Gossia conspicua N. Snow 2020, comb. nov.
Creators: name: Snow, Neil
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2020
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Plantae
Tracheophyta
Magnoliopsida
Myrtales
Myrtaceae
Gossia
Gossia conspicua

description: Gossia conspicua (Vieill. ex Guillaumin) N. Snow, comb. nov.
(Figs 12H-K; 14)
Myrtus conspicua Vieill. ex Guillaumin, Bulletin de la Société botanique de France 85: 631 (1939). — Austromyrtus conspicua (Guillaumin) Burret, Notizblatt des Botanischen Gartens und Museums zu Berlin-Dahlem 15: 505 (1941). — Gossia alaternoides (Brongn. & Gris) var. conspicua (Vieill. ex Guillaumin) N. Snow, Austrobaileya 8: 180 (2010).
— Typus: New Caledonia. Grande Terre, South Prov., Montagne de Ouatendé près Gatope, E.Vieillard 2618 (holo-, P [P00602574]; iso-, G[G00341336, image seen], GH[GH00255460], P[P00462848, P00462849]).
REPRESENTATIVE HERBARIUM SPECIMEN. — P00602574.
ETYMOLOGY. — Derivation uncertain.
DISTRIBUTION, HABITAT AND PHENOLOGY. — Southeast on Grande Terre (Fig. 14) in maquis over ultramafics, c. 800-1350 m, and from the northwest at Oua Tilou and Point d’As; flowering December to May; fruiting confirmed January through November.
SPECIMENS EXAMINED. — New Caledonia. North Prov., Vallée supérieure de la Riv. Voh, 24.IV.1951, Baumann-Bodenheim 12105 (P[P00462818], US, Z); Versant N de l’Oua Tilou, 14.IV.1951, Guillaumin & Baumann-Bodenheim 12361 (P[P00462819], RSA, US, Z); Slopes of Mt Koniambo, 400-800 m, 31.III.1956, MacKee 4264 (P[P00462839]); Mt. Koniambo, 400 m, 5.I.1961, MacKee 7965 (CANB, P[P00462840], US); Crête Sud du Mont Taom, 1000 m, 31.VII.1981, MacKee 39391 (NOU [NOU028914], P[P00462842]). — South Prov., Sommet W du Mt. Humboldt, 1400 m, 21.IX.1951, Baumann-Bodenheim 15430 (A, BRI, P[P00459521], US, Z); Mont Oua tendé, 1868, without collector, (P[P00462846]); Crête de la Montagne des Sources, 8.III.1951, Hürlimann 1002 (A, P[P00462824], US, Z); Sommet Point d’As, 19.XI.1971, Jaffré 535 (NOU [NOU028908], P[P00462830]); Crête de la Montagne des Sources, 1000 m, 13.III.1951, MacKee 2237 (P[P00462836]); Plateau below Montagne des Sources, 800 m, 23.IX.1956, MacKee 5328 (L, P[P05221714]); Mont Kouakoué, south of summit, forest above creek, 21°57’46”S, 166°32’06”E, 1200 m, 9. V.2006, McPherson 19407 et al. (KS-P[KSP004706], MO, NOU [NOU017142], P[P06668975]); Mont Kouakoué, 1250-1350 m, 30.IV.2006, Pillon 396 et al. (MO[MO-04860792], NOU [NOU012051], P[P06668688]); Mont Kouakoué, 21°58’1”S, 166°32’34”E, 1044 m, 12.I.2002, Tronchet 604 (MO[MO-04796930], NOU [NOU004501], P[P00354719]).
DESCRIPTION
Shrubs
0.2-1.5 m.
Internodes
Mostly <5 mm near tips of branchlets.
Branchlets
Terete, shortly tomentose on emergence but becoming increasingly glabrous.
Leaves
Stiffly coriaceous, 2-4 per node; petioles 1.5-3.1 mm, sulcate above throughout; blades (1.5-)2.0- 3.1 cm, broadly linear to narrowly elliptic or narrowly obovate, base cuneate, margin strongly recurved throughout, apex retuse, midnerve above sulcate proximally becoming flush distally, the secondary (and less frequently) tertiary veins somewhat raised, oil glands of lower surface present, somewhat sparse and obscure.
Inflorescence
Less than 1 cm (including flower), pedicels 3.5-6.0 mm, monads axillary, extrafloral bracts absent.
Bracteoles
2.6-4.0 mm, linear, soon deciduous.
Hypanthium
3-4 mm, obconic, smooth, lanate; ovary apex indumentum unknown.
Calyx
Lobes 5, 1.6-2.1 mm, broadly triangular to narrowly oblong, lanate. Petals and stamens not seen.
Style
c. 3 mm (material scant), hairy proximally.
Fruits (material scant)
5-6 mm, globose, base rounded, green becoming pale purple to blackish; seeds (only 1 seen) 1 per fruit, c. 3.4 mm.
REMARKS
The size, shape, texture, strong marginal recurvation, and emergent indumentum of the young leaves of Gossia conspicua comb. nov. most closely resemble Gossia virotii (which see, for details). Although subtle, the nodes can be somewhat swollen, thus resembling small platforms from which the petioles arise (e.g., Tronchet 604). One specimen with atypically narrow leaf blades (MacKee 39391) resembles Gossia virotii.
description: Published as part of Snow, Neil, 2020, A revision of New Caledonian Gossia N. Snow & Guymer (Myrtaceae), pp. 131-177 in Adansonia (3) (3) 42 (7) on page 154, DOI: 10.5252/adansonia2020v42a7, http://zenodo.org/record/3877392