Cyrtandra mollis de Vriese, Pl. Ind. Bat. Orient.

Atkins, H. J. & Kartonegoro, A., 2021, A TAXONOMIC REVISION OF CYRTANDRA (GESNERIACEAE) IN SULAWESI, INDONESIA, Edinburgh Journal of Botany 78 (364), pp. 1-122 : 74-76

23. Cyrtandra mollis de Vriese, Pl. Ind. Bat. Orient. 16 (1856).

– Rhynchocarpus mollis Reinw. ex de Vriese, Pl. Ind. Bat. Orient. 16 (1856), nom. inval.

– Type: Indonesia, Celebes [Sulawesi], in sylva montosa, x 1821, Reinwardt mss no. 1546 (lectotype L [ L0277511 ], designated here; isolectotype L [ L02775510 ]) .

Cyrtandra vriesii C.B.Clarke in A. & C.DC., Monogr. Phan. 5: 237 (1883). – Type. Indonesia, Celebes [Sulawesi], Minahassa , 1 vii 1859, de Vriese & Teijsmann 24 (lectotype L [L0277514], designated here; isolectotype L [L0277513, L0277517, L0277519]). Figure 37 .

Shrub to 4 m in height. Stems striate, hairy, densely so on young growth. Leaves opposite; sometimes in threes, those of a group or pair well developed but somewhat unequal in size; petiole 15–20(–50) mm long, hairy to densely hairy; blades 6–18(–30) × 3–6(–10) cm, elliptic to narrow elliptic, sometimes lanceolate, base acute, briefly decurrent, slightly asymmetrical, margin serrulate, apex acuminate; 10–12 pairs of lateral veins, curving upwards and running out to margin, hairy to densely hairy above and below including midrib and veins. Inflorescences axillary, sessile, 1- or 2-flowered; bracts 10–15 mm long, linear, densely hairy, soon caducous; pedicel 4–5 mm long, densely hairy. Calyx pale green, flushed reddish on lobes to deep red throughout, 12–16 mm long, more or less evenly divided, lobes long-acuminate, 8–10 mm long, or sometimes with lobes strongly adpressed, hairy. Corolla flushed reddish pink along tube, lobes pale yellow with pale guidemarks, appearing almost metallic, 27–38 mm long, tubular, gradually widening to mouth, slightly arcuate, lower and lateral lobes oblong, strongly recurved, c.7 × 6 mm, upper lobe oblong, erect or extending forwards, 6–7 × 4.5–5 mm, mouth oblique, glandular hairy externally and internally on lobes and base of tube. Stamens with filaments 10–15 mm long, attached 14–15 mm from base of corolla, orange brown, glabrous, slightly glandular towards the anthers; anthers brownish, 1.5–2.5 mm long; staminodes 3, lateral staminodes 3–6 mm long, central staminode less than 1 mm long. Gynoecium 20–32 mm long; disc cupular with undulate margin, c. 1 mm long, glabrous; ovary subglabrous, style glandular hairy; stigma peltate, slightly bilobed, c. 2.5 mm across, exserted from mouth of corolla at maturity. Fruits narrow ovoid to oblong, glabrous except for glandular hairy persistent style, 20–25 × 5 mm, calyx and style persistent.

Distribution. North Sulawesi (see Figure 39 ).

Habitat and ecology. Upland forest at an altitude of 1100–1400 m.

Etymology. The epithet mollis means ‘soft’ or ‘pliant’ and possibly refers to the soft indumentum, which is velvety to the touch, or to the soft texture of the leaves.

Proposed IUCN conservation category. This species has an EOO of 1014 km 2 and an AOO of 32 km 2, based on a 2 × 2 km grid cell size, under the B criteria ( Bachman et al., 2011). Two of the collections are from within the Mount Ambang Nature Reserve, and therefore their populations should receive some protection (UNEP-WCMC & IUCN, 2019). However, most are from the more densely populated areas around Menado and Tomohon, where there is pressure on upland forest from urban expansion and intensive agriculture ( Cannon et al., 2007). Given its restricted distribution in an area of high population density and mainly lacking formal protection, Cyrtandra mollis is considered to be Vulnerable (VU), B1ab(iii) + 2ab(iii).

Additional specimens examined. INDONESIA. North Sulawesi. East Bolaang Mongondow: Mt Ambang Nature Reserve, near Singsingon village, 2 xi 2016, Barber, Atkins, Kartonegoro & Kinho BAKK42 (BO, E); Mt Ambang accessed from Bongkudai Baru village, 3 xi 2016, Barber, Atkins, Kartonegoro & Kinho BAKK52 (BO, E); Manado: Beclang, Unknown collector 5343 (BO, L); Menado, Unknown collector 5562 (BO); Minahasa: 7 i 1895, Koorders 17194β (BO, L); 5 v 1895, Koorders 17181β (BO, L); Tondano, 1923, Kruyff 17 (BO); South Minahasa: Mt Soputan, 11 x 1973, de Vogel 2498 (A, CANB, L); Tomohon: Mt Mahawu, 6 xi 2016, Barber, Atkins, Kartonegoro & Kinho BAKK83 (BO, E); ibid., Wagio crater, 4 vii 1956, Forman 395 (BO, K, L).

Sulawesi. de Vriese s.n. ( WU) .

Cyrtandra mollis is the most densely hairy of the Sulawesi species, with a degree of hairiness reminiscent of that of C. hirtigera H.J.Atkins & Cronk from Palawan and C. villosissima Merr. from Mindanao. The corolla is unusual in Sulawesi with its pale yellow and pink colouring, which appears almost metallic, and the recurved upper lobes. Collections of Cyrtandra mollis from the same population on Mount Ambang (Barber et al. BAKK42 and BAKK52) showed significant variation in the colour of the stems, leaves and calyces from light green to deep red ( Figure 37 E ).

Cyrtandra vriesii C.B.Clarke has been reduced to synonymy here for the first time, following the herbarium annotations of B. L. Burtt. De Vriese cited a Reinwardt collection from 1821 ‘in sylva montosa insulae Celebes’ and the manuscript name and number ‘ Rhynchocarpus mollis mss no 1546’ when he described Cyrtandra mollis (de Vriese, 1856) . The Leiden specimen matching these details (L0277511) is selected here as the lectotype of Cyrtandra mollis . Clarke (1883) listed de Vriese & Teijsmann 24 in the Leiden herbarium after his description of Cyrtandra vriesii , and that specimen is selected here as the lectotype for that name.

Figures

Figure 37. Cyrtandra mollis. a, Side view of flower; b, front view of flower; c, habit; d, fruits; e, samples from two plants from the same population, showing variation in colour. Photographs: Sadie Barber. Specimens: Barber et al. BAKK42 and BAKK52.

Figure 39. Distribution of Cyrtandra luteiflora (red circle), C. mollis (black diamonds) and C. multinervis (black triangle).