Aspidostemon macrophyllum Van der Werff, 2006

Werff, Henk Van Der, 2006, A revision of the Malagasy endemic genus Aspidostemon Rohwer & Richter (Lauraceae), Adansonia (3) 28 (1), pp. 7-44 : 30-32

17. Aspidostemon macrophyllum Van der Werff , sp. nov. ( Fig. 11A )

Aspidostemoni grayii affine, sed foliis majoribus, reticulatione pagina inferiori elevata recedit.

TYPUS. — Madagascar. Maroantsetra , Anjahana, 15°30’13”S, 49°55’39”E, 500 m, 7.IX.2002, fr., Antilahimena 1344 (holo-, MO; iso-, P, TAN).

DESCRIPTION

Tree, 15 m. Twigs angular, glabrous or with some appressed hairs when young; terminal buds densely pubescent. Leaves opposite, 15-30 × 5-8 cm, glabrous or with a few appressed hairs when young, oblong to oblong-elliptic, firmly chartaceous, the base obtuse or somewhat acute, the apex acute or with a short, blunt acumen, the margin flat; venation immersed on the upper surface or midrib slightly impressed, midrib and reticulation raised on the lower surface; lateral veins 12-15 pairs; petioles 1-1.5 cm long, flat. Inflorescences and flowers not known. Infructescences 6-12 cm long, densely appressed pubescent. Fruits broadly ellipsoid to round, to 1.8 cm long, 1.6 cm wide, scurfy. Remains of flowers persisting on top of the fruit: tepals 1.5 × 1 mm, pubescent on the outer surface, stamens 6, glabrous, tepaloid, the locelli introrse, staminodia III columnar, free, with 2 globose glands at the base; staminodia IV not seen.

REMARKS

This species is related to A. grayi and A. dolichocarpum , with which it shares the predominantly oblong leaves, pubescent inflorescences and tepals, 6 petaloid stamens and free staminodia III. It differs mainly from these two species in its much larger leaves and the obtuse leaf bases. Aspidostemon dolichocarpum also differs from A. macrophyllum in its glabrous terminal buds. It is restricted to the area around Maroantsetra ( Fig. 12 ).

ALTITUDINAL DISTRIBUTION

500 m.

PHENOLOGY

Fruits: September.

VERNACULAR NAME

Tapiky.

Figures

FIG. 11. — Species of Aspidostemon Rohwer & Richter:A, A. macrophyllum Van der Werff; B, A. manongarivense Van der Werff; C, A. masoalense Van der Werff; D, A. microphyllum Van der Werff. A, Antilahimena 1344, MO; B, Service Forestier 11492, MO; C, Schatz & Modeste 3057, MO; D, Schatz & Carlson 2925, MO.

FIG. 12. — Distribution of Aspidostemon Rohwer & Richter in Madagascar: Ϙ, A. macrophyllum Van der Werff; ■, A. manongarivense Van der Werff; Ϙ, A. masoalense Van der Werff; ▲, A. occultum Van der Werff.