Anisophyllea madagascarensis 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

36. Anisophyllea madagascarensis Li Bing Zhang, Xin Chen & H.He in Chen et al. (2013: 36) ( Figure 70 )

Type :— MADAGASCAR. Sava: ca. 1.5 km W of Cap Est., 15°16’29”S 050°27’34”E, 35 m, 24 January 1999, G. E. Schatz 3808 (holotype MO-5181759 !, isotype P-05514908!) .

Trees to 14 m tall; young branches covered with two types of brownish hairs (densely pubescent with appressed hairs ca. 0.2 mm long and sparsely hirsute with patent or ascending hairs to 1.3 mm long), ±glabrescent when mature, with prominent pulvini; buds densely pubescent. Leaves dimorphic, internodes between similar types of leaves 1–2 cm long, between two adjacent different types of leaves 2–5 mm long; small leaves caducous, sessile, blade lanceolate, to 2.5 mm long, 1 mm wide, base obtuse, apex acuminate, glabrous adaxially, sparsely pilose with hairs to 0.8 mm long and with protuberant and transparent glands abaxially, margins pilose-ciliate, lateral veins 2–3, obscure; large leaves petiolate, petiole 2–3 mm long, 1.0– 1.6 mm in diam., hairy as branches, densely glandular; leaf blade elliptic, ovate-elliptic, or lanceolate, 4.5–9.0 cm long, 2–4 cm wide, base slightly oblique, broadly acute or obtuse, rarely rounded, apex acute or acuminate, margins slightly revolute, coriaceous, glabrous adaxially, on abaxial surface, densely pubescent with appressed hairs along main veins and elsewhere sparsely hairy, and densely glandular with transparent (or occasionally brownish) protuberant glands 0.16–0.25 in diam., 0.03–0.6(–1.3) mm distant; main longitudinal veins 5–6, springing from blade base, inner 1–2 lateral veins often from midrib to 5 mm above blade base, impressed adaxially and distinctly raised abaxially, outermost two lateral veins rather fine, close to blade margins and one usually disappearing into blade margin if 6 main veins present, 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 45–60° with midrib; veinlets reticulate and tessellate, slightly prominent on both surfaces. Flowers unknown. Fruit a drupe, globose, yellow when fresh, adorned with small golden yellowish corky dots ( Fig. 3 ), ca. 2.2 cm long, obtuse at both ends, apex with persistent styles (styles 4, free, ca. 1.3 mm long, base conically broadened, ca. 0.6 mm in diam., pubescent with hairs ca. 0.13 mm long).

Flowering and fruiting: —Flowering time unknown; fruiting in January.

96 • Phytotaxa 229 (1) © 2015 Magnolia Press

CHEN ET AL.

Habitat and distribution: —Lowland coastal rain forests; below 100 m. Madagascar (e.g., Analanjirofo, Atsimo-Atsinanana, Sava, Vatovavy-Fitovinany) ( Figure 71 ).

Taxonomic notes: — Anisophyllea madagascarensis can be distinguished from the best known species in Madagascar, A. fallax , by the presence of protuberant and most often transparent glands on the leaves, especially on

MONOGRAPH OF ANISOPHYLLEACEAE

Phytotaxa 229 (1) © 2015 Magnolia Press • 97 the abaxial surface of large leaves. In addition to the difference above, A. madagascarensis also has pubescent and hirsute indumentum on its young branches and buds, while A. fallax has pannose and pilose indumentum on its young branches and pannose indumentum on its buds. However, we did not see any flowering material of this species and thus are not sure how different the petals of the two species are. Anisophyllea madagascarensis also has some morphological similarity with the western African species A. myriosticta Floret (1987: 373) , but they can be distinguished by the indumentum on young branches and buds (branches pubescent and hirsute and buds pubescent only in A. madagascarensis vs. branches hirsute and buds glabrous and oily in A. myriosticta ) and by the shape of leaves (apex acute or acuminate in A. madagascarensis vs. apex caudate in A. myriosticta ).

The epithet of this species is from the name of the island country in the Indian Ocean off the east coast of East Africa, Madagascar, to which the plant is endemic.

Additional specimens examined: — MADAGASCAR. Analanjirofo (Toamasina): 16°27’00”S 49°48’00”E, 18 February 1990, F . Raharimalala 399 ( P). Atsimo-Atsinanana ( South of former Fianarantsoa), Farafangana , Ankarana , near village of Antakohando , 23°05’29”S 47°45’25”E, 14 m, 19 September 2005, N . Rakotonirina 381 ( MO, P). Vatovavy-Fitovinany (Fianarantsoa): 22°21’00”S 47°51’00”E, September 1990, Philippe Beaujard 376 ( P) .

Figures

FIGURE 3. Geographical distribution of Anisophyllea apetala Scortechini ex King.

FIGURE 70. Anisophyllea madagascarensis Li Bing Zhang, Xin Chen & H.He (Schatz 3808; holotype, MO-5181759). —A. Fruiting branch. —B. Fruit (Drawn by Fang Cui & Junsheng Shu).

FIGURE 71. Geographical distribution of Anisophyllea madagascarensis Li Bing Zhang, Xin Chen & H.He.