Timonius pannosus J.Chen, 2014

Chen, Junhao, Wong, Khoon Meng, Ent, Antony Van Der & Tan, Hugh T. W., 2014, Nine new species of Timonius (Rubiaceae) from Kinabalu Park, Borneo, Phytotaxa 181 (3), pp. 138-150 : 146-147

Timonius pannosus J.Chen , sp. nov. ( Fig. 4A )

Similar to Timonius esherianus W.W. Smith (1915: 327) ( Fig. 4B ), but differing by the longer petioles (9–20 mm vs. 4–7 mm long), thinner leaves (chartaceous vs. coriaceous), and acute-cuspidate (vs. obtuse-cuspidate) leaf apex.

Type: — BORNEO. Sabah: Kinabalu Park, 2 km from Kampung Melangkap Tomis, Sungei Sinopukan , 8 July 1995 (♂ plant), Lorence 722 (holotype K; isotypes SAN, SNP) .

Timonius sp. 3 in Beaman & Anderson (2004: 349).

Tree (height unknown); trunk dbh and bark unknown. Stipules triangular, with two lateral ridges converging at the apex, imbricate. Leaves opposite; petioles 0.9–2 cm long, 1.5–2.5 mm in diam.; blades broadly elliptic, 11.5–18.1 × 5.6–9 cm, base cuneate, apex cuspidate, margins plane, chartaceous, lower surface with dense patent hairs, upper surface plane (not bullate); secondary veins 7–9 on each side of the midrib, 8–26(–37) mm apart from each other; tertiary veins raised on lower surface, forming scalariform reticulations between the secondary veins. Inflorescences: female plants unknown; male plants with 9–18 flowers per inflorescence, peduncles 0.5–3 cm long. Calyx lobes in female flowers unknown; in male flowers 4, broad-triangular (length about the same as basal width), 0.5–1 mm long, sparsely pubescent outside. Corolla in female flowers unknown; in male flowers with tube 8–10 mm long, ca. 1 mm in diam., densely pubescent outside, lobes 4, lanceolate, 2.5–3 mm long, densely pubescent outside. Fruits unknown.

Etymology: —The specific epithet refers to the velvety pubescence on the lower leaf surface.

Distribution: —Probably endemic to Kinabalu Park.

Habitat: —Hill forest.

Proposed conservation status: —This species is here classified as Data Deficient according to IUCN (2001) categories, because there is inadequate information about its population size and geographic range. Known only from the type specimens, this species could be threatened but its status can only be confirmed when relevant data become available.

Figures

FIGURE 4. A. Male specimen of Timonius pannosus, Lorence 722 (K). B. Female specimen of T. esherianus, Brunig S 6431 (SING). Scale bars: 5 cm. [Photos: K.M. Wong]