A TAXONOMIC REVISION OF CYRTANDRA (GESNERIACEAE) IN SULAWESI, INDONESIA
Author
Atkins, H. J.
Author
Kartonegoro, A.
text
Edinburgh Journal of Botany
2021
2021-09-08
78
364
1
122
http://dx.doi.org/10.24823/ejb.2021.364
journal article
10.24823/EJB.2021.364
1747-0036
10515418
35.
Cyrtandra spectabilis
R.Bone & H.J.Atkins
,
Edinburgh
J. Bot. 70(3): 463 (2013)
–
Type:
Indonesia
,
Sulawesi
,
South Sulawesi
,
Subdivision
Enrekang
District
,
Latimojong Mountains
,
1 xi 1969
,
Sands
331 (
holotype
E
;
isotypes
BO
,
K
).
Figure 54
.
Erect, spreading shrub to
2.5 m
in height.
Stems
terete, glabrescent or sparsely hairy.
Leaves
opposite; one leaf of a pair markedly reduced or appearing alternate; petiole
4–10 mm
long, hairy; blades of larger leaves 8–11 ×
2–3.2 cm
, narrow elliptic, narrow oblong or oblanceolate, base acute, margin serrate, serrations irregularly and distantly spaced (c.
5–24 mm
apart), with small tufts of hair at apex, apex acute; 5–7 pairs of secondary veins, upper surface glabrous, lower surface hairy on midrib and veins, juvenile leaves more densely hairy.
Reduced leaves
(where present) elliptic, c.10 ×
4 mm
.
Inflorescences
axillary, 1- or 2-flowered, or cauliflorous fascicles of up to 7 pendulous flowers; peduncles short,
2–4 mm
long, hairy; bracts c.
2–3 mm
long, linear to oblanceolate, hairy, leafy (with midrib); pedicels
30–40 mm
long, slender, glabrescent to sparsely hairy.
Calyx
maroon,
20–25 mm
long, split on ventral side c.1/4 to 1/2 the length of the calyx, upper lobes c.
4–7 mm
long (in immature flowers the calyx is not so deeply divided on the lower side and the calyx is more obscurely bilabiate), hairy externally.
Corolla
very pale yellow to cream,
30–40 mm
long, funnelform, tube narrow at base, gradually widening to mouth, lobes c.7 ×
6 mm
, glabrous internally, eglandular hairy externally.
Stamens
with filaments c.
11 mm
long, cream, glabrous, attached c.
24 mm
from base of corolla; anthers c.
1.5 mm
long, cohering at apices before anthesis; staminodes 3, lateral staminodes c.
1 mm
long, central less than
1 mm
long.
Gynoecium
c.
30 mm
long; disc cupular, undulate with lobed margin, c.
1.2 mm
long, glabrous; ovary densely eglandular hairy; style white, sparsely glandular hairy; stigma peltate, c.
0.8 mm
across.
Fruits
not seen.
Distribution
.
South Sulawesi
: Latimojong Range (see
Figure 55
).
Figure 54
.
Cyrtandra spectabilis
. a, Habit; b, opened calyx, showing inner surface; c, opened corolla, showing position of stamens and staminodes; d, gynoecium and disc. Drawn by Claire Banks from
Sands
331. Reproduced from
Bone & Atkins (2013)
with the permission of the Trustees of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh.
Habitat and ecology
. Montane forest at an altitude of
1900 m
.
Etymology
. This striking species with large, yellow flowers and a maroon calyx was given the epithet
spectabilis
, meaning ‘attractive’ (
Bone & Atkins, 2013
).
Proposed IUCN conservation category
.
Cyrtandra spectabilis
is known only from the
type
material. The AOO of this species is
4 km
2
, based on a 2 ×
2 km
grid cell size, under the B criteria (
Bachman
et al.
, 2011
). It was collected in 1969 from a relatively high altitude, and although
Cannon
et al.
(2007)
rank the threats to montane forests in
Sulawesi
as low, ‘moderate to strong anthropogenic disturbance’ has been reported in primary forest in the Latimojong Mountains between 1300 and
2200 m
a.s.l. (
Thomas
et al.
, 2011
) and there is no formal protection for this area (UNEP-WCMC &
IUCN, 2019
). This species is considered as Critically Endangered (CR), B2ab(iii) to reflect its restricted distribution and our current understanding of continuous threat. Protection of the habitat and
ex situ
conservation are recommended.
Cyrtandra spectabilis
is a very distinctive species, with its pendulous yellow flowers and maroon, membranaceous calyx. It is unlike any other species in
Sulawesi
.