Xylopia pallescens Baill.

Johnson, David M., Munzinger, Jérôme, Peterson, Julie A. & Murray, Nancy A., 2013, Taxonomy and biogeography of the New Caledonian species of Xylopia L. (Annonaceae), Adansonia (3) 35 (2), pp. 207-226 : 220-221

4. Xylopia pallescens Baill. ( Figs 1A, B ; 5 )

Adansonia 11: 178 (1873-1876) [date 4 mars 1874 is printed at bottom of p. 177. According to Stafleu and Cowan (1976), the fascicles of Volume 11 appeared at irregular intervals.]. — Type: “Oritur in Austro-Caledoniae collibus ferrugineis ad orientem ‘Messioncoué, prope Port Bouquet’”, XII.1869, Balansa 1776 (holo-, P[P00507382]!; iso-, P[P00507383]!) .

DISTRIBUTION AND PHENOLOGY. — Xylopia pallescens is confined to slopes and stream edges in a small area of ultramafic soils on the eastern coast at elevations of 100-400 m ( Fig. 5 ). One collector mentioned Araucaria rulei as a dominant associate. Flowers have been collected in November and December, and fruits in May, November, and December. Colors of mature seeds and fruit endocarp in vivo are not known.

CONSERVATION STATUS. — Xylopia pallescens shows an EOO of 1336 km 2 and an AOO of 90 km 2; it has six sub-populations, none of them included in a protected area. In addition, all populations are in or near mining concessions, several of which are being actively mined. Some isolated populations of the west coast are also potentially threatened by fire, as they occur in areas where fire control access is limited; fire tolerance of the species in unknown. Xylopia pallescens is assigned a preliminary status of “Endangered” (EN: A1cd, B1ab(i, iii)2ab(i, iii)). MATERIAL EXAMINED. — New Caledonia. Basse vallée de la Ouinnée, 9.XI.1973, MacKee 27741 (NOU). — Vallée de la Ni, 3.XII.1981 (fl, fr), MacKee 40024 (MO, NOU). — Port Bouquet: To N’Deu, 4.XII.1981, MacKee 40072 (MO, NOU). — Between Kouaoua and Poro, c. 400 m, 20.V.1983, McPherson 5697 (MO, P[P00507326]). — Port Bouquet, Rivière Koum, au bout de las piste longeant la rivière, berge ouest, 105 m, 24.XI.2001, Munzinger 1022 (MO, OWU, P[P00239452]). — Thio, vallée de la To N’Deu, 166°18’22”E, 21°42’12”S, 6.VIII.2007, Munzinger et al. 4413 (NOU). — Rte de Port Bouquet- Camboui vers 300 m à 2.5-3 km de la Rivière Camboui, 6.XI.1968, Veillon 1867 (NOU, P[P00507375]). — To N’Deu River,S de Thio, 16.XII.1981, Veillon 4730 (OWU).

D ESCRIPTION

Shrub up to 4 m tall; double-branching occasional. Twigs gray to red-brown, initially appressed pale-

