Beguea australis G.E. Schatz, Gereau & Lowry, 2017

Schatz, George E., Gereau, Roy E. & Lowry, Porter P., 2017, A revision of the endemic Malagasy genus Beguea (Sapindaceae), Candollea 72 (1), pp. 45-65 : 45-65

3. Beguea australis G.E. Schatz, Gereau & Lowry , spec. nova

( Fig. 5).

Typus: MADAGASCAR. Prov . Toliara: Anosy Region , RNI Andohahela , Parcelle 1, Ambahibe, Isaka Ivondro, 24°47’S 46°50’E, 0-500 m, 10-27.IX.1993, fr., Randriamampionona 633 (holo-: MO-6641487!; iso-: BM!, C!, CAS!, E!, G [ G00341687 ]!, K!, L!, M!, NY!, P [ P00580343 ]!, PRE!, TAN!, UPS!, US!).

Haec species a congeneris foliolis ad apicem retusis usque profunde emarginatis atque fructu lignoso mesocarpio 3-4.7 mm crasso distinguitur.

Tree to 20 m tall, bole c. 20 cm in diam.; stems densely light reddish tan tomentose. Petioles 7.5-10 cm, densely light reddish tan tomentose. Leaves with 12-30 alternate to subopposite leaflets; rachis 18-21 cm, densely light reddish tan tomentulose, not keeled; petiolule 2-7 mm, densely light reddish tan tomentulose; leaflet blade 4.6-12.6 × 2.4-4.4 cm, elliptic to narrowly obovate, chartaceous to subcoriaceous, flat in pressed material, glabrous and somewhat glossy and verrucose above, initially reddish tomentulose below, glabrescent or indument persistent close to the midvein below, base asymmetrical, cuneate to attenuate and decurrent along petiolule, margins flat, apex retuse to deeply emarginate, the notch to 1 cm deep and often with straight sides (“v ”-notched), midvein flat to raised towards the base above, initially densely light brown tomentulose, glabrescent, distinctly raised below, persistently light reddish brown tomentulose, secondary veins 8-13 per side, slightly raised above and below, initially reddish tomentulose below, glabrescent, tertiary venation slightly raised above and below. Flowers unknown. Infructescence

Fig. 4. – Geographic distribution of Beguea apetala Capuron (circles), axis 5.6-15.4 cm long, 2.8-3.5 mm in diam., unbranched,

B. birkinshawii G.E. Schatz, Gereau & Lowry (stars), B. borealis G.E.

Schatz & Lowry (diamond), B. tsaratananensis G.E. Schatz, Gereau & densely light reddish tan tomentose; pedicels in fruit

Lowry (squares) and B. turkii G.E. Schatz, Gereau & Lowry (triangles), 3-4 mm, c. 1.1 mm in diam., reddish tomentulose. Fruit mapped on the bioclimatic zones of Madagascar (after CORNeT, 1974; ellipsoid, 1.4-3.1 cm long, 1.1-2.3 cm in diam, glabrous,

see SChaTZ, 2000). apex acute and slightly curved, sometimes with an apiculum to 1 mm, mesocarp (fruit wall) 3-4.7 mm thick, rendering

Notes. – Beguea apetala is here restricted to material mat- the fruits hard and woody; seed flattened ellipsoid, 5-17 ×

ching the type, with leaflets that are glabrous except at the very c. 13 × c. 12 mm.

base beneath, are noticeably conduplicate in living material

( Fig. 2B) and thus usually folded on herbarium specimens, Etymology. – The epithet australis refers to the southern-

and have revolute margins and raised tertiary venation above, most occurrence of the genus Beguea in Madagascar.

as well as a distinctly long acuminate apex that is deformed to one side in the process of pressing the specimens. The number Conservation status. – Despite the very restricted Area of of leaflets is quite variable, ranging from 3 to 14. Occupancy within well-protected Andohahela National Park (Fig. 4), there appear to be no current threats, and thus Beguea australis is assigned a status of “Least Concern” [LC] using the IUCN Red List Criteria ( IUCN, 2012), with the caution that this status is highly dependent on continued effective protection. 52 – A revision of the endemic Malagasy genus Beguea (Sapindaceae) Candollea 72, 2017

