Cyrtandra purpureofucata R.Bone & H.J.Atkins

Atkins, H. J. & Kartonegoro, A., 2021, A TAXONOMIC REVISION OF CYRTANDRA (GESNERIACEAE) IN SULAWESI, INDONESIA, Edinburgh Journal of Botany 78 (364), pp. 1-122 : 89-93

29. Cyrtandra purpureofucata R.Bone & H.J.Atkins , Edinburgh J. Bot. 70(3): 461 (2013).

– Type: Indonesia, Sulawesi, South Sulawesi, Mt Rantemario , 26 iv 2009, Thomas & Ardi 09-88 (holotype E; isotypes BO, L) . Figures 45 , 46 .

Herb or shrub 1–4 m in height. Stems woody, terete, warty, hairy, densely so when young. Leaves subequal to markedly anisophyllous or appearing alternate; petiole 6–10 mm long, hairy; blades of larger leaves 4.5–10 × 1.5–3 cm, narrow elliptic to somewhat oblanceolate, base acute, margin serrate, apex acuminate; 5–8 pairs of lateral veins, very prominent below on dried specimens, upper surface glabrous, lower surface with appressed hairs on primary and secondary veins, glabrescent between veins, juvenile leaves more densely hairy. Reduced leaves (where present) 1–2 × 0.5–1 cm, elliptic. Inflorescences axillary, sessile, 1- or 2-flowered; bracts 2–5 mm long, sometimes caducous, linear, hairy; pedicels 5–19 mm long, densely hairy. Calyx green, coriaceous, 11–15 mm long, more or less evenly 5-lobed but with the division on the lower side slightly deeper; lobes 4–10 mm long, apex narrow caudate to linear, hairy externally. Corolla deep pink externally, pale pink internally with dark purple lobes, 25–37 mm long; tube narrow in basal half becoming wider and pouched in apical half, narrowing again at mouth; lobes strongly recurved, the lower and lateral lobes being slightly larger than the upper two, c.4 × 4 mm, densely hairy externally becoming sparsely glandular hairy on lobes. Stamens with filaments 9–11 mm long, glabrous, or with tuft of hairs at point of fusion with corolla tube, attached c. 20 mm from base of corolla; anthers facing one another and cohering at tips before dehiscence, 1–2 mm long; staminodes 3, lateral staminodes c. 3 mm long, central staminode slightly longer and thinner, c. 4 mm long. Gynoecium 25–32 mm long; disc cupular, undulate with lobed, fringed margin, c. 2 mm long, glabrous; ovary and style densely eglandular hairy; stigma capitate to flattened. Fruits narrow ovoid to oblong, asymmetrical, c.35 × 6 mm, hairy, base of style persistent, calyx persistent on young fruits.

Distribution. South Sulawesi: Latimojong Range ( Figure 47 ).

Habitat and ecology. In tropalpine forest at an altitude of 2500–3000 m.

Etymology. The epithet purpureofucata , meaning ‘painted purple’, refers to the strong colouring on the reflexed corolla lobes ( Bone & Atkins, 2013).

Proposed IUCN conservation category. This species has an EOO of 12 km 2 and an AOO of 12 km 2, based on a 2 × 2 km grid cell size, under the B criteria ( Bachman et al., 2011). Cyrtandra purpureofucata has been collected on botanical expeditions to montane areas of South Sulawesi in 1929 and 1937, and more recently in 2000 and 2009. All four specimens were collected in tropalpine vegetation at 2500–3000 m. Tropalpine and montane forests were ranked as the least endangered habitats of Sulawesi by Cannon et al. (2007), with a high proportion of tropalpine forest classed as ‘Great to Good’ in quality. The lack of identifiable threats or evidence of decline precludes any of the IUCN threat categories, so following Bone & Atkins (2013), this species is considered Least Concern (LC).

Additional specimens examined. INDONESIA. South Sulawesi. Enrekang: Latimojong Mountains, Tinabang, West side of the Rante Mario, 3000 m, 17 vi 1937, Eyma 696 ( A, BO, K, L, SING) ; ibid., B. Rante Mario [Buntu Rantemario], 2500 m, vi 1929, Kjellberg 4039 ( BO, S) ; ibid., above Rantelemo , 2800 m, 6 iii 2000, Mendum, Argent & Hendrian 00252 ( BO, E, K, L) .

Cyrtandra purpureofucata is a very distinctive species with its purple, pouched corolla with small, recurved lobes.

Figures

Figure 45. Cyrtandra purpureofucata. a, Habit; b, fruit; c, opened calyx, showing inner surface; d, opened corolla, showing position of stamens and staminodes; e, gynoecium and disc. Drawn by Claire Banks from Thomas & Ardi 09-88. Reproduced from Bone & Atkins (2013) with the permission of the Trustees of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh.

Figure 46. Cyrtandra purpureofucata. a, Habit; b, side view of corolla; c, fruits. Photographs: Wisnu Ardi. Specimen: Thomas & Ardi 09-88.

Figure 47. Distribution of Cyrtandra purpurea (black triangles) and C. purpureofucata (white circles).