Bemangidia lowryi L. Gaut.

Laurent Gautier, Yamama Naciri, Arne A. Anderberg, Jenny E. E. Smedmark, Richard Randrianaivo & Ulf Swenson, 2013, A new species, genus and tribe of Sapotaceae, endemic to Madagascar, Taxon 62 (5), pp. 972-983 : 979-981

Bemangidia lowryi L. Gaut. , sp. nov.

– Type: MADAGAS- CAR. Toliara, Région de l’Anosy, Bemangidy Forest, ca. 3 km W of Antsato, along RN 12a, 65 km N of Ft. Dauphin . Humid evergreen forest on steep slope, E of Ivohibe Peak. 7 Feb. 2006, fl., P.P. Lowry II, J. Rabenantoandro, F. Randriatafika, E. Lowry, E. Ramisy & B. Mara 6657 (holotype: P! [ P 00568788 ]; isotypes: G! [ G 00340094 ], MO [ 6141396 ], TEF). — Figure 3.

Tree up to 15 m tall, and 0.55 m in diameter, bark dark brown, oak-like fissured; inner bark tender, pink, with copious white latex, wood very hard, light yellow. Ultimate twigs 8–10 mm thick, with rusty pubescence on recent growth. Leaves alternate, grouped at the end of the twigs; stipules linear, 8 × 1.5 mm, rusty-pubescent, early caducous; petiole 60–100 × 1.5–2.0 mm, channelled, with a caducous rusty pubescence persisting inside the channel. Blade elliptical, 180–220 (to 300 mm on sterile shoots) × 60–65 mm, base cuneate, apex obtuse and sometimes shortly and broadly acuminate, chartaceous to coriaceous, with a caducous rusty pubescence on lower surface, glabrous on upper surface; leaf venation brochidodromous with very dense and parallel secondaries, almost indistinguishable from tertiaries, diverging from the primary vein at an angle of 70° to 90°, looping very near the margin. Primary vein raised on lower surface, impressed above, in continuation of the channelled petiole. Flowers two or three in axillary fascicles; pedicel 50 × 2 mm, rusty-pubescent. Calyx quincuncial of 5 sepals united at the base; sepals broadly lanceolate, 20–2 × 10–12 mm, rusty-pubescent outside; the two outer sepals also pubescent on the inner side, except for the middle third, both margins involute and causing longitudinal grooves on the overlapped sepals; the intermediate sepal with only one involute margin, and a third of the inside pubescent; the two most central sepals glabrous inside. Corolla pale greenish or cream; tube 7–8 mm long, with 5 broadly lanceolate lobes 18–20 × 10 mm, contorted in bud, overlapping to the right. Stamens 5, opposite the corolla lobes; filaments glabrous, attached for half of their length to corolla tube, free part 7–8 mm long; anthers 10 mm long, attached to the filaments at 1/3 from base, sagittate; thecae ciliate; connective extending above thecae in an acute 1 mm long appendage. Staminodes 5, alternipetalous, broadly lanceolate, 8 × 5 mm, margin ciliate, connivent and forming a chamber over the ovary. Gynoecium superior, hirsute, 6.5 mm in diameter and 3.3 mm in height, composed of 5 fused carpels with one ovule per locule; style 27 mm long, with 5 weak longitudinal grooves; stigmatic area round, 0.3 mm in diameter. Fruit a berry, obconic and asymmetric, 40–50 × 30–35 mm with copious white latex, borne on 40–50 mm long, 3 mm thick pedicel, which gradually widens to 6 mm near the fruit; calyx partly persistent; seed 1, ellipsoid, slightly laterally compressed, ca. 30 × 22× 19 mm; testa shiny, light brown; seed scar adaxial, covering 65% of the length and 40% of the circumference; embryo with plano-convex cotyledons; endosperm absent.

Etymology. – It is the pleasure for the author of the species to dedicate it to the first collector of the type specimen, Porter Prescott (Pete) Lowry II from Missouri Botanical Garden, as an acknowledgment for all he has done for the botany of Madagascar in an unremitting spirit of collaboration.

Conservation assessment. – With an estimated Extent Of Occurrence (EOO) of less than 10 km ², an Area Of Occupancy (AOO) of 9 km ² and a single subpopulation, occurring within a provisional protected area (Tsitongambarika), Bemangidia lowryi is assigned a preliminary status of “Critically Endangered” (CR B1ab(iii); B2ab(iii)) following IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria ( IUCN, 2001).

Other specimens. – MADAGASCAR. Toliara, Région de l’Anosy, Bemangidy Forest , no date, sterile, Service forestier, s.n. ( P, 2 sheets [ P 00568786 , P 00568787 ]); Ibid., alt. 440 m, forêt dense humide de crête, 10 Dec. 2011, sterile, Gautier , Swenson & Randrianaivo 5784 ( G, S, TAN); Ibid ., alt. 280 m, forêt dense humide de crête, 11 Dec. 2011, sterile, Gautier , Swenson & Randrianaivo 5786 ( G, S, TAN); Ibid., alt. 430 m, forêt dense humide de crête, 11 Dec. 2011, fr., Gautier , Swenson & Randrianaivo 5789 ( G, K, MO, P, S, TAN).

Note. – One specimen (Gautier 5790) collected with flower buds in the same forest, but at higher altitude (670 m) on an exposed ridge on the eastern summit of Ivohibe Peak, is clearly a member of the same genus. The tree was smaller in size (7 m) and had smaller leaves. It was first thought to be merely an individual adapted to a more exposed site, but molecular analysis indicates that it is also genetically different from the type population. Until more fertile material is collected from this population we refrain from including it in the new species.

Figures

Fig. 3. Line drawing of the type collection of Bemangidia lowryi L. Gaut. (Lowry & al. 6657; P). A, flowering branch; B, flower with corolla and 3 calyx lobes removed, showing gynoecium; C, flower with corolla removed; D, two cross-sections of ovary; E, staminode; F, corolla opened; G, fruit; H, seed. — A – F drawn from P. P. Lowry II & al. 6657; G – H drawn from L. Gautier & al. 5789. — Drawing: C. Chatelain.