pubescent, the hairs 0.2 mm long or less, eventually glabrate, lenticellate.Lamina of larger leaves 5.3-8 cm long, 1.9-2.3 cm wide, olive-green to brown-green above, light brown-green below, coriaceous to subcoriaceous, narrowly elliptic to oblong, cuneate to acute at the base, occasionally decurrent on petiole, rounded or rarely acute to obtuse, occasionally retuse, at the apex, glabrous above, glaucescent below from dense papillae, sparsely appressed-pubescent below; midrib raised and keeled below, slightly raised above; secondary veins 10-16 per side, at midpoint of leaf diverging at 50-65° from the midrib, weakly brochidodromous, slightly raised above and below; higher-order veins slightly raised and forming a reticulum. Petiole 2-4.5 mm long, wrinkled, sparsely appressed-pubescent to glabrate. Inflorescences of 1-2 flowers, axillary or sometimes from the axils of fallen leaves; pedicels 1.5-2.5 mm long, curved downward, densely pubescent; bracts 1-3, the uppermost 0.6-1.3 mm long, clasping the pedicel, ovate, apex obtuse to retuse or acute, pubescent. Buds ovoid. Sepals ⅓-½ connate, 1.2-1.7 mm long, 1.5-2.2 mm wide, broadly triangular, apex rounded, pubescent externally, glabrous internally. Outer petals white to yellow-white, fleshy, 4-6 mm long, 2-2.7 mm wide, narrowly ovate, acute to obtuse at apex, slightly keeled on outer surface, concave on inner surface, densely appressed-pubescent on both surfaces; inner petals white, fleshy, 3.1- 4.4 mm long, 1.1-1.8 mm wide, lanceolate, acute at the apex, slightly keeled on exterior, becoming concave at base on inner surface, densely pubescent on both surfaces. Stamens 70-80; fertile stamens 0.5-1 mm long, quadrate, oblong, or clavate; anthers septate at anthesis, with 4-6 locules; apex of connective 0.2-0.4 mm long, dome-shaped, overhanging anther thecae, minutely papillate; filament ⅓-½ length of most stamens; innermost stamens staminodial, c. 6, 0.7-. 9 mm long, quadrate; staminal cone evident, 1.1-1.4 mm in diameter, 0.7-0.9 mm high. Carpels 2-3; ovaries 0.5-0.7 mm long, pressed together, oblong, golden-tomentose; stigmas appressed along their length, sometimes slightly spreading toward the apex, 1.8-2.4 mm long, trowel-shaped, i. e. distinctly narrowed in the basal ¼, apex rounded, glabrous. Torus of flower 1-1.5 mm in diameter, glabrous except for hairs on carpellate portion. Fruit of up to 4 monocarps on a pedicel 6-8.5 mm long, 1.2-2.4 mm thick, red-brown to gray-brown sparsely pubescent; torus of fruit 2.3-4.5 mm in diameter, 2-4.3 mm high, subglobose or hemispherical; monocarps green to reddish green-brown in vivo, 1.2-2 cm long, 0.7- 1.4 cm wide, 0.3-0.5 cm thick, obovate, finely verrucose and finely obliquely wrinkled, sparsely pubescent to glabrous, contracted into a stipe 1.5- 3.5 mm long and 2.5-4.5 mm thick; apex obtuse. Seeds 1-2 per monocarp, lying oblique to long axis of monocarp, 9-11 mm long, 6.2-7.8 mm wide, 4.9-5.7 mm thick [seeds immature], with a corky ring around the micropyle.

REMARKS

This species resembles X. vieillardii and X. dibaccata in having small flowers and short broad monocarps, but stands apart from both of them in several features: the leaves are relatively narrow, with a lower surface that is distinctly glaucescent from the presence of dense papillae, the flower pedicels are recurved, and the stigmas are shorter and broader.

Figures

FIG. 1. — The New Caledonian species of Xylopia L.: A, B, X. pallescens Baill.; A, habit with fruit; B, habit with flowers;C-H, X. vieillardii Baill.; C, carpels and surrounding staminal cone with a few stamens still attached; D, fruit; E, leaves; F, seed, view from micropylar end; G, seed, side view; H, flowers; I-M, X. pancheri Baill.; I, habit; J, fruit; K, stigmas, stamens, and sepals, side view; L, seed, view from micropylar end; M, seed, side view;N-O, X. dibaccata Däniker; N, habit with young fruit; O, habit with flowers; A, B, Veillon 4730 (OWU); C, McPherson 6281 (MO); D, E, McPherson 6330 (MO); F, G, Brinon 1130 (NOU); H, from Sarlin 322 (P00507339); I, McPher- son 3575 (MO); J, McPherson 5976 (MO); K-M, MacKee 29715 (P00507360); N, Munzinger & McPherson 2526 (NOU); O, McPherson 5397 (MO). Scale bars: A, B, D-J, L-O, 1 cm; C, K, 3 mm. Drawing by Kate Ball.

FIG. 5. — Distribution of Xylopia pallescens Baill. on New Caledonia. Ultramafic substrates are shown in grey,except for serpentinites, which are shown in black.