Diospyros rufotomentosa G.E. Schatz & Lowry, 2018

Schatz, George E. & Lowry Ii, Porter P., 2018, Novitates neocaledonicae. IX. Taxonomic notes on New Caledonian Diospyros (Ebenaceae) with new synonymy and the description of two new species, Candollea 73 (1), pp. 91-100 : 97-99

Diospyros rufotomentosa G.E. Schatz & Lowry , spec. nova ( Fig. 4 , 5 ).

Distinguished from all other New Caledonian species of Diospyros by the densely rufous tomentose indumentum on stems, leaves, floral bracts, flowers, calyces in fruit, and fruits.

Holotypus: NEW CALEDONIA. Prov. Sud: Kwé Binyi River , S of Yaté , forest along old road along N side of estuary , just E of old river crossing , at new water plant, ultramafic substrate, 22°15’25’’S 167°00’20’’E, 2-10 m, 7.XII.2016, fr., Lowry & Schatz 7469 ( P [ P00580363 ]!; iso-: G [ G00341728 ]!, K!, MO [ MO3034511 ]!, NOU!, NY!, US!, W!).

Shrub to tree 3-13 m, to 25 cm dbh, stems densely rufous tomentose. Leaves narrowly to broadly elliptic, occasionally slightly ovate or obovate, (1.6-)4-12.4 × (0.8-) 2.2-5.7 cm, coriaceous, base rounded to acute, margin flat to revolute, apex acute to rounded, midvein flat to slightly sunken above, distinctly raised below, venation weakly brochidodromous, secondary veins 6 or 7 per side, often obscure above and below, occasionally evident and flat above, raised and evident below when indument wears off, tertiary veins reticulate, upper surface initially sparsely rufous tomentose, soon glabrescent except remaining sparsely whitish tomentose along mivein, lower surface densely rufous tomentose, occasionally glabrescent; petiole 2-13 mm, 0-8- 1.5 mm in diam., densely rufous tomentose. Male flowers in fascicles of 3 or 4 borne in the axils of leaves, 3-merous; peduncle 3-4 mm long, 3 mm in diam.; flowers sessile, occasionally with a subtending oblong bract, 7 × 2.5 mm, densely rufous tomentose; calyx oblong, 8-9 mm long, 3-4 mm in diam., lobes triangular to broadly triangular, 1.5-2.5 × 1-1.5 mm, densely rufous tomentose; corolla exserted beyond calyx, tubular, 9-10 mm long, 2 mm in diam., lobes narrowly triangular, 2 × 1 mm, densely rufous hirsute outside, glabrous inside, yellow in vivo. Female flowers solitary in leaf axils, 3-merous; pedicel 2 mm long, 1-2 mm in diam., densely rufous tomentose, bearing 4-6 distichously arranged, cucullate bracts, 3-6 × 3 mm, densely rufous tomentose; calyx urceolate, 9 mm long, 6 mm in diam., lobes triangular, 2.5 × 4 mm, densely rufous tomentose; corolla tubular, 7 mm long, 3.5 mm in diam., lobes narrowly triangular, 2 × 0.5 mm, densely rufous tomentose outside, glabrous inside, pale yellow in vivo. Fruits depressed globose to ovoid, 13-18 mm tall, 13-20 mm in diam., densely rufous tomentose and whitish sericeous-hirsute, glabrescent, the stigma remnant apiculate; calyx in fruit only slightly accrescent, expanding in thickness to 1.5-2 mm, apex of lobes slightly reflexed, margins weakly to strongly revolute, densely rufous tomentose. Seeds spherical wedge-shaped, 8-11 × 5-6 mm, glabrous, black.

Distribution and ecology. – Diospyros rufotomentosa occurs in humid forest, apparently exclusively on ultramafic substrates (or nearly so), primarily in southern Grande Terre, with a few populations recorded somewhat farther north (Mt. Arago and the lower Monéo and Néavin valleys) ( Fig. 5 ). It ranges from sea level to 600 meters elevation.

Conservation status. – Diospyros rufotomentosa has a geographic range in the form of an Extent of Occurrence (EOO) of 3,230 km 2 and a minimum Area of Occupancy (AOO) of 72 km 2, and exists at 15 locations with respect to the threats of fire and mining, which result in continuing decline in habitat quality. As it nearly meets the thresholds for Vulnerable, D. rufotomentosa is assigned the category of “Near Threatened” [NT] using the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria ( IUCN, 2012). The species is currently known from the protected areas of Forêt du Grand Kaori and Rivière Bleue.

Notes. – As mentioned above, among the disparate elements WHITE (1993a) included in D. parviflora , he noted a form in the extreme south with generally large leaves and the presence of a “tomentum roux”. With the transfer of anomalous specimens previously identified by White as D. parviflora to various other species ( D. impolita , D. revolutissima , D. trisulca , D. yaouhensis , as well as the two new species we here recognize), D. parviflora is now much more coherently circumscribed as a species occurring on mostly non-ultramafic (volcano-sedimentary) soils in the northeast (with the occasional outlier on ultramafic soils in the northwest and on the Belep islands of Ile Art, Ile Baaba, Ile Belabio, and Ile Yandé), whereas the newly described species D. rufotomentosa occurs on ultramafic substrates primarily in the south.

