Cyrtandra polyneura (C.B.Clarke) B.L.Burtt

Atkins, H. J. & Kartonegoro, A., 2021, A TAXONOMIC REVISION OF CYRTANDRA (GESNERIACEAE) IN SULAWESI, INDONESIA, Edinburgh Journal of Botany 78 (364), pp. 1-122 : 84-87

27. Cyrtandra polyneura (C.B.Clarke) B.L.Burtt , Edinburgh J.Bot. 47(3): 225 (1990).

– Cyrtandra decurrens de Vriese var. polyneura C.B.Clarke in A. & C.DC., Monogr. Phan. 5: 233 (1883).

– Type: Celebes [Sulawesi], Minahassa , Tondano , iv 1840, Forsten 86, sheet no. 903.307-520 (lectotype L) . Figure 42 .

Herb or shrub to 1 m in height. Stems striate, sparsely hairy, more densely so on young growth. Leaves opposite; those of a pair subequal or well developed but somewhat unequal in size; blades 15–35 × 5–10 cm, oblanceolate, base decurrent, laminas of opposite leaves connate at base when young, margin serrate, apex short-acuminate; 7–15 pairs of lateral veins, curving upwards and running out to margin, glabrous above, often warty at base, sparsely hairy below, more densely so on midrib and veins. Inflorescences axillary, subsessile or pedunculate, many-flowered; bracts wide ovate, up to 25 × 20 mm, subglabrous, warty at base, partially united, forming an involucre containing 8–16(–20) small flowers at various stages of development; peduncles up to 25 mm long, hairy; pedicels 1–3 mm long, glabrous to sparsely hairy, sometimes warty. Calyx tubular, greenish brown, 8–9 mm long, sparsely hairy, 5-lobed, lobes acuminate at apex, 2–3 mm long. Corolla white to pale yellow with yellow or pale orange patches on lobes and throat and red spots in throat, 10–15 mm long, tube narrow in basal 1/3, gradually widening to mouth in apical 2/3, lobes not recurved, upper lobes 2–3 × 3 mm, lower lobes 3 × 4 mm, hairy externally, and with a scattering of glands below the lobes internally. Stamens with filaments 3–5 mm long, attached c. 5 mm from base of corolla, glabrous but with some sessile glands; anthers 1–1.5 mm long, face to face and connected at apices before dehiscence; staminodes 3, laterals c. 4 mm long, central c. 1.5 mm long. Gynoecium c. 10 mm long; disc 1–1.5 mm long, cupular with lobed margin, glabrous; ovary subglabrous to sparsely eglandular hairy; style eglandular hairy for whole length; stigma peltate, slightly bilobed, 1.5–2 mm across. Fruits narrow ovoid to oblong, green or turning purplish, up to 10 × 5 mm, subglabrous; calyx and bracts not persistent.

Distribution. North Sulawesi, Gorontalo, Central Sulawesi, West Sulawesi, South Sulawesi, Southeast Sulawesi ( Figure 43 ).

Habitat and ecology. Disturbed lowland, hill and upland forest at an altitude of 200–1200 m.

Etymology. This species is named for the high number of secondary veins ( Clarke, 1883).

Proposed IUCN conservation category. Cyrtandra polyneura is one of the most common and widespread species on the island and, unusually for Cyrtandra , is often found growing in large patches. Its EOO is 294,062 km 2 and its AOO is 132 km 2, based on a 2 × 2 km grid cell size, under the B criteria ( Bachman et al., 2011). We propose a category of Least Concern (LC) for this species.

Additional specimens examined. INDONESIA. North Sulawesi. Bolaang Mongondow: Kasingolan River, 30 x 2016, Barber, Atkins, Kartonegoro & Kinho BAKK18 (BO, E); East Bolaang Mongondow: Mt Ambang Nature Reserve, 2 xi 2016, Barber, Atkins, Kartonegoro & Kinho BAKK41 (BO, E); Manado: 4 iii 1895, Koorders 17109β (BO); Minahasa: West slope of Mt Masarang, 20 vi 1954, Alston 15952 (A, BM, BO); Tanggari, 5 vii 1954, Alston 16223 (BM); Mt Manembo-nembo, 28 vii 1954, Alston 16576 (A, BM, BO); Mt Masarang, 2 ii 2019, Ardi WI398 (KRB); ibid., 10 i 1895, Koorders 17185β (BO); Kayuwatu, 23 ii 1895, Koorders 17195β (BO, L); Minahasa, 4 iii 1895, Koorders 17189β (BO, L); North Minahasa: Mt Klabat, 19 i 1895, Koorders 17200β (BO); Talaud Islands: Sangihe Talaud, s slope of Mt Duata, 30 iv 1926, Lam 2697 (S).

