Naucleeae

Ordas, Jorge Anton D., Pinarok, Neil Alejandro A., Romeroso, Roanne B., Alejandro, Grecebio Jonathan D. & Banag-Moran, Cecilia I., 2019, A checklist of Rubiaceae species from Eastern Samar, Visayas, Philippines, Check List 15 (2), pp. 295-312 : 303-305

Tribe Naucleeae

Neonauclea bartlingii var. cumingiana (S.Vidal) Ridsdale, Blumea 34 (1989) 219.

Materials examined. Table 2.

Small tree about 4 m high, without myrmedomes on ultimate branches. Leaves ovate-elliptic, 12–21 × 3–6 cm, coriaceous. Diameter of mature flowering heads across corollas 30–40 mm. Calyx with well-developed appendages, 3–4 mm deciduous. Corolla infundibular, yellow, lobes 1–1.3 mm, tube 6–11 mm. Fruiting head woody, 20–23 mm in diameter.

This endemic species is distributed throughout the Philippines. The color of the flowers, however, vary, ranging from white, light-purple, and pink. Most Neonauclea species in Eastern Samar (except N. wenzellii ) have yellow flowers.

Neonauclea jagorii (Merr.) Merr., J. Wash. Acad. Sci. 5 (1915) 540.

Materials examined. Table 2. Fig. 3F

Small rheophytic shrub less than 1 m high. Leaves linear-lanceolate, 14–20 × 1–2.5 cm, coriaceous. Diameter of mature flowering heads across corollas 35–38 mm.

Calyx with well-developed appendages, 3–4 mm decidu- ous. Corolla infundibular, yellow, lobes 1 mm, tube 8–10 mm. Fruiting head woody, 20–23 mm in diameter.

This species is a Philippine endemic which is reported only from Samar and Camarines Sur. It is one of the few species of Neonauclea that exhibit rheophyt- ism and is quite abundant on rivers and on streams of Eastern Samar. It is easily recognizable by other Neonauclea species in having its linear-lanceolate leaves and a rheophytic habit.

Neonauclea lanceolata subsp. gracilis (S. Vidal) Ridsdale, Blumea 34 (1989) 225.

Materials examined. Table 2. Fig. 5A

Neonauclea viridiflora Ordas, Banag, Alejandro, Systematic Botany 42 (2017) 364.

Materials examined. Table 2. Fig. 6A

Small to medium-sized trees about 6–8 m high, with myrmedomes on ultimate branches. Leaves broadly elliptic, 19–20.2 × 9.5–14.5 cm, coriaceous. Diameter of mature flowering heads across corollas 35–37 mm. Calyx with well-developed appendages, about 7–8 mm, deciduous. Corolla infundibular, yellow, tube 2.5 mm, lobes 1 mm. Fruiting head woody, 23–30 mm in diameter.

Eastern Samar is the type locality for this species, which is abundant there. It is easily mistaken as N. formicaria or N. connicalycina based on its habit, vegetative parts, and the presence of myrmedomes, but N. viridiflora greatly differs in its reproductive morphology. The species tends to display minor differences in its leaf morphology, and individuals found near rivers have much smaller and narrower leaves compared to those found in dry areas.

Neonauclea wenzelii (Merr.) Merr., J. Wash. Acad. Sci. 5 (1915) 542.

Materials examined. Table 2.

Medium-sized tree about 6–8 m high, with myrmedomes on ultimate branches. Leaves broadly-elliptic, 13–20 × 8–16 cm, prominently veined with conspicuous hairs, deep brown to red. Diameter of mature flow- ering heads across corollas 35 mm. Calyces with well-developed appendages, about 6 mm, deciduous. Corolla densely hairy, purple, tube 8 mm, lobes 2–3 mm. Fruiting head woody, 30 mm in diameter, prominently crowned with calyx remnants.

This species is a narrow endemic of the Samar and Leyte islands. According to Merrill (1914) and Ridsdale (1989), this is the sole species of Neonauclea having sixmerous flowers. Our specimen had only 5 lobes, and it is likely that N. wenzelii tends to exhibit five- to six-merous flowers on different individuals.

Uncaria attenuata Korth., Verh. Nat. Gesch. Ned. Bot. (1840) 170.

Materials examined. Table 2.

Uncaria cordata (Lour.) Merr., Interp. Herb. Amb. (1917) 479.

Materials examined. Table 2. Fig. 3A