Cyrtandra luteiflora H.J.Atkins

Atkins, H. J. & Kartonegoro, A., 2021, A TAXONOMIC REVISION OF CYRTANDRA (GESNERIACEAE) IN SULAWESI, INDONESIA, Edinburgh Journal of Botany 78 (364), pp. 1-122 : 72-74

22. Cyrtandra luteiflora H.J.Atkins , Edinburgh J. Bot. 60(3): 311 (2004).

– Type: Indonesia, Sulawesi, Gorontalo, Mt Gambuta , 10 iv 2002, Atkins et al. 52 (holotype BO, isotype E). Figure 36 .

Branching woody herb or shrub to 50 cm in height. Stems longitudinally striate, subglabrous, sparsely hairy when young. Leaves opposite; one of each pair markedly reduced or both well developed but somewhat unequal in size; petiole 5–8 mm long, sparsely hairy; blades of developed leaves 8.5–14 × 3.5–5 cm, narrow obovate, occasionally somewhat rhomboid, base acute, slightly asymmetrical, briefly decurrent, margin with 3 or 4 distant, rounded narrow teeth or shallow lobes on each side, apex acuminate; 4 or 5 pairs of lateral veins and some short side veins running to adjacent teeth, subglabrous above, sparsely hairy below, more densely so on midrib and veins. Reduced leaves c.4 × 3 mm, either vestigial, cordate, or same shape as larger leaves. Inflorescences trailing from base of main plant or subsessile in leaf axils; trailing axis c. 1 mm in diameter, up to c. 1.5 m long, glabrous, striate, dark green; bracts c.3 × 1 mm, linear, sparsely hairy, not connate; pedicel 1–2 cm long, purple, sparsely hairy. Calyx purple, c. 15 mm long, slightly bilabiate with a deeper sinus between the three upper and two lower lobes, lobes c. 7 mm long, acuminate, glabrous to sparsely hairy, most densely so at apex of lobes. Corolla pale yellow with purple markings on lobes externally and two dark yellow to orange marks in throat, c. 40 mm long, narrow funnel-shaped, arcuate, lower lobes c.10 × 9 mm, upper lobes c.8 × 8 mm, lobes spreading, sparsely hairy externally. Stamens with filaments 6 mm long, attached c. 25 mm above base of corolla, more or less glabrous with a scattering of short, glandular hairs near the anthers, white; anthers c. 1.5 mm long, cohering at apices; staminodes 3, laterals c. 2.5 mm long, central c. 1.5 mm long. Gynoecium c. 32 mm long; disc cupular, margin undulate, c. 2 mm long, glabrous; ovary glabrous; style white, glandular hairy; stigma white, peltate, c. 2 mm across. Fruits narrow ovoid, dark brown, c.15 × 4 mm, glabrous, calyx and base of style persistent.

Distribution. Gorontalo (see Figure 39 ).

Habitat and ecology. In upland forest at an altitude of 960 m.

Etymology. This species was named for its distinctive, yellow flowers ( Atkins, 2004).

Proposed IUCN conservation assessment. This species has been collected only from one locality on Mount Gambuta, and it is therefore not possible to calculate an EOO but the species has an AOO of 4 km 2, based on a 2 × 2 km grid cell size ( Bachman et al., 2011). The collection was from an altitude of 960 m in upland forest, which is a habitat threatened in Sulawesi from intensive agriculture and urban expansion ( Cannon et al., 2007). Mount Gambuta is within the limits of the Bogani Nani Wartabone National Park (UNEP-WCMC & IUCN, 2019) and, as such, should receive some protection. This area is one of the most under-collected on the island, and it is therefore also likely that additional populations of this species exist. Given its distribution within a protected area, a category of Least Concern (LC) is suggested for Cyrtandra luteiflora .

Additional specimen examined. INDONESIA. Gorontalo. Bone Bolango: Mt Gambuta , 10 iv 2002, Scott 02-47, grown at RBGE as accession 20021194, vouchered as Scott 504 ( E) .

This is one of four species from Sulawesi in which the inflorescences trail from the base of the plant, the others being Cyrtandra geocarpa , C. hypogaea and C. rantemarioensis . Cyrtandra luteiflora can be distinguished from the others by its often anisophyllous leaves, yellow flowers and glandular style.

Figures

Figure 36. Cyrtandra luteiflora. a, Habit; b, opened corolla, showing position of stamens and staminodes; c, opened calyx, showing inner surface; d, gynoecium including disc. Drawn by Christina Oliver from Atkins et al. 52. Reproduced from Atkins (2004) with the permission of the Trustees of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh.

Figure 39. Distribution of Cyrtandra luteiflora (red circle), C. mollis (black diamonds) and C. multinervis (black triangle).