CALEDONIA, North Province. Sommet du Mont Poume, elev. 400 m, Balansa 3287 (P00072131!, P00072132!, P00072133!, K000894134 !) ; Dôme Tiébaghi , elev. 600 m, 17 August 1965, Bernardi 10275 (P05391666!, L.2710203!) ; Monte Poum , elev. 412 m, 10April 1968, Bernardi 12661 (L.2710205!, P05391667!, US 2749435!) ; Dôme de Tiébaghi , 1 February 1965, Blanchon 1464 ( NOU022046 !, P05391668!) ; Tiebaghi , elev. 430 m, 20°28'32"S, 164°13'50"E, 24 November 2019, Bruy, Fleurot, Munzinger & McPherson 1505 ( MPU312930 !) ; Massif du Kaala, Pente Du Pandop , elev. 700 m, 14 November 2005, Dagostini, Rigault & Barrière 1079 ( NOU009110 !) ; Auf dem Plateau des Tiebaghi massif, 16 March 1925, Däniker 1465 (L.2710206!, P05391669!) ; Pente Sud-Ouest du Dôme de Tiébaghi , 9 May 1966, MacKee 14915 (L.2710212!) ; Mt Kaala , 21 April 1967, MacKee 16656 (L.2710207!) ; Dôme de Tiébaghi , elev. 500 m, 25 April 1976, MacKee 31155 (L.2710208!) ; Mont Kaala , elev. 800 m, 17 April 1977, MacKee 33051 (L.2710209!) ; Tiébaghi , elev. 300 m, 15 October 1975, Jaffré 1385 (L.2710213!, NOU021993 !, P05391604!) ; Tiébaghi , 6 May 1978, Jaffré 2474 ( NOU021994 !, P05391665!) ; Mt Kaala , elev. 850 m, 20°36'28" S, 164°22'44"E, 21 June 2017, Lannuzel 45 ( NOU088512 !) ; Montagne de Poum , elev. 400 m, 1 February 1966, MacKee 14334 (L.2710214!, P05391639!) ; Pente Sud Ouest du Dôme Tiébaghi, elev. 300 m, 9 May 1966, MacKee 14915 (P05391611!); Pente Ouest du Mt Ouazangou, elev. 100 m, 19 June 1967, MacKee 16931 (L.2710211!, L.4284620!, NOU022043 !, NOU084324 !, P05391610!) ; Montagne de Poum , elev. 350 m, 10 September 1969, MacKee 20763 (L.2710215!, NOU022044 !, P05391609!) ; Dôme de Tiébaghi ( Plateau ), elev. 500 m, 25 April 1976, MacKee 31155 (P05391664!) ; Mont Kaala ( Pente Nord ), elev. 800 m, 17 April 1977, MacKee 33051 (P05391663!) ; Mont Taom: Crête Est , elev. 1000 m, 13 July 1979, MacKee 37155 (L.2710210!, NOU021998 !, P04551287!, P05391662!) ; Montagne de Poum , elev. 100 m, 20 May 1956, MacKee 4572 (E00098755!, L.2710204!, P05391640!) ; Paagoumène , elev. 5 m, 23 May 1980, McPherson 2709 ( MO1113657 !) ; Tiébaghi , elev. 500 m, 8 November 1980, McPherson 3316 ( MO1113728 , NOU022040 !, P05391607!) ; Dôme de Tiébaghi , 26 January 1999, Munzinger 347 (P00246820!) ; s.l., legit.Pancher (P05391606!); Dôme Tiébaghi , elev. 600 m, 25 November 1967, Sévenet 36 S (P04551313!) ; Tiébaghi , 12 June 1974, Sévenet 674 ( NOU021995 !, NOU084325 !, P05391645!) ; s.l., sin.col. (P05391608!); Montagne de Poum , 9 June 1982, Suprin 1953 (P05391644!) ; Tiébaghi Massif , 21 October 1959, Thorne 28099 (P05391643!) ; Dôme de Tiébaghi , elev. 500 m, 17 August 1965, Veillon 363 ( NOU022041 !) ; Tiébaghi Pente Sud , elev. 500 m, 11 May 1981, Veillon 4443 ( NOU021999 !, P05391642!) ; S slopes of Mt Kaala , elev. 400 m, 11 August 1968, Webster 14714 (P05391602!)

Figures

FIGURE 1. Alyxia caletioides fruit (A), flowers (B), flowering branch (C) and habit (D). Photographer: G. Lannuzel, A & B from Poum Mountain, C & D from Mount Kaala.

FIGURE 2. Known distribution of Alyxia caletioides (dots) and Alyxia celastrinea (square). Symbols with “T” represent type specimens. Grayed areas represent ultramafic substrates.