Paratypi. – NEW CALEDONIA. Prov. Sud: près de Bourail , 11.IV.1869, y. fr., Balansa 1459 ( P); Haute Couvélée , 1.V.1951, fr., Baumann 13040 ( P); Haute Rivière Blanche, Mois de Mai , [22°07’24’’S 166°31’27’’E], 300 m, 21.VI.1951, fr., Baumann 14183 ( P); forêt au dessus du Carénage , [22°10’59’’S 166°39’50’’E], s.d., st., Blanchon 1069 ( NOU, P); Thy, [22°11’02’’S 166°31’27’’E], 320 m, 30.IV.1980, fr., Brinon 685 ( NOU, P); Thy, upper western track , [22°10’27”S 166°31’53”E], 520 m, 20.XI.1981, fr., Brinon 1164 ( NOU); E shore of the mouth of Yaté river , [22°09’26’’S 166°57’04’’E], 10.X.1947, fr., Buchholz 1499 ( P, US); Prony, Sebertville , X.1903, fr., Cribbs 1388 ( P); sine loco, s.d., fr., Franc s.n. ( P); Prony, X.1915, fr., Franc 20 ( K, MO, P, US); sine loco, VII.1913, fr., Franc 1517 Ser. A ( K, P); sine loco, VII.1914, ♀ fl., Franc 1696 Ser. A ( P); sine loco, s.d., fr., Franc 1796 ( K [2 sheets]); rivière des Pirogues , 350-400 m, 9.IX.1981, st., Gentry & McPherson 34619 ( MO); Mt. Arago, 1910, fr., Godefroy (herb. d’Alleizette) 526 ( P); Thy, 22°11’08’’S 166°31’26’’E, 500 m, 23.VII.2009, fr., Grignon et al. 383 ( NOU); Mt. Dzumac, [22°02’40’’S 166°28’17’’E], 29.II.1979, fl., Hoff 442 ( NOU); Plaine des Lacs, [22°16’23’’S 166°56’59’’E], 15.V.1968, fr., Jaffré 27 ( NOU, P); Prony, s.d., fr., Le Rat 654 ( P); sine loco, s.d., fr., Le Rat 1573 ( P); Kwé Binyi River, S of Yaté , forest along old road along N side of estuary , just E of old river crossing , at new water plant, ultramafic substrate, 22°15’25’’S 167°00’20’’E, 2-10 m, 7.XII.2016, ♂ fl., Lowry & Schatz 7470 ( G, MO, NOU, P, W); ibid. loco, 7.XII.2016, fr., Lowry & Schatz 7471 ( MO, NOU, P); ibid. loco, 7.XII.2016, ♀ fl., Lowry & Schatz 7472 ( MO, NOU, P); Le Carénage ( Baie de Prony ), 100 m, 25.I.1966, ♀ fl., MacKee 14276 ( MO, P); Plaine de Lacs, haute Rivière Blanche , forêt “les Électriques ”, [22°10’45’’S 166°39’32’’E], 200 m, 8.XII.1966, fr., MacKee 16037 ( K, NOU, P); basse Néavin , [21°10’05’’S 165°29’35’’E], 2 m, 5.XII.1978, ♂ fl., MacKee 36176 ( K, MO, NOU, P); basse Monéo , [21°08’41’’ 165°26’46’’E], 100 m, 26.IV.1979, ♂ fl., MacKee 36837 ( NOU, P); Thy River valley , [22°11’15’’S 166°31’53’’E], 9.IV.1979, fr., McPherson 1537 ( MO, NOU, P); ibid. loco, 30.IV.1980, fr., McPherson 2626 ( MO, NOU, P); along Nouméa-Yaté road , Fausse Yaté , [22°10’12’’S 166°47’21’’E], 2 m, 5.IX.1981, fr., McPherson 4163 ( MO, NOU, P); sine loco, s.d., Petit 44 ( P); Kuébini , 22°15’25’’S 167°00’20’’E, 11.V.2004, fr., Munzinger & Lowry 2037 ( MO, NOU, P); Forêt Desmazures , [22°11’41’’S 166°37’24’’E], 22.III.2005, ♀ fl., Munzinger 2708 ( NOU, P); Forêt du Grand Kaori , [22°17’00’’S 166°53’39’’E], 22.III.2005, fr., Munzinger 2781 ( MO, NOU, P); sine loco, s.d., fr., Sébert & Fournier 44 ( P); Col de Mouirange, [22°13’30’’S 166°39’32’’E], 10.IX.1980, y. fr., Suprin 640 ( NOU, P); Forêt de la Thy , [22°10’42’’S 166°31’37’’E], 460 m, 20.XI.1981, fr., Suprin 1501 ( NOU); Rio des Pirogues , 27.X.1923, y. fr., C.T. White 2245 ( K, P).

Figures

Fig. 4. - Diospyros rufotomentosa G.E. Schatz & Lowry. A. Female flowering branch; B. Male flowers; C. Female flower; D. Fruiting branch; E. Fruit. [A, C: Lowry & Schatz 7470, P; B: Lowry & Schatz 7471, P; D-E: Lowry & Schatz 7469, P] [Drawings: R.L. Andriamiarisoa]

Fig. 5. - Diospyros rufotomentosa G.E. Schatz & Lowry. A. Upper leaf surfaces; B. Male flowers; C. Female flowers; D. Fruit. [A, D: Lowry & Schatz 7469; B: Lowry & Schatz 7470; C: Lowry & Schatz 7471] [Photos: A-C: P.P. Lowry II; D: G.E. Schatz]