Cryptocarya chrysea Munzinger & McPherson, 2016

Munzinger, Jérôme & McPHERSON, Gordon, 2016, Novitates neocaledonicae IV: Three new species of Cryptocarya R. Br. (Lauraceae), Adansonia 38 (2), pp. 165-174 : 171-174

Cryptocarya chrysea Munzinger & McPherson , sp. nov.

( Figs 5 ; 6 )

TYPUS. — New Caledonia. Province Nord, Aoupinié, crête, forêt humide, 900-1000 m, fl., fr., 15.XI.2007, 21°10’35’’S, 165°16’4’’E, Munzinger, Lowry, Barriera, Labat, Gemmil, Le Bour, Davidson & Christoph 4792 (holo-, P [ P01952876 !] ; iso-, MO [ MO-2849674 , MO-2849675 ]!, NOU [ NOU031405 ]!, P [ P01952875 ]!).

DIAGNOSIS. — Among the New Caledonian species of Cryptocarya with dense indument persisting on the abaxial leaf surface, C. chrysea , sp. nov., most resembles C. guillauminii , from which it is distinguished by its protruding lenticels abundant on the older stems, by the golden colour of the abaxial surface of its young leaves, and by its larger fruit (to 3.3 cm diameter) (vs smooth stems, glaucous abaxial surface, and fruit diameter to 2.5 cm in C. guillauminii ).

PHENOLOGY. — Flowers in November and December; fruits from September to December (black = ripe in November)

ETYMOLOGY. — The specific epithet refers to the golden (chryseos in Greek) indument on the abaxial surface of leaves.

HABITAT. — The tree grows in “forêts denses humides de basse et moyenne altitudes sur roches volcano-sédimentaires” sensu Jaffré et al. (2012) and ultramafic (Sailles), at 500-1100 m.

DISTRIBUTION. — The species grows on both ultramafic and nonultramafic substrates on the east coast of the main island “Grande Terre”; the southernmost locality is Forêt de Sailles, and the northernmost is Wewec ( Fig. 6 )

CONSERVATION STATUS. — The plant is known from three localities, and all of them are protected areas: Aoupinié and Panié in North Province, and Sailles forest in the South Province. The calculated EOO is 1811 km 2 and the AOO is 32 km 2 but there is no significant threat to the species. We assign Cryptocarya chrysea , sp. nov., a preliminary status of Least Concern (LC).

ADDITIONAL MATERIAL EXAMINED. — Mt Aoupinié, 900 m, Forested slopes, fl., fr., 10.XII.1980, McPherson 3412 (MO[MO-2849660, MO-2849661], P[P01962713]) ; Forêt de Sailles, près du sommet du pwénari, Forêt sur rochers, 1100 m, fl., 7.XII.2001, 21°39’58’’S, 166°14’49’’E, Munzinger et al. 1280 (MO[MO-2849664], P[P00239698]) ; Aoupinié, 500-600 m, bt.fl., 2.XI.2005, Munzinger et al. 3204 ([IND, NOU[ NOU010267 ], P[P00555334]) ; Aoupinié, vers l’antenne, Forêt humide, fr.vert, 2.IX.2010, Munzinger et al. 6053 (MO[MO-2849673], NOU[ NOU053688 ]) ; La Guen, Forêt , 785 m, fr., 21.XI.2010, 20°37’0.384’’S, 164°46’52.7’’E, Munzinger et al. 6425 (CANB, MO, NOU[ NOU063605 ], P[P06837397]) ; La Guen, 637 m, fr., 22.XI.2010, 20°37’28.5’’S, 164°46’39.4’’E, Munzinger et al. 6460 (MO, NOU[ NOU063640 ], P[P06837398]) ; Aoupinié, entre portail et antenne, 985 m, fr., 21.IX.2010, 21°10’39.45’’S, 165°16’11.57’’E, Poullain 351 (MO[MO-2865869], NOU[ NOU053718 ], P[P02259676]) ; Aoupinié, entre portail et antenne, 985 m, stér., 21.IX.2010, 21°10’39.45’’S, 165°16’11.57’’E, Poullain 352 (MO, NOU[ NOU053713 ], P[P02259677]) ; Aoupinié, 950 m, fr., 10.XII.1980, Pusset 176 (P[P01952817]).

DESCRIPTION

Tree 8-10 m; 15 cm in diameter.Bark brown, somewhat rough. Twigs somewhat flattened to subterete, densely puberulous with minute, appressed, essentially straight hairs, smooth at first but older portions typically with long, shallow, narrow ridges and eventually (below the leaf-bearing nodes) with numerous prominent lenticels, these typically 1-2 mm high, 1-2 mm long; terminal buds densely golden appressed-pubescent. Leaves alternate; blades ovate, 5.0-11 × 2.5-5.6 cm; base obtuse to broadly acute in outline but typically briefly decurrent into the petiole; apex acute, typically acuminate; margin thickened to narrowly revolute; texture coriaceous; adaxial surface glossy, glabrous except near the base, abaxial surface typically golden in colour, densely pubescent with minute, subappressed, essentially straight hairs, the hairs persistent on mature leaves; lateral veins (2-)3- 4(-5) on each side, the lowest two pairs typically arising within 1 cm of the leaf base, slightly sunken on the adaxial surface, prominently raised abaxially, lower venation obscure on both surfaces; petioles 8-13 × c. 2.5 mm, flat adaxially.

Inflorescences axillary and pseudoterminal, 1.5-4 cm long, paniculate, densely pubescent; bracts and bracteoles c. 0.5 mm long, caducous, pubescent; pedicels (uppermost bracteoles to hypanthium base) c. 0.5 mm. Flowers yellow-green to green, 3 mm long, 2.5-3 mm in diameter distally, externally pubescent, the tube c. 1 mm long, the tepals c. 2 mm long, erect at anthesis, equal, ovate, pubescent adaxially as well; stamens 9, all 2-celled, pubescent, c. 1 mm long, the filaments very short, the anther cells large, the connectives prolonged beyond the anther cells; stamens slightly shorter than the tepals and hidden behind them; paired glands at the base of the inner three stamens globose, c. 0.3 mm in diameter; staminodia small, narrowly ovate; pistil glabrous, c. 2 mm long, the style not exerted; receptacle cylindric, pubescent near the rim, otherwise glabrous. Fruits slightly obovoid, 2.5-3 cm long, 2.3-3.3 cm in diameter (dried), black at maturity, the embryo reddish pink in cross-section.

NOTE

Cited as [ Cryptocarya sp. “aurea” ined. (Munzinger 4792)] in ( Munzinger 2013).

Figures

FIG. 5. — Cryptocarya chrysea Munzinger & McPherson, sp. nov.: A, flowering branch; B, inflorescence;C, flower; D, fruit; A-C, McPherson 3412; D, Poullain 352; E, detail of the leaf. Drawn by Roger Lala Andriamiarisoa. Scale bars: A, D, 1 cm; B, 5 mm; C, 1 mm; E, 2 mm.

FIG. 6. — Distribution of Cryptocarya chrysea Munzinger & McPherson, sp. nov. Symbols, abbreviation and areas: See Figure 2.