Cyrtandra uapouensis W. L. Wagner & Lorence, 2013

Wagner, Warren L., Wagner, Anthony J. & Lorence, David H., 2013, Revision of Cyrtandra (Gesneriaceae) in the Marquesas Islands, PhytoKeys 30, pp. 33-64 : 43-44

5. Cyrtandra uapouensis W. L. Wagner & Lorence sp. nov. Fig. 7

Type.

Marquesas Islands: Ua Pou: Ua Pou: Ridge just north of Oave, between Oave and Matahenua, high mountain peaks along main backbone ridge, 945 m, 9°23'455"S, 140°4'433"W, 3 July 2004, S. P. Perlman & K. R. Wood 19085 (holotype: PTBG-042428!; isotypes: BISH!, MO, NY, P, PAP, US!).

Description.

Shrubs 1.5-3 m tall; stems usually few. Leaves opposite, borne on upper 3-5 nodes, elliptic-oblanceolate to elliptic, 19-28 × 8-13 cm, upper surface glossy, dark green, glabrate, lower surface pale green, ferruginous pubescent when young, when maturing pubescent primarily along the veins, margins serrulate, apex rounded and usually acuminate, base attenuate, petioles 4.5-7 cm. Flowers in congested cymes 1-3 cm long arising in the upper leaf axils, flowers 1-6, ferruginous pubescent, quickly glabrate, peduncles 3-15 mm long, ca. 1-2 mm in diameter, pedicels 0-10 mm, bracts triangular, ca. 8-11 mm; calyx ellipsoid, white, plicate, 20-25 mm long, the lobes 8-13 mm long, deciduous after anthesis; corolla broadly funnelform, tube ca. 22-35 mm, slightly exceeding the calyx, the lobes ca. 8-10 mm long; style ca. 3 mm long, pubescent. Young berry ellipsoid-ovoid, 15-25 mm long.

Distribution.

Marquesas Islands, rare, endemic to high ridges of Ua Pou, from Oave, Matahenua, Teavahaakiti, Tekahuipu, and Tekohepu, 680-945 m.

Ecology.

Cyrtandra uapouensis is known only in Metrosideros collina - Weinmannia marquesana wet forest with diverse fern understory and other shrubs and trees such as species of Cheirodendron , Coprosma , Crossostylis , Ilex , Melicope , and Xylosma .

Etymology.

The specific epithet refers to the island of Ua Pou where the only known populations occur.

Conservation status.

IUCN Red List Category: Critically Endangered CR B2a + 2b (i, ii, iii). B2: total area of occupancy less than 10 km2 (ca. 5 km2). B2a, a single population known; b (i-iii), habitat continuing decline inferred. The suitable habitat for Cyrtandra uapouensis on Ua Pou (ca. 105 km2) is indicated as an endangered environment, threatened feral animals and invasive plants, reducing the extent of the forest ( Florence and Lorence 1997; Mueller-Dombois and Fosberg 1998; Meyer and Salvat 2009).

Specimens examined.

Marquesas Islands. Ua Pou: Mt. Tekahoipu, 800 m, 9 September 1922, Quayle 1151 (BISH); crête sud menant au mont Teavahaakiti, vallon à pente forte, zone semi-ouverte, 810 m, 20 Jun 2004, Meyer 2847 (P, PAP, PTBG, US); Teavahaakiti, steep slopes of main ridge to S of Oave, N & E facing cliffs between Teavahaakiti & Tekohepu, 683 m, 5 July 1997, Perlman & Wood 15904 (MO, P, PAP, PTBG, US, WU).

Discussion.

Gillett (1973) included the only known specimen of Cyrtandra uapouensis at that time (Quayle 1151) within his delimitation of Cyrtandra nukuhivensis ; populations from Ua Pou are here separated based on its occurrence on a different island and its consistently larger leaves. Cyrtandra uapouensis grows sympatrically with Cyrtandra kenwoodii , and there are several collections (cited in hybrid section) that are morphologically intermediate between them that appear to represent hybrids. The fact that Cyrtandra kenwoodii forms a separate branch in the phylogenetic analyses ( Clark et al. 2009; fig. 1) from both the divided calyx group and the plicate calyx group suggests that perhaps this hybridization has impacted the genome of Cyrtandra kenwoodii or that the species is of hybrid origin.

Figures

Figure 7. Cyrtandra uapouensis W. L. Wagner & Lorence A Habit B Flower, lateral view C Flower, face view. Drawn from Perlman 19085 (isotype, US) [A, C] and Perlman 15904 (PTBG) [A, B] and field images.