Pitardella kelantansis (Tirveng.) Junhao Chen & K.M.Wong, 2024

Chen, Junhao, Ng, Xin Yi & Wong, Khoon Meng, 2024, Two new combinations in Pitardella (Rubiaceae) and first record of the genus in the Malay Peninsula, Phytotaxa 664 (2), pp. 146-150 : 148

Pitardella kelantansis (Tirveng.) Junhao Chen & K.M.Wong , comb. nov.

Basionym:— Porterandia kelantansis Tirveng., Biogeographica 79(1): 38 (2003).

Type:— Peninsular Malaysia, Kelantan, Wiart et al. 4478 (holotype P [ P 02274606]).

Distribution and habitat:— Pitardella kelantansis is known only from the type locality in Kelantan, Peninsular Malaysia. It occurs in secondary forest at an elevation of 300–650 m ( Tirvengadum 2003).

Notes:— Porterandia kelantansis was described by Tirvengadum (2003) based on a single specimen Wiart et al. 4478 (P). The holotype lacks a proper collection label: it has no date and no precise locality, with just “ Kelantan ” and an annotation in K.M. Kochummen’s hand “ Tarenna sp. near to T. fragrans but different. Probably new and new record for Malaya”. It also has Tirvengadum’s very own determination slip which labelled the specimen as “ Pitardella kelantensis (sic) Tirveng.”. Tirvengadum (2003) erroneously stated in his protologue that the corolla lobes of this species are up to 9.6 cm long while the corolla tube is 2 cm long, suggesting that the corolla lobes exceed the tube in length. The holotype specimen clearly indicates that the corolla lobes are less than 1 cm long and distinctly shorter than the corolla tube (c. 2 cm long).