Anisophyllea nitida Madani (1993: 53)

Chen, Xin, He, Hai & Zhang, Li-Bing, 2015, A monograph of the Anisophylleaceae (Cucurbitales) with description of 18 new species of Anisophyllea, Phytotaxa 229 (1), pp. 448-450 : 448-450

45. Anisophyllea nitida Madani (1993: 53) ( Figure 88 )

Type:— MALAYSIA. Sabah: Kuala Penyu, near Bundu school, 7.8 km Road to Kerukan , 24 June 1964, J. Ampuria 40249 (holotype SAN, isotype K-H2008/0021894!) .

Trees to 23 m tall, 23 cm diam.; bark smooth or scaly, palely grayish brown; young branches terete, glabrous. Leaves monomorphic(?), internodes 1–3 cm long; petiolate, petiole 0.8–1.2 cm long, 1.4–1.8 mm in diam., glabrous; leaf blade broadly elliptic-ovate or nearly orbicular, 5.5–10.0 cm long, 4–6 cm wide, base oblique, obtuse or quite rounded, apex acute or abruptly acuminate; thickly coriaceous, lustrous adaxially when dry, glabrous on both surfaces; main longitudinal veins 5–6, springing from blade base, inner 3 veins bold, outermost two rather fine, nearly merged with blade margins and sometimes disappearing into blade margins if 6 main veins present, raised on both surfaces; transverse veins numerous, sub-parallel, at angles of 50–60° with the midrib; veinlets a loose reticulation and not distinctly tessellate abaxially, slightly prominent on both surfaces. Inflorescence a supra-axillary spike, solitary or in 2 serials; rachis 1.5–2.5 cm long, 1.5–2.0 mm in diam., with unevenly fascicled flowers, floral internodes 1.0– 2.5 mm long; bracts deltoid, ca. 0.4 mm long, 0.3 mm wide, tomentose abaxially; infructescence 4–5 mm in diam., densely tomentose with purple-brown hairs ca. 0.1 mm long, remaining floral scars prominent on rachis; Flowers unisexual, 4-merous, minute, sessile; female flowers ovate, receptacle cylindric, ca. 0.16 mm long, 0.6 mm in diam., densely tomentose with ferruginous hairs outside; sepals deltoid, ca. 0.5 mm long, 0.6 mm wide at base; petals unknown; staminodes 8; disk obscure; styles 4, free, ca. 0.3 mm long, base conical, ca. 0.15 mm in diam.; Male flowers smaller than female flowers; sepals deltoid, ca. 0.2 mm long, 0.4 mm wide at base; petals unknown; stamens 8, filaments broadened, ca. 0.3 mm long, 0.16 mm wide at base, glandular, anthers globose, ca. 0.1 mm long; disk obscure, pistil rudimentary, styles 4, subulate. Fruit a drupe, broadly ellipsoid, to 5 cm long, 2.5 cm in diam., blunt at both ends, with a minute beak at apex, greenish to yellowish on surface.

Flowering and fruiting: —Flowering in April; fruiting around June.

Habitat and distribution: —In lowland disturbed secondary forests mixed with Dipterocarpus trees; elevation unknown. Malaysia (Sabah, Sarawak) ( Figure 89 ).

Vernacular names: — Sabah: engkop engkop (Kedayan Bundu).

Taxonomic notes: — Anisophyllea nitida shares some morphological similarities with A. corneri , from which it differs in the texture and luster of leaves, in the relatively far-between network of veinlets, and in the persistent velvety hairs on the infructescences ( Madani 1993, Wong & Madani 1995). It is also similar to A. ismailii in the very short inflorescences and the presence of floral scars on infructescences, but it can be distinguished from the latter by its more orbicular-shaped leaf blades, longer petioles, and hairy infructescences. Both species were reported to be monomorphic in leaves ( Madani 1993, McDonald 1995). With limited specimens we could not verify whether the small leaves fell very early or are really totally absent. No flowers of the latter species were examined. All the flowers of this species examined have no obvious petals. We are not sure whether these two species also share the absence of petals as A. apetala . Another collection cited above from Sarawak was identified as this species, which largely extends its distribution from supposed highly localized endemism ( Wong & Madani 1995).

Additional specimens examined: — MALAYSIA. Sarawak: Niah F . R ., Coupe 2, 23 April 1972, J . A . R. Anderson S . 31660 ( K).

118 • Phytotaxa 229 (1) © 2015 Magnolia Press

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MONOGRAPH OF ANISOPHYLLEACEAE

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Figures

FIGURE 88. Anisophyllea nitida Madani. Fruiting branch (Drawn by L. Madni; reproduced and modified from Madani in Sandakania 3: 56. 1993).

FIGURE 89. Geographical distribution of Anisophyllea nitida Madani.