Coprosma nephelephila Florence (Bulletin du Museum national d'Histoire naturelle, B, Adansonia, Ser. 4, 8: 3, 1986).

Wagner, Warren L. & Lorence, David H., 2011, Revision of Coprosma (Rubiaceae, tribe Anthospermeae) in the Marquesas Islands, PhytoKeys 4, pp. 109-124 : 114-115

Coprosma nephelephila Florence (Bulletin du Museum national d'Histoire naturelle, B, Adansonia, Ser. 4, 8: 3, 1986).

Type.

Marquesas Islands: Nuku Hiva. Route Toovii–Terre Deserte, 6 km apres le col, 5 Juin 1984, 1050 m, J. Florence 6913 (holotype P!; isotypes: BISH!, K!, NY!, PAP!, US!).

Description.

Shrubs or small trees 2.5-6 m tall; stems glabrous. Leaves ternate, chartaceous, blades 5-16.5 × 2-5.5 cm, oblanceolate, oblong or elliptic-oblanceolate, midrib narrow, pinnately veined with 8-13 pairs of secondary veins, both surfaces glabrous, higher level venation conspicuously reticulate, raphides conspicuously visible on lower surface along the major veins, domatia minute, located along secondary veins and sometimes also along midrib near juncture, apex acuminate, base attenuate; petioles 0.3-1.2 cm long, narrowly winged; stipules 4-6 mm long, connate ½ -4/5 of length, both surfaces glabrous, margins ciliate and dentate with conspicuous colleters, apex obtuse to a conspicuous appendage. Inflorescences axillary, trichotomously branched with 6(-15) flowers, each branch with 1-3 nodes, the uppermost with a 3-flowered cymule, and the others when present with usually only 1-2 flowers developing on each, these 5-7-merous, peduncles 1-2 cm long. Flowers: male flowers with calyx campanulate, 2.3-3.7mm long, the tube 0.3-1.2 mm long, the lobes 2-2.5 mm long, corolla 6-7 mm long, the tube and lobes ca. 3-3.5 mm long, stamens 5 –8(– 12), filaments 7-10 mm long; female flowers with peduncles 0.1-0.7 mm long, calyx tubular, 0.4-0.8 mm long, corolla narrowly funnelform, the tube 0.25-0.4 mm long, the lobes 1.5-2.1 mm long, the styles 7-9 mm long. Fruit 10-11 × 5-6 mm, ellipsoid, apex with persistent calyx teeth. Pyrenes narrowly ovoid-ellipsoid, compressed, 10 × 4-4.5 mm, weakly ribbed dorsally.

Distribution.

Known only from the Toovii area of Nuku Hiva, Marquesas Islands.

Ecology.

Coprosma nephelephila is known from 970 to 1100 m elevation, scattered in montane cloud forests dominated by Metrosideros and Weinmannia associated with with species of Alsophila , Crossostylis , and Ilex .

Etymology.

The specific name alludes to its cloud forest habitat preference.

Conservation status.

Following the criteria and categories of IUCN (2001) it is assigned a preliminary status of Endangered (EN): B1, B2b ( i–iii): B1 extent of occurrence <5,000 km²; B2: total area of occupancy less than 500 km² (c. 50 km²); B2b ( i–iii), habitat continuing decline inferred in (i) extent of occurrence, (ii) areas of occupancy, and area, (iii) extent and/or quality of habitat. The suitable habitat for Coprosma nephelephila on Nuku Hiva (c. 340 km²) is indicated as an endangered environment, threatened by human activity (deforestation and fire), feral animals, and invasiv e plants, reducing the extent of the forest. The estimated population size for this species is unknown but apparently small.

Specimens Examined.

Marquesas Islands: Nuku Hiva.Toovii, épaulement S du Mt. Ooumu, 970 m, [08°51'S, 140°08'W], Florence 4342 (BISH, K, NY, P, US); route Toovii-Terre Deserte, km 6.5 après le col, 1010 m, [08°52'S, 140°10'W], Florence 4369 (BISH, P); Haute vallée de Tapueahu, 1070 m, [08°52'S, 140°11'W], Florence 8522 (BISH, CHR, P, PAP, US); summit area of Toovii, near summit of ridge of airport road, S side of new airport road, W side of mountain, 3500 ft [1067 m], Perlman & Wood 15046 (BISH, MO, NY, P, PAP, PTBG, US).