Bopopia parviflora Munzinger & J.R.Morel, 2021

Morel, Jérémie, Duminil, Jérôme & Munzinger, Jérôme, 2021, Bopopia, a new monotypic genus of Gesneriaceae (Gesnerioideae, Coronanthereae) from New Caledonia, European Journal of Taxonomy 736, pp. 82-101 : 88-92

Bopopia parviflora Munzinger & J.R.Morel gen. et sp. nov.

urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:77215493-1

Figs 2–7

Diagnosis

Bopopia parviflora gen. et sp. nov. is similar to Coronanthera clarkeana Schltr. , C. deltoidifolia Vieill. ex C.B.Clarke , C. pinguior C.B.Clarke and Depanthus glaber in its glabrous adaxial leaf surface but differs in its unique inflorescence structure within the tribe and also vegetatively in leaf measurements, blade, apex and base shape, margin (entire vs serrate), and abaxial indumentum, as well as petiole length and indumentum ( Table 2 ).

Etymology

The specific epithet refers to the small flowers as compared to other Gesneriaceae known from New Caledonia.

Type NEW CALEDONIA • North Province, Bopope, southern slope of Mount “Kantalupaik” [Katalupaik]; 20°50′27″ S, 165°0′38″ E; alt. 500 m; 29 Oct. 2017; fl.; J. Munzinger, D. Bruy & M. Pignal 7980; holotype: P[ P01073391 ]; isotypes: G, MO, MPU[ MPU312888 ][ MPU312889 ], NOU[ NOU090953 ], P[ P00865080 ], W .

Paratype NEW CALEDONIA • North Province, Bopope, southern slope of Mount “Kantalupaik” [Katalupaik]; 20°50′28″ S, 165°0′38″ E; alt. 500 m; 29 Oct. 2017; fl.; D. Bruy, J. Munzinger, & M. Pignal 1139; K, MO, MPU[ MPU311450 ][ MPU312887 ], NOU[ NOU090952 ], P[ P01073272 ] .

Description

Shrub up to 5 m tall, rarely branched. Twigs all orthotropous ( Fig. 3A ) green to red ( Fig. 3B ), angular and tomentulose, simple pluricellular trichomes appressed toward the apex, terminal vegetative bud densely tomentulose. Leaves opposite and decussate; clustered at the top of branches ( Fig. 3A ); blade (9.1–)10–15.6(–19.8) × (4–)4.5–6.5(–8.2) cm, elliptic to obovate, dark green above ( Fig. 3C, E ), pale green below (in vivo; Fig. 3G ), glabrous adaxially, tomentulose abaxially, base cuneate, apex acute to obtuse, margin slightly serrate, lateral veins (3–)4(–5) per side. Petiole yellow (in vivo; Fig. 3B, G ), (25–)30–46(–62) mm long, (1–)1.6–2.2(–2.7) mm wide, tomentulose. Inflorescence axillary, indeterminate thyrse, with ultimate axes being pair-flowered cymes ( Fig. 4 ), and inferior axes being indeterminate thyrses; three to five levels of branching ( Figs 2 , 3B ), axes tomentulose, (12–)15–32(–38) flowers per inflorescence, with peduncle / first axis (17–)32–61(–72) mm long, (0.5–)0.8–1.2(–1.3) mm wide, tomentulose. Second axis 10–23(–32) mm long, 0.3–0.7(–1) mm wide, bracteoles linear, (2.5–)3–4.2(–4.5) mm long; third axis 3–11(–14) mm long, (0.2–)0.3–0.5(–0.6) mm wide, bracteoles linear, (1.5–)1.9–2.6(–2.8) mm long, pedicels 1.5–6.5 mm long. Calyx with 5 equal lobes, sepals broadly triangular, (1.2–)1.4–1.8(–2) mm long, 0.4–0.5 mm wide at base, slightly connate at the base and attenuate at apex ( Figs 3F , 5 B–C), tomentulose outside and glabrous inside ( Fig. 5C ), the lobes not exceeding 25% of the total length of the calyx ( Fig. 3F , 5 B–C). Corolla zygomorphic, uniformly white, shortly ventricose, tube curved, (2.2–)2.6–3.6(–4.1) mm long, limb of five inequal oval to orbicular lobes, rounded, strongly curled outwards, the median lobe ca 1.5 × 1.3 mm, the two lateral lobes ca 1.0 × 1.0 mm, the two dorsal lobes ca 0.5 × 0.6 mm; outer surface of corolla tomentulose, inner surface of corolla glabrous ( Fig. 5D ). Androecium, four stamens, inserted, alternating with corolla lobes, subequal ( Fig. 5D ); filaments broad, 0.1 mm in diameter, flattened near the base, glabrous, adnate to the base of the corolla tube for 1–2 mm ( Fig. 5D ); four anthers connate, flat, irregularly cordiform ( Fig. 5 D–E), pollen spheroidal, 11–14 µm. Nectary ring-shaped, ca 0.25 mm thick, continuous or with shallow lobes at the rim, pinkish (preserved in alcohol), adnate at the base of the ovary ( Fig. 5C ). Gynoecium ovoid, ca 1 × 1 mm, pubescent, bicarpellate, bilocular, style short, ca 0.15 mm long, ca 0.4 mm wide, stigma bilobed ( Fig. 5C ); ovules numerous (ca 50), ellipsoid, 100–130 µm long. Fruit unknown.

