Anisophyllea masoalensis Li Bing Zhang, Xin Chen & H.He

Chen, Xin, He, Hai & Zhang, Li-Bing, 2015, A monograph of the Anisophylleaceae (Cucurbitales) with description of 18 new species of Anisophyllea, Phytotaxa 229 (1), pp. 448-450 : 448-450

39. Anisophyllea masoalensis Li Bing Zhang, Xin Chen & H.He in Chen et al. (2013: 39) ( Figure 76 )

Type:— MADAGASCAR. Analanjirofo ( Northeastern part of former Toamasina): Maroantsetra , trail ESE of village of Ambanizana , SE of Androka River, SE of Maroantsetra, NW coast of Masoala Peninsula , 15°38’S, 49°59’E, alt. 150 m, 16 October 1986, P. P. Lowry II, A. Rakotozafy & M. Nicoll 4151 (holotype MO-3437107 !, isotypes K-H2008/00218176!, P-05536134!) .

Trees to 8 m tall; young branches sparsely pubescent with yellowish appressed hairs ca. 0.3 mm long, with ±prominent pulvini; buds densely pubescent. Leaves dimorphic, internodes between similar types of leaves 0.6–2.7 cm, between two adjacent different types of leaves 2–8 mm; small leaves caducous, sessile, blade narrowly lanceolate, 2–3 mm long, ca. 1 mm wide, base acute, apex narrowly acuminate, glabrous adaxially, sparsely pubescent abaxially with appressed hairs to 0.5 mm long, margins ciliate, veins obscure; large leaves petiolate, petiole 2–3 mm long, 1.2–2.0 mm in diam., sparsely pubescent as branches; leaf blade elliptic or lanceolate, 5–10 cm long, 2.0– 3.5 cm wide, base slightly oblique, acute, apex acuminate or caudate with tips up to 1.8 cm long, margins slightly revolute, chartaceous, sparsely pubescent abaxially and densely with transparent spots of ca. 0.02 mm in diam. when young; main longitudinal veins 5, springing from blade base, or inner veins merged with midrib to 7 mm above blade base before separated, inner veins impressed adaxially and distinctly raised abaxially, outermost two veins rather fine, close to blade margins, flat adaxially and prominent abaxially, midrib straight and lateral veins curved, all reaching blade apex and ending at a thickened glandular point; transverse veins parallel, at angles of 50–60° with midrib; veinlets reticulate, slightly prominent on both surfaces. Inflorescence a spike, solitary, axillary or at base of young branches; rachis ascending, to 6 cm long, 0.6 mm in diam., sparsely pubescent with brownish hairs appressed or ascending, and concurringly while more sporadically pilose with hairs to 0.2 mm

MONOGRAPH OF ANISOPHYLLEACEAE

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long; bracts lanceolate, 0.6–1.2 mm long, ca. 0.3 mm wide, glabrous adaxially, sparsely pubescent abaxially, margins ciliate, early deciduous, each often with one axillary flower; flower buds ±quadrangular, to 1 mm long, 0.8 mm in diam., sparsely pubescent with appressed hairs outside. Flowers bisexual, 4–5-merous, sessile; receptacle cylindrical, ±quadrangular, 1.0– 1.3 mm long, hairy as flower buds outside; sepals deltoid, to 1.2 mm long, 1 mm wide at base, apex acute, glabrous adaxially, pubescent abaxially, margins short-ciliate; petals 1.0– 1.3 mm long, base entire, 0.5–0.6 mm long, ca. 0.3 mm wide, irregularly 5–8-laciniate from middle with threadlike laciniae each resembling stamen (a filament-like elongation and a white globose anther-like end); stamens 8–10, equal in length, ca. 0.9 mm long, base clavate and dilated, ca. 0.16 mm wide, glabrous, anthers subglobose, ca. 0.25 mm long; disk lobed, glabrous; styles 4–5, 0.6–1.0 mm long, base conically broadened, ca. 0.3 mm in diam., pubescent with yellowish hairs ca. 0.06 mm long, distally attenuate, glabrous. Fruit a drupe, obovate, ca. 2.5 cm long, to 1.3 cm in diam. (immature), base attenuate, apex obtuse, with persistent floral parts.

Flowering and fruiting: —Flowering from October; fruiting from January.

Habitat and distribution: — Rain forests; 150–700 m. Madagascar (Analanjirofo) ( Figure 77 ) .

Taxonomic notes: — Anisophyllea masoalensis is close to A. fallax , from which it can be distinguished by the single type of short hairs on young branches, the buds pubescent rather than pannose, the styles shortly pubescent at base, and the fruits obovate. In addition to the differences between Anisophyllea masoalensis and A. fallax noted above, the former has thinner leaves with more acuminate or caudate apices whose tips are up to 1.8 cm long.

The epithet of this species is from the name of the peninsula (Masoala Peninsula) and also the name of the renowned Masoala National Park, where the type material was collected.

Additional specimens examined: — MADAGASCAR. Analanjirofo : Masoala National Park , en route of Ambanizana to Analambolo (ca. 25 km N from Ambanizana), ca. 6 km NE Ambanizana, 15°34’07”S 50°00’14”E, alt. 600–700 m, 25 January 1996, J . Aridy et al. 87 ( MO, P) .

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Figures

FIGURE 76. Anisophyllea masoalensis Li Bing Zhang, Xin Chen & H.He (P. P. Lowry II, A. Rakotozafy & M. Nicoll 4151; holotype, MO-3437107). —A. Flowering branches. —B. Flower. —C. Petal. —D. Stamen. —E. Styles and disk (B–E drawn by Fang Cui & Junsheng Shu).

FIGURE 77. Geographical distribution of Anisophyllea masoalensis Li Bing Zhang, Xin Chen & H.He.