Phyllanthus lancifolius Merr.

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 : 241

10. Phyllanthus lancifolius Merr. — Map 9

Phyllanthus lancifolius Merr. (1914) 489; (1923) 393. — Lectotype (designated here): BS (M. Ramos) 17465 (US), Philippines, Samar.

Phyllanthus panayensis Merr. (1920) 539; (1923) 394. — Lectotype (designated here): BS (A. Martelino & G. Edaño) 35655 (US; iso A, K, L ( L0016442 ), P), Philippines, Panay island , Mt Bulilao.

(Sub)shrubs to trees, 1‒8 m high, monoecious or dioecious; branches terete, bark reddish brown, pinkish purplish to light beige, pubescent, young branches with pale spreading short brown hairs; internodes 2‒5 mm long. Stipules ovate-elliptic, 1.5‒2 by 0.6‒0.8 mm, caducous, membranous, brown, base bilaterally auriculate, margin entire, apex caudate, acuminate. Leaves: petiole 0.3‒1 mm, pubescent, brown; blade ovate-elliptic, 9‒79 by 3‒16 mm, 2‒4.6 times longer than wide, membranous, base oblique, rounded, subcordate, margin not thickened, flat, apex acuminate, slightly mucronate, upper side shiny light to dark green or yellowish, lower side pale green, puberulous or glabrous; midrib slightly raised on upper side, sometimes puberulous, lateral veins 8‒11 per side, well visible on both sides. Staminate flowers several to> 10 flowers in axillary fascicles, not all in the same stage, 1‒1.6 mm diam in bud, open 2‒3 mm diam; pedicel 2‒12 mm long, glabrous; sepals 6, ovate-elliptic, 1.2‒1.6 by 0.6‒0.8 mm, greenish to yellowish white, midrib slightly curved inwards and thickened, apex rounded to acute, mucronate; disc glands 6, reniform, 0.1‒0.4 mm diam, c. 0.1 mm high, thin, with a central connective, smooth; stamens 3, 0.5‒1 mm long, filaments free, deflexed, thecae rounded, 0.2‒0.3 mm long. Pistillate flowers solitary or in pairs in usually upper axils, 1.5‒2 mm diam; pedicel 8‒50 mm long, glabrous, reddish purple; sepals 6, whorls indistinct, (ob)ovate to elliptic, 0.8‒1.8 by 0.5‒0.8 mm, green to yellow or white, midrib not prominent, apex rounded, obtuse or acute; disc annular, slightly cup-shaped and lobed, lobes alternating with sepals, 1.2‒1.4 mm diam, covering ± basal 0.4 mm of ovary, smooth; ovary 3-locular, sessile, depressed subglobose, wider at base, 0.7‒1.5 by 0.5‒0.6 mm high, each locule with a groove, glabrous or pubescent; style absent, stigmas 3, 0.3‒1.2 mm long, bifid for 1/2 of the length, horizontal or pressed to top of ovary. Fruits subglobose, 2.2‒3.7 by c. 2 mm, 6-grooved, (pale) green to yellow or white, glabrous or pubescent; pedicel 10‒50 mm long; columella 1.2‒1.5 mm long. Seeds 1.6‒1.8 by c. 1.4 mm, brown, minutely verrucate, verrucae circular, along longitudinal lines.

Distribution — Philippines (Bohol, Luzon, Mindanao, Panay, Samar), Lesser Sunda Islands ( Flores), Moluccas ( Ambon, Buru, Dodaga, Morotai).

Habitat & Ecology — On dry slopes or along creeks on limestone or clay soils in secondary forests with dipterocarps. Altitude: 50‒ 100 m.

Notes — 1. Similar to P. everettii , but differs in its larger ovate leaves (blades elliptic to oblong, 11‒38 by 4‒11 mm in P. everetii ).

2. Listed in Govaerts et al. (2000) as P. lanceifolius Merr. , but written on the type and in the original publication as P. lancifolius .

3. Merrill (1920) described P. panayensis as differing from P. lancifolius in its smaller leaves and longer pistillate pedicels. However, the leaf size is variable within individuals and specimens were found with leaves of the P. panayensis type but with longer pistillate pedicels (e.g., BS (Ramos) 48249). As only small differences in proportions were encountered, with overlap between the species, it is logical to merge them.

4. The distribution of this species is greatly expanded with material from the Moluccas and Flores that have typical Macraea flowers and seem allied with this species.

Figures

Map 9 Distribution of Phyllanthus lancifolius Merr. in Malesia.