B C 1 cm 1 cm 1 mm A D E

2 cm 1 cm 1 cm

Notes. – Beguea australis is known from only two collections Conservation status. – Although Beguea betamponensis is made in humid forest at Andohahela National Park (Fig. 4). known only from the fairly well-protected Betampona Strict It can be easily recognized from all other species of Beguea by Nature Reserve (Fig. 4), its current status with regard to popuits large leaves with 12-30 leaflets whose apex is usually deeply lation size and reproduction, and also the potential negative emarginate, and its large woody fruits with a wall 3-4.7 mm impact from invasive strawberry guava ( Psidium cattleyanum thick ( Fig. 5). Sabine), is unknown. With a restricted AOO and the potential threat from such an aggressive invasive, which could rapidly

Paratypi. – MADAGASCAR. Prov. Toliara: Anosy Region, RNI 11, Ando- push the species to “Critically Endangered” or “Extinct” status, hahela, Parcelle 1, Isaka Ivondro , 24°40’S 46°52’E, 100-500 m, 12-23.VI.1993, B. betamponensis is here assigned the category of “Vulnerable” fr., Randriamampionona 454 ( BM, G, K, MO, NY, P, TAN, US) . [ VU D2 ] using the IUCN Red List Criteria ( IUCN, 2012) .

Notes. – Beguea betamponensis is known only from the type 4. Beguea betamponensis G.E. Schatz, Gereau & Lowry , spec.

collection in humid forest at the Betampona Strict Nature nova ( Fig. 6).

Reserve ( Fig. 7), where it is sympatric with B. apetala . It can Typus: MADAGASCAR. Prov. Toamasina: Atsinanana

be easily distinguished from B. galokensis , with which it shares Region, RNI de Betampona, piste principale, 17°55’S

an indument of tufts of very short golden stellate-fasciculate 49°13’E, 300-400 m, 30.XI.1994, fl., Andrianarisata et al.

trichomes, by its very coriaceous leaflets with strongly revo- 246 (holo-: MO-6704232!; iso-: P [ P06168886 ]! TAN!) .

lute margins, rounded apex lacking a mucro, and impressed Haec species a congeneris indumento stellato-fasciculato, foliolis secondary veins (vs subcoriaceous leaflets with slightly revocoriaceis marginibus valde revolutis apice rotundatis atque lute margins, acute to acuminate apex with a distinct mucro, inflorescentia raro ramosa distinguitur. and flat to slightly raised secondary veins) and its occasionally branched inflorescences (vs unbranched inflorescences) Tree c. 13 m tall; young stems with dense golden ( Fig. 6).

stellate-fasciculate indument, glabrescent. Petioles 2.8-

5.4 cm, with sparse strongly appressed golden stellate indument. Leaves with 3-8 subopposite to alternate lea- 5. Beguea birkinshawii G.E. Schatz, Gereau & Lowry , spec. flets; rachis 2.7-10 cm, keeled above, glaucous with sparse, nova ( Fig. 7).

strongly appressed golden stellate indument; petiolule

Typus: M ADAGASCAR. Prov. Antsiranana: DIANA 1-5 mm or leaflets sometimes subsessile, with sparse

Region, RNI 6, Lokobe, S side of reserve, 5 km SE of Hell golden stellate-fasciculate indument, glabrescent; leaflet

Ville, Nossi Be, 13°25’S 48°18’E, 200 m, 31.VIII.1992, blade 3.2-10 × 1.5-3.5 cm, oblanceolate to occasionally

fl., Birkinshaw 159 (holo-: MO-04958842!; iso-: G elliptic, very coriaceous, flat in pressed material, glabrous

[G00341316]!, P [P06168881]!, TAN!).

and glossy above, glabrous and dull below, base asymmetrical, acute to cuneate, margins strongly revolute Haec species a congeneris caulibus petiolis folioli costa et inflowith up to 3 mm rolled under in dried material, apex rescentiae axe indumento cacao-brunneo tomentulosis atque rounded, midvein slightly raised above, distinctly raised pedicellis gracilibus distinguitur.