Gorontalo. Bone Bolango: route along the Olama river to Mt Gambuta , 9 iv 2002, Atkins et al. 40 (BO, E) ; Between Pinogu and Tulabolu , 15 iv 2002, Atkins et al. 114 (BO, E) ; Gorontalo: Path from Bululi to Mt Boliohutu, 22 iv 2002, Atkins et al. 142 (BO, E); Mt Boliohutu, 22 iv 2002, Scott 02-106, grown on at RBGE as accession 20141650, vouchered as Atkins 58 (E).

Central Sulawesi. Banggai: inland from Batui , 14 x 1989, Coode 5933 (BO, K, L) ; Mt Lumut , 7 ix 1938, Eyma 3697 (BO) ; Hanga-Hanga waterfall, 8 iv 2008, Thomas & Ardi 08-25 (BO, E) ; steep river bank, 24 iv 2008, Thomas & Ardi 08-63 (BO); steep river bank, 24 iv 2008, Thomas & Ardi 08-64 (BO, E); between rocks on riverside, 24 iv 2008, Thomas & Ardi 08-65 (BO, E); Donggala : Mt Sojol, 29 ii 2000, Mendum et al. 00217 (E) ; Sigi : Lore Lindu National Park, Mt Nokilalaki, 24 ii 2018, Ardi WI 220 ( KRB) ; ibid., Mt Mad , 3 viii 2018, Ardi WI288 ( KRB) ; ibid., Tamping Lake area , 4 viii 2018, Ardi WI 300 ( KRB) ; ibid., Sopu Valley , c. 80 km SSE of Palu, 26 iv 1979, van Balgooy 3005 (A, E, L) ; East of Tongoa , 2 iii 1981, Johansson, Nybom et al. 135 (E, L) ; Toli-Toli : Mt Galang-Dako, 8 vii 2018, Santoso & Rusdi WS256 (BO) .

West Sulawesi. Mamuju: Tapalang , 4 viii 1912, Noerkas 433 (BO, L) .

South Sulawesi. East Luwu: Soroako-Wasuponda Road , 7 vii 1979, van Balgooy 3911 (A, BO, E, L) .

Southeast Sulawesi. Kolaka: Mt Watuwila, Pondunaah , 13 v 2008, Girmansyah 883 (BO) ; ibid., village of Sanggona , 15 v 2008, Kartonegoro ARK239 (BO) ; ibid., 17 v 2008, Wiriadinata HW 13371 (BO) ; North Kolaka: Mt Mekongga, Tinukari Village , 29 vi 2010, Widjaja & Sujadi EAW9051 (BO, E) ; ibid., 30 vi 2010, Widjaja, Sujadi, Santoso & Hapid EAW9699 (BO) ; ibid., 30 vi 2010, Widjaja, Sujadi, Santoso & Hapid EAW9712 (BO) .

Cyrtandra polyneura is one of the most widespread and common species in Sulawesi, and is distinguished by its involucrate, many-flowered axillary inflorescences and decurrent leaves. It was originally described as a variety of the Moluccan species Cyrtandra decurrens de Vriese by C. B. Clarke (1883). It was subsequently raised to species level by Burtt (1990), the Sulawesi species being distinguished by having much longer leaves; warty, partially united inflorescence bracts; and sparsely hairy calyx lobes ( Burtt, 1990).

A number of the specimen labels record that the plant is collected and eaten as a vegetable. The leaves of this species have been seen on sale in a public market in Mamasa, West Sulawesi (A. Kartonegoro, personal observation).

Figures

Figure 42. Cyrtandra polyneura. a, Habit and stem, showing inflorescences and infrutescence at various stages; b, front view of corolla and bracts forming an involucre; c, side view of flower and young buds; d, fruits. Photographs: Sadie Barber. Specimen: Barber et al. BAKK18.

Figure 43. Distribution of Cyrtandra nitida (red squares), C. parvicalyx (black triangle) and C. polyneura (white circles).