Endiandra trichogyna Munzinger & McPherson, 2024

Munzinger, Jérôme, McPHERSON, Gordon & Bruy, David, 2024, Novitates neocaledonicae XV: Two new species of Endiandra R. Br. (Lauraceae) from New Caledonia, Adansonia (3) 46 (3), pp. 19-28 : 24-27

Endiandra trichogyna Munzinger & McPherson , sp. nov.

( Figs 4 ; 5 )

DIAGNOSIS. — Among New Caledonian species of Endiandra , the new species most closely resembles E. baillonii and E. sebertii in leaf shape and size, but differs from both most markedly in that its ovary and fruit are pubescent (vs glabrous in E. baillonii and E. sebertii ), its pedicels are shorter (1-1.5 mm in E. trichogyna sp. nov., vs 1.5-2 mm in E. sebertii , and 3 mm in E. baillonii ), and its hypanthium is relatively deeply cupular (ovary halfway sunken in E. trichogyna sp. nov., vs only the ovary base slightly included within the relatively flat hypanthia of E. baillonii and E. sebertii ). As well, the petioles of E. trichogyna sp. nov., are relatively shorter than those of E. baillonii (petiole length typically <1/6 blade length in E. trichogyna sp. nov., vs> 1/ 5 in E. baillonii ), while E. sebertii is usually distinguishable from E. trichogyna sp. nov., by the former’s much more lustrous abaxial leaf surface.

The substrate preferences of the three species also differ, with E. trichogyna sp. nov., found on non-ultramafic-derived soils, E. baillonii on ultramafic-derived soils, and E. sebertii on both.

TYPE MATERIAL. — New Caledonia • Province Sud, Farino , piste du Pic Vincent ; [alt. 375 m]; [21°37’10”S, 165°46’17”E]; 16.XII.2007; fl.; J. Munzinger, D., I. Létocart, R. Amice, B., S. Létocart, M. Mendes 4955; holo-, P [ P02033031 ]!; iso-, MO [ MO-3258178 ]!, NOU [ NOU030849 ] !).

PARATYPES. — New Caledonia • Province Nord, Aoupinié, ancienne scierie; alt. 530 m; [21°9’20”S, 165°19’11”E]; fr.; 11.IX.2008; J. Munzinger, D. Létocart, I. Létocart, O. Chapelle, R. Amice 5166; para-, MO [ MO-3258175 ], NOU [ NOU049111 ], P [ P04026859 , P02032997 ]) • Haute Tchamba; [21°1’12”S, 165°13’47”E]; fr.; 18.VII.1979; T. Sévenet & J. Pusset 1749; para-, NOU [ NOU016569 ], P [ P02033074 ]) • loc. cit.; fr.; 25.V.1982; J. Pusset & G. Chauvière 305; para-, P [ P02033068 ] • Col d’Amieu, Mt Rembai ; alt. 800 m; [21°34’47”S, 165°49’59”E]; fl.; 8.X.1984; J. Pusset & S. Labarre 31; para-, NOU [ NOU016568 ], P [ P02033080 ] • Koné, Atéou ; alt. 807 m; 20°57’0”S, 164°55’13”E; fl.; 1.XII.2019; J. Munzinger, G. McPherson, D. Bruy, H. Vandrot, C. Laudereau, H. Cazé & J.- P. Butin 8163; para-, MPU [ MPU312643 ], NOU [ NOU091916 ], P [ P00864973 ] (same tree as Vandrot et al. 725) • Atéou, Parcelle 1ha NC-PIPPN ; 20°57’0.14”S, 164°55’13.5”E; bt.; 13.IX.2013; H. Vandrot, T. Ibanez, E. Blanchard, C. Chambrey & P. Birnbaum 725; para-, NOU [ NOU083432 ], P [ P00806974 ] • Province Sud, Farino, Parc des Grandes Fougères ; alt. 598 m; 21°36’38.228”S, 165°46’31.076”E; fl.; 1.XII.2021; D. Bruy & M.S. Metzdorf 2123; para-, MO, MPU [ MPU1403416 ], NOU [ NOU109101 , NOU112330 ], P [ P00940811 ] • Col Amieu; alt. 750 m; [21°36’24”S, 165°50’0”E]; bt., fr.; 8.X.1984; H.S. MacKee (Leg. J. Pusset) 42315; para-, MO [ MO-3258174 ], NOU [ NOU016550 ], P [ P02002964 ] • Farino, piste du Pic Vincent ; alt. 375 m; 21°37’10”S, 165°46’17”E; fr.; 7.VII.2007; J. Munzinger, D. & I. Létocart, R. Amice, C. Létocart & O. Chapelle 4385; para-, MO, NOU [ NOU018942 ], P [ P02032991 ]).

PHENOLOGY. — Flowers have been collected in October and December; fruits are known from July, September and October.

ETYMOLOGY. — The specific epithet refers to the densely pubescent gynoecium.

HABITAT. — The species inhabits low and medium altitude humid dense forests on volcano-sedimentary rocks sensu Jaffré et al. (2012), at 375-800 m, on volcaniclastic sandstone or undifferentiated polymetamorphic ensemble ( Maurizot & Vendé-Leclerc 2012).