below, slightly glaucous, with sparse appressed golden stellate indument, secondary veins 12-16 per side, flat to Tree 8-20 m tall, bole to 35 cm in diam; stems densely slightly impressed above, raised below, tertiary venation light chocolate brown tomentulose. Petioles 4.3-7.3 cm, chanslightly raised and evident above. Inflorescence axis 6- neled, densely light chocolate brown tomentulose. Leaves with 19 cm, unbranched, or bifurcating towards the apex, 10-14 subopposite to alternate leaflets; rachis 8.5-14 cm, not reddish, essentially glabrous with very sparse golden keeled, densely light chocolate brown tomentulose; petiolule stellate-fasciculate indument; bracts c. 0.3 mm, triangular; 2-5 mm, densely light chocolate brown tomentulose; leaflet pedicels 2.5-3.5 mm, 0.3-0.4 mm in diam., densely golden blade 3.5-10.1 × 1.3-2.5 cm, lanceolate to ovate, chartaceous, strigulose and also with appressed golden stellate-fascicu- flat in pressed material, glabrous and glossy and sometimes late trichomes. Male flowers with a cupulate, 5- or 6-lobed verrucose above, glabrous and somewhat glaucous below, base calyx, the lobes c. 0.5 × 0.5 mm, triangular, acute, gla- asymmetrical, cuneate to attenuate, margins flat, apex acumibrous outside, densely golden setaceous inside; stamens 8, nate, the acumen rounded to irregularly retuse, midvein flat to filaments c. 4.5 mm, glabrous except for sparse trichomes slightly raised towards the base above, initially light chocotoward the base, anthers c. 1.1 × 0.4 mm, ellipsoid; disc late-ferruginous tomentulose, glabrescent, distinctly raised and pistillode densely golden setaceous, the trichomes to below, persistently light chocolate-ferruginous tomentulose, 0.5 mm. Female flowers not seen. Fruit not seen. secondary veins 12-16 per side, flat to slightly impressed above, raised below, tertiary venation reticulate, slightly raised and evident above. Inflorescence axis 4-18.5 cm long, c. 1.5 mm in diam., unbranched, densely light reddish chocolate tomentose, bracts minute, <0.1 mm; pedicels 2.5-3.5 mm, 0.2-0.5 mm in diam., sparsely light chocolate tomentulose. Male flowers with a cupulate, 5-lobed calyx, the lobes c. 0.5 × 0.5 mm, triangular, sparsely light chocolate tomentulose; stamens 8, filaments c. 4.5 mm, glabrous, anthers c. 1 × 0.5 mm, ellipsoid; disc c. 1.2 mm in diam., sparsely whitish granular-farinose; pistillode c. 0.5 mm, conical, densely golden hirsute. Female flowers not seen. Infructescence 12-16 cm, c. 1.5 mm in diam., densely light reddish chocolate tomentose; pedicels 4-5 mm, 0.9-1 mm in diam. in fruit, glabrous. Fruit ellipsoid to obovoid, 1.7-1.8 cm, c. 1.2 cm in diam., glabrous to sparsely whitish granular farinose at the base and apex, base obtuse, apex rounded, apiculate, the apiculum c. 0.7 mm, fruit wall c. 0.8 mm thick; seed flattened ellipsoid, c. 10 × 7 × 3.5 mm.

Etymology. – The epithet birkinshawii honors Chris Birkinshaw, who collected the type material while conducting his thesis work in the Lokobe reserve, and who has been an inspirational leader of plant conservation efforts in Madagascar.

Conservation status. – Despite the very restricted AOO within the well-protected Lokobe Special Reserve (Fig. 4), there appear to be no current threats, and thus Beguea birkinshawii is assigned a status of “Least Concern” [LC] using the IUCN Red List Criteria ( IUCN, 2012), with the caution that this status is highly dependent on continued effective protection.

Notes. – Beguea birkinshawii is known only from subhumid forest in the Lokobe Special Reserve on the island of Nossi Be (Fig. 4). It can be distinguished from B. turkii , the species most similar morphologically, by its slender pedicels (0.2-0.5 mm in diam. in flower, 0.9-1 mm in diam. in fruit vs 0.7-0.9 mm in diam. in flower, 1.3-1.5 mm in diam. in fruit), smaller sepals (c. 0.5 mm vs c. 1.5 mm long), and smaller ellipsoid to obovoid fruit (1.7-1.8 cm long, c. 1.2 cm in diam vs globose fruit 2.3-2.8 cm in diam) ( Fig. 7).

Paratypi. – MADAGASCAR. Prov. Antsiranana: DIANA Region, Sambirano, forêt du Lokobe (Nosy Be), [13°25’S 48°18’E], 2.XI.1954, fr., Service Forestier 11412 ( P); ibid. loc., 2.XI.1954, fl., Service Forestier 11415 ( P) .