Acalypha perrieri Leandri

Muñoz, Iris Montero, Levin, Geoffrey A. & Cardiel, José María, 2023, Monograph of Acalypha L. (Euphorbiaceae) of the Western Indian Ocean Region, with the description of a new species from Mayotte, Adansonia (3) 45 (26), pp. 395-496 : 467

38. Acalypha perrieri Leandri

Notulae Systematicae. Herbier du Muséum de Paris. Phanérogramie. Paris 10: 273 ( Leandri 1942). — Type: Madagascar. Prov. Mahajanga, Belambo, près de Maevatanana, VIII.1901, H. Perrier de la Bâthie 9813 (lecto-, designated by Montero Muñoz et al. [2018a: 107]: P[P00513095]). — Former syntypes: Madagascar. Prov. Mahajanga, Menabé, Tsiampihy, J. Leandri 275 (P[P00513092, P00513093], TAN[TAN000511]); ibid. loc., s.d., J. Leandri 294 (P[P00513091]); Forêt de Tsimembo, s.d., J. Leandri 420 (P[P00513094]).

ICONOGRAPHY. — Leandri (1942: 273); Figs 65A ; 69C.

ETYMOLOGY. — The epithet honors French botanist Eugène Henri Perrier de La Bâthie (1873-1958).

DISTRIBUTION AND HABITAT. — Endemic to Madagascar (Sofia, Boeny, Betsiboka, Melaky, Menabe, and Atsimo-Andrefana). Dry deciduous forest and dry spiny thickets. On Mesozoic limestone and sandstone. Altitudinal range (30-) 100-830 m ( Fig. 59 ).

PRELIMINARY CONSERVATION ASSESSMENT. — The EOO of Acalypha perrieri is estimated to be 160 733 km 2 and its AOO 68 km 2, which is less than the 500 km 2 threshold of the B2 subcriterion of the Endangered category. This species grows mainly in dry deciduous forest and spiny thickets (see assessment of A. decaryana ). The remaining original vegetation is still decreasing ( Moat & Smith, 2007, Gautier et al. 2018). Acalypha perrieri has been collected in some protected areas, but it is also known from several unprotected forests subject to various threats (uncontrolled fires for grazing and crops, logging, mining, etc.). We predict that ongoing habitat loss will cause continued decline of its EOO and AOO. Acalypha perrieri is assessed as Near Threatened (NT) under criterion B. It meets the AOO values needed for a threatened category, but the number of locations is too high to meet the conditions required for a listing under the Endangered category.

MATERIAL EXAMINED. — 23 collections. Madagascar: Appert, O.P. 132 (P[P00324519]); Decary, R. 15685 (P[P00324537, P05510112]), 15732 (P[P05510107]), 15792 (P[P00324588]), 15839 (P[P05547229]); Gautier, L. LG 5615 (G[G00376050]), LG 5626 (G[G00376039]); Gillespie, L. 4123 (K, MO), 10814 ( CAN), 10835 ( MO); Humbert , H. 19441 (P[P00324582]), 19629 (B[B100480024], G, MA, P[P05547179]); Leandri, J. 275 (P[P00513092, P00513093], TAN[TAN000511]), 294 (P[P00513091]), 420 (P[P00513094]), 3887 (P[P05543669]); Nicoll, M.F. 159 ( MO, WAG[WAG.1578521]); Perrier de la Bâthie, H. 9813 (P[P00513095]); Rakotovao, C. 5692 (P[P05547018]); Ranaivoson, N. T. RNT 255 (P[P00780183]); Razakamalala, R. 1733 ( MO [MO-2965750], P[P00886877], TEF); Réserves Naturelles Madagascar 5692 (P[P00324513]).

REFERENCES. — Govaerts et al. (2000: 81); Montero Muñoz et al. (2018a: 107).

