Calantica pseudobiseriata Appleq., Phillipson &amp; G. E. Schatz 2014, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Applequist, Wendy L.
name: Phillipson, Peter B.
name: Schatz, George E.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2014
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Plantae
Tracheophyta
Magnoliopsida
Malpighiales
Salicaceae
Calantica
Calantica pseudobiseriata

description: 9. <i>Calantica pseudobiseriata</i> Appleq., Phillipson &amp; G. E. Schatz, sp. nov. (Fig. 2) <i>Differs from</i> C. biseriata <i>in ovate to elliptical, acuminate to acute leaves, sparsely puberulent ovary, and long (1.5- 2 mm) styles.</i> TYPUS. — <b>Madagascar</b>. Prov. Toamasina, remnant native vegetation 1-2 km E of Fampanambo, 15°22’35”S, 49°37’46”E, 20 m, 28.I.1999, fl., <i>Schatz et al. 3856</i> (holo-, MO!; iso-, BR!, G!, K!, P!, TEF n.v.). DESCRIPTION Tree to 12 m tall, the young twigs pubescent. Leaves medium green, somewhat fleshy, elliptical to ovate, (3-)6-9.4 × (1.5-) 2.5-4.8 cm; petiole 5-10.5 mm long, pubescent; stipules caducous, linear, 2.4-3 mm long, pubescent; base convex; apex acuminate to acute (aberrantly rounded); margins serrate; abaxial surface sparsely pubescent, mostly along large veins; adaxial surface sparsely pubescent on midrib, otherwise glabrate; venation pinnate; lateral veins (5-)7-9 pairs, semicraspedodromous, mostly festooned. Inflorescences lateral on lower portions of defoliated twigs, 2-4.5 cm long, 7-23-flowered, pubescent; bracts deltoid to narrowly deltoid or ovate, 0.5-1 mm long, pubescent; pedicels 6-12 mm long, pubescent. Flowers 6-7-merous, 7.5-9.5 mm in diameter; sepals light green, narrowly ovate, 2.5-3.1 mm long, abaxial surface sparsely pubescent, adaxial surface velutinous near margins, otherwise glabrate; sepal glands transversely elliptical to suborbicular with basal margin rounded and apical margin roundedtruncate, 0.8-1.1 mm long, adaxial surface densely strigose to hispid; petals deep red, narrowly ovate to ovate-elliptical, 2.6-3.2 mm long, abaxial surface velutinous, adaxial surface velutinous to tomentose near margins, otherwise glabrate; disk deep red, sparsely puberulent; stamens in groups of 3 per petal; filaments 2-3.6 mm long, glabrous; anthers <i>c.</i> 0.3 mm long; ovary sparsely puberulent; styles 3, 1.5-2 mm long, usually with a prominent basal ridge where the style joins the ovary. Fruit unknown. DISTRIBUTION AND HABITAT The type locality of <i>Calantica pseudobiseriata</i> sp. nov. is low-altitude humid forest in northeastern Madagascar. REMARKS <i>Calantica pseudobiseriata</i> sp. nov. is a tree that has leaves with serrate margins, reddish flowers, and stamens in groups of 3 opposite each petal. It is quite similar in appearance to <i>C. biseriata</i>, to which it is probably most closely related. It may be distinguished from that species by its sparsely puberulent ovary, which is dark-colored in dried material, and long styles (1.5-2 mm long, vs &lt;0.5 mm long in <i>C. biseriata</i>) that usually have a prominent ridge at the juncture with the ovary. The leaves of <i>C. pseudobiseriata</i> sp. nov. are ovate to elliptical with acuminate to acute apices, whereas those of <i>C. biseriata</i> are usually broadly elliptical to suborbicular with abruptly cuspidate or very short-acuminate apices, although <i>C. biseriata</i> has a range of variation in leaf shape that, at its extreme, could approach that of <i>C. pseudobiseriata</i> sp. nov. <i>Calantica pseudobiseriata</i> sp. nov. is native to humid forest in northeastern Madagascar, whereas <i>C. biseriata</i> is native to dry forests in western to extreme northern Madagascar. CONSERVATION STATUS The preliminary assessment of the conservation status of <i>Calantica pseudobiseriata</i> sp. nov. is Critically Endangered (CR B2ab(iii)). With an Area of Occupancy of less than 10 km 2, it is known only from a single location, which is not protected and is subject to continuing habitat degradation. The type locality is relatively close to the large protected area of Masoala National Park, but no specimens from Masoala have been seen, although the area is well collected (over 2500 specimens in MBG’s TROPICOS database).
description: Published as part of <i>Applequist, Wendy L., Phillipson, Peter B. &amp; Schatz, George E., 2014, A synoptic revision of the Malagasy endemic genus Calantica Jaub. ex Tul. (Salicaceae), pp. 83-102 in Adansonia (3) (3) 36 (1)</i> on pages 97-100, DOI: 10.5252/a2014n1a8, http://zenodo.org/record/5208455