Phyllanthus pacificus Müll.Arg.

Verwijs, J. I. M., Bouman, R. W. & Welzen, P. C. van, 2019, A taxonomic revision of Phyllanthus subgenus Macraea (Phyllanthaceae), Blumea 64 (3), pp. 231-252 : 243

14. Phyllanthus pacificus Müll.Arg. — Map 10

Phyllanthus pacificus Müll.Arg. (1863) 31; Drake (1892) 287; (1893) 180; F.Br. (1935) 137; J. Florence (1997) 129; W.L.Wagner & Lorence (2011) 82. — Diasperus pacificus (Müll.Arg.) Kuntze (1891) 600. — Phyllanthus pacificus Müll.Arg.var. typicus F.Br.(1935) 138, f. 21h, nom.inval. — Lectotype (designated by Florence 1997): E. Jardin 122 (P; iso G-DC), French Polynesia, Marquesas Isl., Noukahiva.

Phyllanthus pacificus Müll.Arg.var. uapensis F.Br.(1935) 138. — Type: E.H. Quayle #X (holo BISH ( BISH1001662 ); iso BISH ( BISH1001663 )), French Polynesia, Uapou .

Phyllanthus pacificus Müll.Arg. var. uahukensis F.Br. (1935) 139; St. John (1976) 419. — Lectotype (designated by St. John 1976): E.P. Mumford & A.M. Adamson 488 (BISH), French Polynesia, Uahuka.

Phyllanthus pacificus Müll.Arg. var. quaylei F.Br. (1935) 139. — Type: EH Quayle 1341 (holo BISH), French Polynesia, Nuku Hiva .

Shrubs, 0.5‒2 m high, dioecious, rarely monoecious; branches winged, wings 0.1–0.5 mm wide, dull-brown to red-brown, glabrous, persistent; internodes 5‒8 mm long. Stipules ovate-triangular, 0.8‒2 by 0.5‒1.5 mm, caducous, brown, base unilaterally auriculate (or at least more pronounced on side away from leaf), margin scarious, entire, centre slightly thicker, apex rounded. Leaves: petiole 0.5‒3 mm long, glabrous; blade oblong, ovate, elliptic to suborbicular, 9‒61 by 6‒19 mm, 1.1‒3.7 times longer than wide, subcoriaceous, base rounded to subcordate, cuneate to obtuse, margin not thickened, slightly revolute, apex obtuse to acute, apiculate, upper side dark green, lower side light-green, blade sometimes weathering red; midrib sunken above, prominent underneath, lateral veins 4‒9 per side, indistinct. Inflorescences sometimes on short brachyblasts. Staminate flowers up to 8 together, axillary, c. 1.2 mm diam; pedicel 1.5‒2 mm long, glabrous; sepals 6, elliptic, 1.2‒1.5 by 1‒1.2 mm, greenish yellowish or white, midrib not prominent, apex rounded; disc glands 6, globose, 0.3‒0.5 mm diam, surface crenulate; stamens 3, 1‒1.2 mm long, filaments free, 0.7‒0.8 mm long, thecae globose, 0.2‒0.4 mm long. Pistillate flowers up to 4 together, axillary, 2‒3 mm diam when open; pedicel 3‒8 mm long, glabrous, pale to white; sepals elliptic-ovate, 1.2‒1.4 by c. 1.1 mm, green-white, midrib not prominent, apex obtuse; disc annular, slightly lobed, lobes alternating with sepals, c. 1.3‒1.5 mm diam, surface crenulate to grooved; ovary sessile, 3-locular, subglobose, c. 0.5 by 0.6‒1 mm, each locule with a longitudinal groove, glabrous to minutely tuberculate; style absent, stigmas 3, 0.5‒1.0 mm long, 2/3 to completely bifid, horizontal or appressed to ovary. Fruits capsular, subglobose, 2.8‒3 mm wide by c. 2 mm high, 6-grooved, glabrous, slightly tuberculate, pale to light-green; pedicel 3‒25 mm long, glabrous, yellowish green; columella

1.2‒1.4 mm long. Seeds trigonous, 1.5‒2 by 1.2 mm, verrucate, brown, verrucae circular, random or along longitudinal lines.

Distribution — French Polynesia (Marquesas islands: Nuku Hiva, Ua Pou, Fatu Hiva, Hiva Oa, Tahuata).

Habitat & Ecology — Found in forested areas, along stream- sides or along windswept ridges of cliffs. Altitude: 25‒1200 m. Flowering and fruiting all year round.

Vernacular names — Marquesas: nouhuu, tia tia; hue iki on Hiva Oa; hueiki, maoo on Nuku Hiva ( Florence 1997).

Notes — 1. The placement in subg. Macraea was confirmed by palynological results of Punt (1980).

2. Closely resembles P. aoraiensis and P. urceolatus , but is mostly different in the size of the leaf blades and the size of the wings.

3. Florence (1997) combined the varieties created by Brown (1935) on the basis of intermediate forms and no real segre- gation between varieties, even on islands. We agree with this treatment as multiple leaf forms, small to large, can be found on the same island, often with intermediates. There is a slight trend of leaves becoming smaller towards the southern islands, but large forms can still be found there.

Figures

Map 10 Distribution of Phyllanthus pacificus Müll.Arg. in French Polynesia (Marquesas islands).