Distribution

The new species is presently only known from the North Province of New Caledonia’s main island Grande Terre, on the south flank of Mt Katalupaik, around 500 m a.s.l. ( Fig. 7 ), about 17 km as the crow flies south of Hienghène.

Habitat and ecology

The plants occur in dense humid forests from low to medium elevations on volcano-sedimentary substrates ( Jaffré et al. 2012). Collecting points projected on the geological map (Gouvernement de la Nouvelle- Calédonie 2019) fall in a wide area of black siltites surrounded by basalts, dolerites, undifferentiated gabbros or fine tuffs. They are quite far from serpentine veins (ultramafic) in that area; thus the species is considered to grow on non-ultramafic substrates. Individuals of B. parviflora gen. et sp. nov. were observed to be relatively abundant in the valley that was explored (~ 100 m wide). Additional surveys are needed in the surrounding valleys.

Phenology

Plants collected in flower in October 2017.The length of the flowering time and the period of fructification are currently unknown.

Conservation status

Bopopia parviflora gen. et sp. nov. is only known from one population corresponding to a single location sensu IUCN (2019), and was estimated to contain <250 individuals. This population is not in a protected area. The forest on the southern flank of Mt Katalupaik is highly fragmented by fire ( Fig. 7 ), and fire appears to be a recurrent threat. The conservation status of the species is therefore preliminarily assessed as Endangered [EN: D]. This assessment has been submitted to the New Caledonian Plant Red List Authority for review and validation.

Figures

Fig. 2. Schema of the inflorescence of Bopopia parviflora Munzinger & J.R.Morel gen. et sp. nov., an indeterminate thyrse. Only four axes are represented on this schema (while up to 5 were seen on herbarium specimens).

Fig. 3. Bopopia parviflora Munzinger & J.R.Morel gen. et sp. nov. A. Habit. B. Upper part of stem and axillary inflorescences C. Adaxial side of leaf. D. Trunk. E. Magnified leaf showing leaf teeth (or hydathodes?). F. Flower in lateral view. G. Abaxial side of leaf. Scale bar: F = 1 mm. Photographs taken by Jérôme Munzinger.

Fig. 4. Recto and verso photographs of an ultimate inflorescence axis of Bopopia parviflora Munzinger & J.R.Morel gen. et sp. nov., showing the pair-flowered cyme.

Fig. 5. Bopopia parviflora Munzinger & J.R.Morel gen. et sp. nov. A. Part of plant showing opposite leaves and axillary inflorescences. B. Flower in lateral view. C. Calyx cut open to show the gynoecium. D. Longitudinal section of corolla, showing stamens (lobes unrolled). E. Top view of connate anthers. Scale bars: A= 20 mm; B–D = 1 mm; E = 0.4 mm. Drawn from photographs taken by Jérôme Munzinger and parts of the specimen Munzinger et al. 7980 preserved in alcohol.

Fig. 6. Recto and verso photographs of a very young inflorescence of Bopopia parviflora Munzinger & J.R.Morel gen. et sp. nov.

Fig. 7. Map of New Caledonia’s main island, Grande Terre, with main roads in thick red lines and secondary side roads in thin red lines. Black dot = collecting locality of Bopopia parviflora gen. et sp. nov. Inset, an enlarged image of the vegetation of the area shows forest fragmentation by fire (from Gouvernement de la Nouvelle-Calédonie 2019).