Cyrtandra geocarpa Koord., Meded. Lands Plantentuin

Atkins, H. J. & Kartonegoro, A., 2021, A TAXONOMIC REVISION OF CYRTANDRA (GESNERIACEAE) IN SULAWESI, INDONESIA, Edinburgh Journal of Botany 78 (364), pp. 1-122 : 43-46

11. Cyrtandra geocarpa Koord., Meded. Lands Plantentuin 19: 627 (1898).

– Type: Indonesia, Celebes [Sulawesi], Minahassa, Mt Lolombulan , 15 iv 1895, Koorders 19377β (lectotype BO, designated here). Figure 23 .

Branching herb or shrub to 1 m in height. Stems striate, glabrous, hairy on young growth. Leaves opposite; those of a pair well developed but somewhat unequal in size; petiole 10–15 mm long, sparsely hairy to hairy; blades 8–16(–24) × 2–8(–10) cm, narrow oblong to oblanceolate, base acute, not decurrent, more or less symmetrical, apex acuminate; margin serrulate to lobed; 5–7 pairs of lateral veins, curving upwards and running out to margin, subglabrous above, sparsely hairy below, more densely so on midrib and veins. Inflorescences trailing from base of main plant; trailing axis c. 1 mm in diameter, up to 50 cm long, glabrous; bracts 1–2 × 1 mm, linear to linear-lanceolate, hairy, not connate. Calyx green to reddish brown, 9–12 mm long, 5-lobed, lobes subulate to linear, acuminate at apex, 3–8 mm long, hairy externally. Corolla white, sometimes with pale purple internally on lobes and yellow guidemarks in throat, 25–40 mm long, very narrow in basal half then widening to mouth, lobes spreading not strongly recurved, upper lobes c.7 × 6 mm, lower and lateral lobes c.9 × 8 mm, sparsely hairy externally, glandular hairs at base of lobes and on base of tube below filaments. Stamens with filaments 8–15 mm long, attached 12–20 mm from base of corolla, glabrous; anthers 1–2 mm long, cohering at apices and face to face before dehiscence; staminodes 3, 1.5–3 mm long. Gynoecium 15–20 mm long; disc cupular, 1.5–2 mm long, glabrous; ovary subglabrous; style sparsely eglandular and glandular hairy, more densely so towards apex; stigma appearing peltate or slightly bilobed, up to 2 mm across. Fruits oblong, brown-green, subglabrous, smooth when dry, 15 × 5 mm, calyx and style persistent.

Distribution. North Sulawesi, Gorontalo, Central Sulawesi ( Figure 24 ).

Habitat and ecology. Lowland to upland forest at an altitude of 150–1500 m.

Etymology. The name of this species reflects the position of the flowers and fruits trailing from the base of the plant.

Proposed IUCN conservation category. The EOO of this species is 74,685 km 2 and the AOO is 56 km 2, based on a 2 × 2 km grid cell size, under the B criteria ( Bachman et al., 2011). It is found over a wide altitudinal range and from three of the island’s provinces, and has been collected on a number of recent expeditions (in 2000, 2002, 2008 and 2016). Some of the collection localities fall within the boundaries of the Lore Lindu National Park, Mount Sojol Nature Reserve or Bogani Nani Wartabone National Park (UNEP-WCMC & IUCN, 2019). Because of its wider distribution and higher level of protection in a number of areas, Cyrtandra geocarpa is considered to be of Least Concern (LC).

Additional specimens examined. INDONESIA. North Sulawesi. Bolaang Mongondow: Tapakolintang area, 29 xi 2016, Barber, Atkins, Kartonegoro & Kinho BAKK7 (BO, E); Mt London, 30 xi 2016, Barber, Atkins, Kartonegoro & Kinho BAKK25 (BO, E); Dumoga Bone National Park, 14 iii 1985, de Vogel & Vermeulen 6527 (BO, L); ibid., 3 iv 1985, de Vogel & Vermeulen 6971 (BO L); Minahasa: 220 km W of Menado, 50 km inland from Pangi, 7 iii 1990, Burley, Tukirin et al. 3701 (A, K, L); Minahassa, 1895, Koorders 17180β (BO); South Minahasa: Mt Lolombulan, 4 ii 2019, Ardi WI406 (KRB).

Gorontalo. Bone Bolango: Lombongo, 30 iv 2002, Atkins et al. 252 (BO, E); Gorontalo: Path from Bululi to Mt Boliohutu, 22 iv 2002, Atkins et al. 139 (BO, CEB, E); ibid., 22 iv 2002, Scott 02-99, grown at RBGE as accession 20021222A, vouchered as Atkins 12 (E).

Central Sulawesi. Donggala: Mt Sojol, 5 ii 2000, Mendum et al. 00149 (BO, E); Sigi: Area of Mt Nokilalaki, 2 iv 1975, Meijer 9451 (BO, L); Area of Mt Nokilalaki, along Sungai Pehuia, 5 iv 1975, Meijer 9601 (BO, L); Area of Mt Nokilalaki, SE of Lake Lindu, 3 v 1975, Meijer 9971 (BO, L); Tolitoli: Mt Galang-Dako, 5 vii 2018, Santoso & Rusdi WS186 (BO).

There are four Cyrtandra species in Sulawesi with trailing inflorescences that originate at the base of the stem: C. geocarpa , C. hypogaea , C. luteiflora and C. rantemarioensis . Cyrtandra geocarpa can be distinguished from the other geoflorous taxa by a combination of its slender (less than 1 mm in diameter), unbranched inflorescence axis, cupular disc and large white flowers.

One of the two specimens collected by Koorders and annotated with the name Cyrtandra geocarpa, Koorders 19377β, is designated here as the lectotype.

Figures

Figure 23. Cyrtandra geocarpa. a, Habit; b, fruit at base of plant; c, side view of flower; d, front view of flower. Photographs: Sadie Barber. Specimen: Barber et al. BAKK25.

Figure 24. Distribution of Cyrtandra floccosa (black squares), C. gambutensis (red circles) and C. geocarpa (black triangles).