Five new species of Syzygium (Myrtaceae) from Sulawesi, Indonesia
Author
Brambach, Fabian
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3203-2248
Plant Ecology and Ecosystems Research, Albrecht-von-Haller Institute for Plant Sciences, University of Goettingen, Untere Karspuele 2, 37073 Goettingen, Germany
fbramba@gwdg.de
Author
Byng, James W.
Plant Gateway, 5 Talbot Street, Hertford, Hertfordshire, SG 13 7 BX, UK & Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Botany, P. O. Box 9517, 2300 RA, Leiden, The Netherlands
Author
Culmsee, Heike
Plant Ecology and Ecosystems Research, Albrecht-von-Haller Institute for Plant Sciences, University of Goettingen, Untere Karspuele 2, 37073 Goettingen, Germany & DBU Natural Heritage, German Federal Foundation for the Environment, An der Bornau 2, 49090 Osnabrueck, Germany
text
PhytoKeys
2017
2017-06-15
81
47
78
http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/phytokeys.81.13488
journal article
http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/phytokeys.81.13488
1314-2003-81-47
9264FFFAFFB05E16C86452418950FF97
816510
3
.
Syzygium devogelii Brambach, Byng & Culmsee
sp. nov.
Figures 4
, 5
, 8
Myrtaceae
" sp. 10" p.p. (
Culmsee and Pitopang 2009
, see also 2017 (Erratum)).
Diagnosis.
Syzygium devogelii
is a species of treelets characterised by slender, narrowly winged young branchlets, medium-sized narrowly elliptic leaves, straight and distinct secondary veins connected by an intramarginal vein impressed above and prominent beneath, small flowers (5
x
3 mm in bud) in terminal inflorescences that develop into rather large fruits (c. 20
x
25 mm), mature seeds lacking a testa, and cotyledons with echinate outer surfaces. The species is morphologically similar to
Syzygium perspicuinervium
(Merr.)
Masamune (1942
, 537) but differs from that species in smaller leaves with fewer secondary veins and in flowers with distinct calyx lobes (vs calyx calyptrate). It is furthermore similar to
Syzygium valdevenosum
(Duthie)
Merrill and Perry (1939
, 182) but differs in lateral veins which are impressed above (vs prominent), much smaller inflorescences, and smaller, obconical (vs infundibuliform) flowers. Floral formula B1 Bt2 K4* C4* A∞*
Ĝ
(2)┼ Vx∞.
Type
.
INDONESIA
.
Central Sulawesi
(
Sulawesi Tengah
), LLNP, Kab. Poso, Kec. Lore Utara, west slope of
Mt Rorekautimbu
, c.
1°17.5'S
120°16.3'E
,
1350 m
,
11 May 1979
:
de Vogel EF
5293
(fruits;
holotype
L [L.2535665]! [L.2535666]!; isotype K!)
.
Description.
Trees
, up to 13 m tall, diameter at breast height ≤ 13 cm, trunk ≤ 7 m tall. Outer
bark
whitish to brown, mealy or peeling off in thin sheets, inner bark pale or dark red, wood cream-coloured. Young
branchlets
1-2.5
x
2-3 mm,
+/-
flattened, angular or oblong in cross section with 4 narrow wings, epidermis dark red when young, drying reddish or yellowish brown, smooth; becoming rounded with 4 ridges, bark (yellowish) brown, peeling off in thin sheets.
Leaves
(sub-)opposite. Petioles 7-16
x
1-3 mm, channelled above, rounded beneath, epidermis drying smooth or with transverse cracks. Blades (12.5-) 14-19 (-22.5)
x
(4-) 4.5-7 (-8.5) cm, ratio (2.1-) 2.6-3.3 (-4), narrowly elliptic (or lanceolate), base cuneate or obtuse, apex acuminate, margin revolute; chartaceous or coriaceous, red or pink when young, above, beneath, drying dull to satin, variable in colour from greyish brown and olive grey to very dusky red above, dull to satin and, dark reddish brown beneath; pellucid dots rather few, visible or not on both sides. Midrib channelled above, very prominent, rounded, smooth and drying darker than the lamina beneath. Secondary vein pairs (9-) 11-14 (-17), 5-22 mm apart, channelled or impressed above, prominent and drying darker than the lamina beneath, straight or slightly arching from the midrib; intersecondary veins sometimes present. Tertiary veins dense,
+/-
ladder-like and perpendicular to the midrib, faint above, prominulous beneath. Inner intramarginal vein 2-9 mm from leaf margin, looping or not and prominent; outer intramarginal vein 0.5-1.5 mm from leaf margin, as prominent as tertiary venation.
Inflorescences
terminal, dense metabotryoids, 2.5 cm long, peduncles 1 cm long, axes flattened, with 2 or 4 narrow wings, drying brown. Bracts c. 1.5 mm long, ovate, keeled, caducous; bracteoles 2 per flower, 1 mm long, similar to bracts.
Flowers
c. 15 per inflorescence, within the inflorescence in triads, 4-merous, anthopodium absent, only known before anthesis, mature buds 5
x
3 mm. Hypanthium c. 4
x
3 mm, obconical, drying dark reddish brown, densely glandular-warty, hypanthium rim 2 mm long, glandular inside. Calyx lobes c. 1
x
2 mm, broadly rounded. Petals c. 3
x
3 mm, cucullate in bud. Stamens c. 100, filaments 2-3 mm long, anthers c. 0.4 mm long, ellipsoid. Ovary bilocular, surrounded by spongy tissue, ovules numerous per locule, ascending. Style 3-4 mm long, pointed.