DESCRIPTION

Shrubs, deciduous, to 2 m tall, divaricately branched, monoecious. Branches angled, laxly pubescent with simple, short, curved, antrorse trichomes, glabrescent when mature. Axillary buds spherical, to 2 mm diameter, perulate, perules 2, imbricate, chartaceous, brownish, glabrous; Stipules to 4 mm long, linear, pubescent with simple, short trichomes, margin with some short, glandular trichomes. Petioles very slender, 1-2 cm long, indumentum similar to that on young branches. Leaf blades 3.5-6[-8.5] × 1.5-2(-2.4) cm, usually elliptic-lanceolate to ovate-lanceolate, sometimes obovate-lanceolate, membranous; base rounded to acute; apex abruptly acuminate, acumen to 13 mm long, rounded, mucronate; margin serrate, sometimes discolorous, teeth acute, sometimes with gland at apex; upper and lower surfaces subglabrous, with some sparse, simple, short, appressed trichomes, especially on veins; margin ciliate in sinuses; venation actinodromous, basal veins 3, secondary veins 4-5 per side. Stipels glandular, 0.2 mm long, glabrous. Inflorescences spiciform, androgynous, axillary, to 3 cm long, mostly male with 1 female bract at base; peduncle to 14 mm long, indumentum similar to that on petioles. Female segment: bract 1, sessile, enlarging in fruit to 7 × 12 mm, reniform, subglabrous, with some sparse, simple, short trichomes; margin entire; bracteoles absent. Male segment persistent, to 1.5 cm long; flowers glomerate; bracts to 0.5 mm long, triangular, sparsely hairy with simple, short arachnoid trichomes. Male flowers: pedicel to 0.5 mm long, sparsely hairy; buds not seen. Female flowers 1 per bract, sessile; sepals 3, to 1 mm long, triangular-lanceolate, sparsely hairy with short, simple trichomes; ovary c. 1 mm diameter, 3-lobed, papillose, surface sparsely hairy with simple, short trichomes; styles 3, to 3 mm long, slightly connate at base, densely pubescent with simple, hyaline trichomes, each divided into c. 16 segments. Allomorphic flowers not seen. Capsules to 4 mm diameter, papillose, papillae acute, to 1 mm long, surface pubescent with simple, short trichomes. Seeds c. 1.5 × 1 mm, pyriform, minutely foveolate.

Figures

FIG. 65. — Mature female bracts: A, Acalypha perrieri Leandri (R. Decary 15792); B, A. pervilleana Baill.(J. J. Floret 682); C, A. pervilleana (J. M. Hildebrandt 3356); D, A.poiretii Spreng.(L. Boivin s.n.); E, A. rabesahalana I.Montero & Cardiel (H.Humbert 32480); F, A. radula Baker (Service Forestier Madagascar 45-SF); G, A.richardiana Baill. (M. Richard 224); H, A. rottleroides Baill. (L. Nusbaumer LN2629). Illustration by Iris Montero Muñoz. Scale bars: A, D, E, G, H, 1 mm; B, C, F, 2 mm.

FIG. 69. — A, Acalypha nusbaumeri I.Montero & Cardiel (photo by L. Nusbaumer, L. Nusbaumer LN1169); B, A. pervilleana Baill. (photo by L. Gillespie,L. Gillespie 10649); C, A. perrieri Leandri (photo by L. Gillespie, L. Gillespie 10835); D, A. radula Baker (photo by L. Gillespie, L. Gillespie 10758); E, A. rottleroides Baill. (photo by L. Nusbaumer, L. Nusbaumer 1933); F, A. spachiana Baill. (photo by L. Gillespie, L. Gillespie 10856); G, A. tremula I.Montero & Cardiel (photo by R. Randrianaivo, R. Randrianaivo 1160); H, A. urophylla Boivin ex Baill. (photo by L. Nusbaumer, L. Nusbaumer LN1663).

FIG. 59. — Distribution map of Acalypha perrieri Leandri in Madagascar.