Operculicarya decaryi H.Perrier

Randrianasolo, Armand & Lowry Ii, Porter P., 2006, Operculicarya (Anacardiaceae) revisited: an updated taxonomic treatment for Madagascar and the Comoro Islands, with descriptions of two new species, Adansonia (3) 28 (2), pp. 359-371 : 364-366

3. Operculicarya decaryi H.Perrier

Mémoires du Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle 18: 249 (1944). — Type: Madagascar,Prov. Toliara, Ambatomainty, au N d’Ambovombe, sur sables, [24°33’S, 46°07’E], 26.X.1931, fr., Decary 9305 (holo-, P!; iso-, P!) .

ADDITIONAL MATERIAL EXAMINED. — Madagascar. Prov. Fianarantsoa, Ihosy à Sakalalina, Service Forestier 23540.

Prov. Toliara, no precise locality, Alluaud 89; Aubréville 26. — Ifotaka, Bosser 3735. — Tsihombe, Bosser 10185. — Environs d’Ambovombe, Bosser 10528. — Forêt de Rapily, Bourgeois 59, 65. — SW of Ampanihy, Croat 31412. — Ifotaka, Decary 3294. — Antanimora, Decary 4383. — Ambatomainty, Decary 9305. — Vinanibe, Dumetz 1299, 1326. — Andohahela PA, Dumetz 1417; Eboroke 858. — 5 km south of Tranoroa junction, Fosberg 52472. — Environs deTongobory, Humbert 2720. — Vallée moyenne du Mandrare près d’Anadabolava, Humbert 12456. — NW de Maroaomby (Betsioky), Humbert 12798 bis. — Col d’Ambato et pentes orientales du Vohipaly, Humbert 14158 bis. — Imonty, Andohahela PA, Keraudren 1502. — Entre Tranoroa et Beloha, Andohahela PA, Laha 205; Leandri & Saboureau 4171; Leandri 4468. — Behevoa, near Betioky, Morat 696. — Berenty, Phillipson 2315. — Beza Mahafaly PA, Phillipson 2525. — Beza Mahafaly PA, Ampanihy, Rakotomalaza & Messmer 1764. — Andohahela PA, Randriamanantena & Durbin 48; Randrianasolo et al. 627. — Entre Antanimora et Ambovombe, Service Forestier (Capuron) 344. — Antanimora à Ambovombe, Service Forestier 354. — Morafeno Ifotaka, Service Forestier 1635. — Entre Tsihombe et Beloha, Service Forestier (Capuron) 8470, 8470 bis. — Tsimela, Service Forestier 8519. — Entre Ambatoabo et Imonty, Service Forestier (Capuron) 8523. — Entre Beraketa et Betroka, Service Forestier (Capuron) 8549. — Entre Ampanihy et Itrobiky, Service Forestier (Capuron) 18678. — Entre Amboasary et Ranomainty, Service Forestier (Capuron) 20460. — Est d’Ampanihy, Service Forestier (Capuron) 27955. — Est d’Antanimora, Service Forestier (Capuron) 28303. — Angavo, Antanimora, Service Forestier 31-R-316. — Ambondro- Ampasy, Service Forestier (de Neef) 100-R-78. — Amboasary to Fort-Dauphin, McWhirter & Capuron 163, 164. — NE of Betioky, Sussman 170. — Environs d’Ampandrandava (entre Bekily et Tsivory), Seyrig 865.

REMARKS

Operculicarya decaryi is a small, branched tree with a bole-like or conical trunk. It is more widespread than other members of the genus (except O. gummifera ), extending throughout much of southern Madagascar, from Toliara E to Ambovombe (Fig. 1). In addition to its distinctive habit, several additional features separate O. decaryi from other members of the genus whose leaves have a winged rachis, including leaflets that are totally glabrous below, and branches that are straight (rather than zig-zag in orientation, as in O. pachypus ).

VERNACULAR NAMES

Zabia, Zabihy daro, Zaby.

CONSERVATION STATUS

Operculicarya decaryi has an EOO of c. 71 600 km 2, an AOO of 3 000 km 2, and c. 30 subpopulations, two of which are encompassed within protected areas (Andohahela PA, Beza Mahafaly PA). It is thus assigned a preliminary status of Least Concern (LC) based on the IUCN Red List threat criteria ( IUCN 2001).