Fruits
1-seeded, c. 20
x
25 mm, irregularly depressed globose, laterally compressed, green, drying black and, smooth, pericarp
+/-
woody, 1 mm thick, hypanthium rim 1-2 mm long, 5-9 mm in diameter.
Seeds
c. 15
x
20 mm, transverse ellipsoid, testa adhering to the pericarp, spongy inside and adhering to the outer surface of the cotyledons, cotyledons
+/-
half-globose, facing surfaces undulate, outer surfaces densely echinate, protuberances obscured by spongy testa tissue.
Etymology.
The species is named after Eduard Ferdinand de Vogel (*1942). Ed de Vogel is a renowned authority on Malesian orchids, especially those from New Guinea. His contributions to the flora of Sulawesi are perhaps less well known: with almost 2000 specimens of excellent quality collected there in 1973-74 and 1979 - among them the type specimen of this species - he was one of the most prolific plant collectors on the island during the 20th century.
Phenology.
Flowering was recorded in August, fruiting in May.
Distribution and habitat.
Syzygium devogelii
is endemic to the province of Central Sulawesi, currently known to occur in lower montane forest at two localities in LLNP from 1350-1400 m elevation (Figure
4
). In the Bariri NE inventory plot, it was fairly common, growing on mid-slope terraces with Rhodic Ferralsols (
IUSS Working Group WRB 2014
) derived from acid plutonic rocks. The forest there was dominated by
Fagaceae
,
Myrtaceae
,
Burseraceae
,
Lauraceae
, and
Elaeocarpaceae
(families with top five FIV) and contained six other species of
Syzygium
:
S. acuminatissimum
,
S. aff. baeuerlenii
(F.Muell.) Craven and Biffin (in
Craven et al. 2006
, 135),
S. lineatum
,
S. zeylanicum
(L.) de
Candolle (1828
, 260), and two undetermined species (
Brambach et al. in press
). See
Culmsee and Pitopang (2009)
for more information on the floristics of the Bariri forest.
Conservation status.
Syzygium devogelii
has a limited geographical distribution and seems to be restricted to lower montane forest within a narrow elevational belt. Known from only two localities, the EOO and AOO cannot be estimated reliably for the species. Because of the low collection density in Central Sulawesi, we believe that the species is more widespread and common than it currently appears. Deforestation has been recorded close to the type locality (using the Global Forest Change website,
Hansen et al. 2013
). Given the apparent narrow geographical and elevational distribution, ongoing deforestation and the recommendation to use a precautionary attitude
in
conservation assessments (
IUCN Standards and Petitions Subcommittee 2014
) we propose a preliminary extinction risk assessment of
"Endangered"
(EN B1ab(i,ii,iii)).
Notes.
Most species of
Syzygium
are reported to have cotyledons with rather smooth outer surfaces, unlike the peculiar echinate cotyledons of
S. devogelii
. We here interpret the tissue covering the outer surface of the cotyledons (Figure
5
) and obscuring its protuberances as derived from the testa, as reported for the Australian species
Syzygium bungadinnia
(F.M.Bailey)
Hyland (1983
, 64), but closer examinations of fruit and seed structures are necessary to corroborate this interpretation.
Juvenile
specimens of
Syzygium balgooyi
are similar to
S. devogelii
in their leaf shape, colour, and venation. In fact, both species were treated as one morphotype in
Culmsee and Pitopang (2009
,
2017
). Besides the very different flowers, they can, however, be distinguished by the shape of the young branchlets: strongly flattened and with rounded ridges in
S. balgooyi
(Figure
1e
) vs
+/-
flattened with 4 narrow wings in
S. devogelii
(Figure
5
).
Additional specimens examined
(
Paratypes
).
INDONESIA
.
Central Sulawesi
(
Sulawesi Tengah
)
,
LLNP, Kab. Poso,
Kec. Lore Tengah
:
9 km
NW of Bariri
,
100 m
east of climate tower, tree-inventory plot
Bariri
NE
,
1°39.4'S
,
120°10.5'E
,
1400 m
,
9 Sep 2006
:
Culmsee H
1333
(sterile; BO [BO-1938455]!, CEB) &
1378
(sterile; CEB, K [K000993491]!); ibid. loco,
18 Aug 2011
:
Brambach F
,
Mangopo H
,
Firdaus
,
Faber M
,
Tiranda R
0818
(sterile; BO [BO-1938442]!, CEB, GOET [GOET020015]!) &
0845
(sterile; BO [BO-1938443]!, CEB, L!)
.
9 km
NW of Bariri
,
80 m
south of climate tower, tree-inventory plot
Bariri
S
,
1°39.5'S
,
120°10.4'E
,
1400 m
,
Jul 2006
:
Culmsee H
1252
(sterile; CEB, GOET [GOET020016]!) &
1564
(flower buds; CEB, L!)
.
Figure 4.
Distribution map of four species of
Syzygium
in
Central Sulawesi
:
Syzygium contiguum
(orange diamonds),
S. devogelii
(yellow dots),
S. eymae
(light blue square), and
S. galanthum
(green triangles). Lore Lindu National Park is indicated by a black line. Map created with QGIS (
QGIS Development Team 2016
) using the digital elevation model of
Jarvis et al. (2008)
.