Sapindus vitiensis Gray 1854
Creators: name: Franck, Alan R.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2024
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Plantae
Tracheophyta
Magnoliopsida
Sapindales
Sapindaceae
Sapindus
Sapindus vitiensis

description: 12. Sapindus vitiensis Gray (1854: 251) (Figure 18).
Lectotype (designated by Smith 1985):— FIJI. Feejee Islands, 1838–1842 [collectors probably W.D. Brackenridge, C. Pickering, and/or W. Rich s.n.] (lectotype: US00095266!; isolectotypes: GH00050891!, K000701957!, M-0224784!, NY0338024!, P00646041!).
Etymology:—In reference to Viti, the indigenous name for the islands now commonly known as Fiji (Seeman 1865).
Description:—Tree, to 6–30 m tall. Petiole 2–6 cm long, glabrous, unwinged, pale yellow except purplish brown at the base, lignescent on older leaves; rachis unwinged, glabrous; leaflets 4–8; petiolule 1–10 mm long, glabrous; leaflet blade ovate to ovate-lanceolate, symmetric to asymmetric, straight to lightly falcate, the apex obtuse to shortly acuminate, 5–15 cm long, 2–5.7 cm wide, 1.9–2.3 times longer than wide, adaxially drying dark brownish green to brown-green, glabrous, midrib pale yellow, the ridge 0.2–0.3 mm wide, flat to raised to 0.2 mm high, blade not sunken along the midrib, secondary veins pale yellow, tertiary venation prominent and pale yellowish green, quaternary venation prominulous, quaternary venation obscure to unapparent, abaxially drying light green to pale brownish green, glabrous, midrib pale yellow to lightly pinkish yellow, secondary veins prominent, tertiary venation prominulous, nearly concolorous with the blade surface, quaternary venation prominulous to obscure; foveolae inconspicuous to conspicuous on the abaxial leaflet blade surface, exudates clear to slightly orangish. Petal without appendages. Mature mericarp oblong-ovoid to subglobose, 15–19 mm long, 12–15 mm wide, pericarp 0.1–0.5 mm wide, seed 10–13 mm wide.
Distribution, habitat, and phenology:— Fiji, Samoa, and Tonga (Fig. 4); 10– 950 m. Coastal forest and mesophilous forest. Flowering April–July.
Notes:— Sapindus vitiensis is distinguished by its leaves with 4–6 leaflets, the blades 1.9–2.3 times longer than wide, generally symmetric, non-falcate, elliptic to ovate, with bluntly acute to obtuse apices, adaxially drying dark green to dark brown, its often long petiolules, petioles that are typically purplish brown at the base, petals lacking appendages, and its typically oblong-ovoid fruits. The fallen fruit was described as yellow-brown with a pleasant odor (Gardener 2018) and the bark as often resinous (Parham 1964).
According to Seeman (1865), the U.S. Exploring Expedition encountered this species at Ovalau and Viti Levu. Presumably, the type of S. vitiensis was collected at one of these places. This species was accepted by Radlkofer (1932a, 1932b), while Leenhouts (1994) had treated S. vitiensis as a synonym of S. saponaria.
Conservation Status:—Considering the combined total land area of Fiji, Samoa, and Tonga as the extent of occurrence, it measures just over 20,000 km 2. Subpopulations are distributed across several, often distant islands, and thus there is a significant degree of fragmentation in the population. Given the potential for decline, the taxon should be categorized as Near Threatened (IUCN 2012).
Specimens examined:— FIJI. Macuata coast of Vanua Levu, October 1860, Seeman 66 (K); Viti Levu, Ra, vicinity of Rewasa, near Vaileka, Mataimeravula, 28 May–17 June 1941, Degener 15448 (A, BISH, MICH, US); Ovalau, valley of Mbureta and Lovoni Rivers, 14 May-2 June 1953, Smith 7553 (US); Ngau, shore of Herald Bay, vicinity of Sawaieke, 24 June - 5 July 1953, Smith 7900 (GH, US); Ovalau, vicinity of Thawathi, 11-14 July 1953, Smith 8063 (GH, K, US); Viti Levu, Mba, Nandarivatu, 10 February 2011, Buerki et al. 181 (K); Lau Island, Matuku, south of Aroi Village, 28 July 2011, Whistler & Tuiwawa 12624 (W). SAMOA. [Ca. 1870s], Whitmee s.n. (GH); Upolu, April 1894, Reinecke 269 (US); Fagalele Village area along road to Falealupo, 21 June 2016, Lorence 10644 (US). TONGA. Near the village of Haakame, SW side of island, 12 March 1953, Yuncker 15270 (BISH); ibid., Yuncker 15277 (BISH, U); ‘ Eua, Hanui Beach, 9 June 1990, Whistler 7213 (K).
description: Published as part of Franck, Alan R., 2024, Revision of Sapindus sect. Sapindus (Sapindeae, Sapindoideae, Sapindaceae), including the description of three new species, pp. 1-71 in Phytotaxa 648 (1) on pages 55-56, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.648.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/13215835