DISTRIBUTION. — The species grows on the central chain of the main island “Grande Terre”; the southernmost locality is Farino-Mont Rembaï, and the northernmost is Atéou ( Fig. 3 ).

CONSERVATION STATUS. — Endiandra trichogyna sp. nov., is known from six localities sensu IUCN, two of which are in protected areas: “ Réserve de nature sauvage du massif de l’Aoupinié ” in the North Province, and “ Parc des Grandes Fougères ” in the South Province. The EOO calculated is 1483 km ² and the AOO is 32 km ². Its habitat and range suggest that other populations are yet to be found in the central mountain range of New Caledonia. No direct threat to the species has been identified but it is present in areas where invasive species ( Rusa deer in particular) are potentially responsible for habitat degradation. Consequently, E. trichogyna sp. nov., has been assigned a conservation status of Near Threatened (NT) by the New Caledonian Red List Authority on 23/02/2023 ( Endemia & RLA Flore NC 2022).

VERNACULAR NAME. — Unknown.

DESCRIPTION

Tree 4-20 m tall. Diameter up to 17 cm. Rauh's architectural model. Bark brown with reddish slash. Terminal buds densely appressed-pubescent with whitish brown hairs, the young stems somewhat flattened in cross-section, 2.5-4 mm in width, subpersistently appressed-pubescent with minute hairs, somewhat granular in appearance and only obscurely lined, lenticels mostly below the leafy portions, slightly raised. Leaves alternate to subopposite; blades elliptic to ovate-elliptic, 6-12(-16) × 3.5-7 cm, base broadly acute to obtuse, usually symmetrical, apex shortly and obtusely acuminate, texture subcoriaceous, adaxial surface thinly appressed-pubescent, glabrescent except along the midrib, abaxial surface densely and subpersistently appressed-pubescent, the oil cells still visible below the hairs in newly mature leaves, adaxial surface typically with evident, raised oil cells, the abaxial surface smooth; lateral veins 5-7(-9) on each side of the midrib, the midrib essentially flush adaxially, prominent abaxially, the lateral veins slightly raised adaxially, more prominently raised abaxially, the lesser venation slightly raised on both surfaces; petioles 7-18(-23) × 2-3 mm, flat adaxially, appressed-pubescent when young, later glabrescent, brown-green in vivo.

Inflorescences axillary, 1.5-11.5 cm long, cymose-paniculate, the axes persistently appressed-pubescent; peduncle 2-10 mm long, 1.5-2 mm wide; bracts triangular, up to 1.5 mm long and 1.5 mm wide, pubescent like the axes, pedicels 1-1.5 mm long. Flowers yellow-brownish, c. 2.5 mm long, 3-4 mm in diameter at anthesis; floral tube densely pubescent within, somewhat cupular, the pistil roughly half-immersed within it, tepals ovate, 1.5-2 mm long, subequal, more-or-less spreading at anthesis, rounded apically, uniformly pubescent with suberect hairs, more densely so adaxially; fertile stamens 3, c. 1.5 mm long, almost equalling the pistil, subsessile, connective pubescent, anther locules lateral, c. 0.5 mm long, glabrous, basal glands sessile, subspherical, c. 0.5 mm in diameter, glabrous; staminodes 3, c. 0.7 mm in diameter (i.e. c. half as long as the fertile stamens), subtriangular, thick; pistil ovoid, c. 1.5 mm high, c. 1 mm in diameter at base, the ovary densely pubescent. Fruit a single-seeded berry, black when mature, elliptic-ovoid c. 4.3-5.5 cm long and c. 2.2-2.8 cm in diameter, pubescent at least in sheltered places; seed (immature) pale pink in cross-section.

Figures

FIG. 4. — Endiandra trichogyna Munzinger & McPherson, sp. nov.: A, flowering branch; B, abaxial face of a mature leaf; C, zoom on abaxial face of a mature leaf; D, terminal vegetative bud of the branch; E, inflorescences in the axils of sub-opposite leaves; F, inflorescence in the axil of an alternate leaf; G, flowers; H, schema of a longitudinal section of the hypanthium and gynoecium; I, tepal of the exterior cycle, abaxial face; I’, tepal of the exterior cycle, adaxial face; J, staminode; K, isolated stamen with associated glands; L, gynoecium; M, mature fruit. A, D-H, J-L, Munzinger et al. 4955; B, C, M, Pusset & Chauvière 305. Drawings: Laurence Ramon. Scale bars: A, B, E, F, M, 1 cm; C, 2 mm; D, G, 5 mm; H-L, 1 mm.

FIG. 5. — Field pictures of Endiandra trichogyna Munzinger & McPherson, sp. nov.: A, trunk with slash; B, habit; C, flowering branches showing adaxial face of mature leaves; D, flowering branches showing abaxial face of mature leaves; E, inflorescence; F, flower. A-F, Bruy & Metzdorf 2123. Photographs: A-E, D. Bruy; F, C. Laudereau.

FIG. 3. — Distribution of Endiandra humboldtiana Munzinger & McPherson, sp. nov. and Endiandra trichogyna Munzinger & McPherson, sp. nov. Abbreviation: T, indicates Type specimen. Colors: brown, ultramafic substrates; dark green, low and medium altitude humid dense forests; pale green, dense humid forests on limestone rocks (Jaffré et al. 2012).