Cyrtandra flavomaculata H.J.Atkins & Karton., 2021

Atkins, H. J. & Kartonegoro, A., 2021, A TAXONOMIC REVISION OF CYRTANDRA (GESNERIACEAE) IN SULAWESI, INDONESIA, Edinburgh Journal of Botany 78 (364), pp. 1-122 : 35-39

8. Cyrtandra flavomaculata H.J.Atkins & Karton. , sp. nov.

Similar to Cyrtandra kinhoi Karton. & H.J.Atkins in its tessellate stems and decurrent leaves but differing in its corolla colour and indumentum (corolla white with distinctive yellow markings on lobes and glabrous externally in C. flavomaculata versus corolla white or flushed pink without markings and glandular hairy externally in C. kinhoi ), and its style indumentum (style densely glandular hairy in C. flavomaculata versus style glabrous, slightly eglandular hairy towards apex in C. kinhoi ).

– Type: Indonesia, Sulawesi, Central Sulawesi, Lore Lindu National Park , Mt Nokilalaki , Track to shelter 2, 24 vii 18, Ardi WI229 (holotype KRB) . Figure 19 .

Herb or soft wooded shrub to 2 m in height. Stems slightly tessellate and somewhat ridged. Leaves opposite, those of a pair subequal; petioles 1–2 cm long, sparsely hairy, winged and flushed white or pink; blades 21–25 × 5–6 cm, narrow oblong to narrow elliptic; base decurrent (appearing less so on older leaves as decurrent wing falls away), margin subentire towards the base, becoming serrate towards the apex, apex short acuminate; 11–18 pairs of lateral veins, looping up and running out to margin, tertiary venation reticulate, somewhat obscure; sparsely hairy above, more or less glabrous below with some hairs on the midrib and veins (more dense on young growth). Inflorescences axillary, subsessile, 4- to many-flowered, flowers at various stages of development; peduncle c. 5 mm long, glabrous; bracts narrow obovate, with a slightly serrate margin towards the apex, off-white to light green, 25–40 × 7–9 mm, glabrous, quite leathery; apex long-acuminate; pedicels c. 5 mm long, glabrous. Calyx tubular, 23 mm long, white, light green or reddish, somewhat warty on some specimens, more or less glabrous, appearing 4-lobed because two of the lobes are divided only very briefly at the apex, lobes triangular, long-acuminate, 15 mm long. Corolla white with distinctive yellow marks on lower, and occasionally also upper lobes, 42 mm long, funnel-shaped, narrow in basal half, then widening abruptly to mouth, more or less glabrous externally, lobes rounded, upper lobes 5 × 8 mm; lower and lateral lobes 8–10 × 8–10 mm; glandular hairy internally on lobes and in the tube below the anthers. Stamens with filaments c. 9 mm long, attached c. 20 mm from base of corolla, glabrous except for a few glandular hairs near the anthers; anthers c. 3.5 mm long, with a few glandular hairs, cohering at tips but not face to face before dehiscence; staminodes 3, laterals 4 mm long, central one highly reduced, less than 1 mm long. Gynoecium 30–35 mm long; disc cupular with a slightly undulate margin, glabrous, 3 mm long; ovary glabrous, style densely glandular hairy; stigma bilobed, lobes 2.5–3 mm long. Fruits oblong, glabrous, c.20 × 6 mm, green, base of style and calyx not persistent.

Distribution. Central, South and Southeast Sulawesi ( Figure 20 ).

Habitat and ecology. Hill, upland and montane forest, sometimes in disturbed areas at an altitude of 500–1750 m. One specimen (Hennipman 5939) is recorded as having been collected from a limestone area.

Etymology. This species is named for its distinctive yellow markings on the lower, and occasionally also upper, corolla lobes.

Proposed IUCN conservation category. The EOO of this species is 17,578 km 2 and the AOO is 28 km 2, based on a 2 × 2 km grid cell size, under the B criteria ( Bachman et al., 2011). Some of the collection localities fall within the protected area of the Lore Lindu National Park (UNEP-WCMC & IUCN, 2019), but most are in areas without any formal protection. Cyrtandra flavomaculata has quite a wide altitudinal range, but many of the collections are from the more threatened hill forest zone ( Cannon et al., 2007). Because of the low number of collections, relative lack of protection, and known threat to this habitat, it is considered to be Vulnerable (VU), B1ab(iii) + 2ab(iii).

Additional specimens examined. INDONESIA. Central Sulawesi. Sigi: Lore Lindu National Park, Tambing Lake vicinity, 4 viii 2018, Ardi WI 299 ( KRB) ; Road to Lake Lindu , c. 60 km SSE of Palu, 30 v 1979, van Balgooy 3565 ( A, BO, E, L) ; ibid., 30 v 1979, van Balgooy 3571 ( A, BO, E, L) .

South Sulawesi. East Luwu: Mt Pere, south of Soroako , 20 vi 1979, Hennipman 5939 (A, BO, E, L) .

Southeast Sulawesi. North Kolaka: along the trail to Mt Mekkongga , 18 iii 2006, Girmansyah 580 (BO) ; North Konawe: Linomoyo Transmigration Village , 16 ii 2017, Ardi WI 164 ( KRB) .

Cyrtandra flavomaculata is most similar vegetatively to C. fasciata , C. kinhoi and C. longistamina in having decurrent leaves and tessellate stems. It can be distinguished from Cyrtandra fasciata most easily by its obovate inflorescence bracts 7–9 mm wide (as opposed to linear bracts that are c. 2 mm wide), and from C. longistamina by its oblong fruits on short pedicels up to 5 mm long (as opposed to subglobose fruits on long pedicels up to 30 mm long).

Some of the collections now included in this species were originally cited under Cyrtandra kinhoi ( Kartonegoro et al., 2018) . With better material of Cyrtandra flavomaculata , however, it is clear to see that there are differences in the corolla and style in terms of colouring and indumentum, as detailed in the diagnosis. Additionally, the base of the leaf has a distinctive white or purplish tinge and a papery texture that differs somewhat from the texture of the rest of the leaf; these characters are not seen in Cyrtandra kinhoi . The papery bases are sometimes lost as the leaves get older, so that they appear less decurrent.

The two species are also geographically separated, with Cyrtandra kinhoi restricted to North Sulawesi and C. flavomaculata distributed in Central, South and Southeast Sulawesi. According to notes on Hennipman 5939, the young leaves are used for the preparation of fish soup (sajor ikan).

Figures

Figure 19. Cyrtandra flavomaculata H.J.Atkins & Karton., sp. nov. a, Habit; b, bracts; c, fruits; d, side view of corolla; e, front view of corolla. Photographs: Wisnu Ardi. Specimen: Ardi WI299.

Figure 20. Distribution of Cyrtandra engleri (black triangles), C. fasciata (red circles) and C. flavomaculata (black circles).