Bopopia, a new monotypic genus of Gesneriaceae (Gesnerioideae, Coronanthereae) from New Caledonia Author Morel, Jérémie Université de Montpellier, IRD, CIRAD, CNRS, INRAE, Montpellier, France. DIADE, Université de Montpellier, IRD, Montpellier, France. morel.jeremie63@gmail.com Author Duminil, Jérôme jerome.duminil@ird.fr Author Munzinger, Jérôme Université de Montpellier, IRD, CIRAD, CNRS, INRAE, Montpellier, France. DIADE, Université de Montpellier, IRD, Montpellier, France. jerome.munzinger@ird.fr text European Journal of Taxonomy 2021 2021-03-01 736 82 101 http://dx.doi.org/10.5852/ejt.2021.736.1253 journal article 7900 10.5852/ejt.2021.736.1253 23da3bbf-51d3-4727-b32b-8c63d7203185 2118-9773 4574790 Bopopia parviflora Munzinger & J.R.Morel gen. et sp. nov. urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:77215493-1 Figs 2–7 Diagnosis Bopopia parviflora gen. et sp. nov. is similar to Coronanthera clarkeana Schltr. , C. deltoidifolia Vieill. ex C.B.Clarke , C. pinguior C.B.Clarke and Depanthus glaber in its glabrous adaxial leaf surface but differs in its unique inflorescence structure within the tribe and also vegetatively in leaf measurements, blade, apex and base shape, margin (entire vs serrate), and abaxial indumentum, as well as petiole length and indumentum ( Table 2 ). Etymology The specific epithet refers to the small flowers as compared to other Gesneriaceae known from New Caledonia . Type NEW CALEDONIA • North Province , Bopope , southern slope of Mount “Kantalupaik” [Katalupaik] ; 20°50′27″ S , 165°0′38″ E ; alt. 500 m ; 29 Oct. 2017 ; fl.; J. Munzinger , D. Bruy & M. Pignal 7980 ; holotype : P[ P01073391 ]; isotypes : G, MO, MPU[ MPU312888 ][ MPU312889 ], NOU[ NOU090953 ], P[ P00865080 ], W . Paratype NEW CALEDONIA • North Province , Bopope , southern slope of Mount “Kantalupaik” [Katalupaik] ; 20°50′28″ S , 165°0′38″ E ; alt. 500 m ; 29 Oct. 2017 ; fl.; D. Bruy , J. Munzinger , & M. Pignal 1139 ; K, MO, MPU[ MPU311450 ][ MPU312887 ], NOU[ NOU090952 ], P[ P01073272 ] . Table 2. Vegetative characters differentiating Bopopia Munzinger & J.R.Morel gen. nov. from Coronanthera clarkeana Schltr. , C. deltoidifolia Vieill. ex C.B.Clarke , C. pinguior C.B.Clarke and Depanthus glaber S.Moore. Characters of species of Coronanthera and Depanthus adapted from Woo (2007) .

Bopopia parviflora sp. nov.	Depanthus glaber	Coronanthera clarkeana	Coronanthera deltoidifolia	Coronanthera pinguior
Habitus	shrub to 5 m tall	tree to 9 m tall	tree to 4 m tall	shrub to 3 m tall	shrub to 3 m tall
Length (mm)	(91–)100–156(–198)	(110–)120–200	(43–)50–70(–75)	(38–)40–60(–75)	(70–)80–100(–120)
Width (mm)	(40–)45–65(–82)	(44–)60–108(–114)	(15–)20–30	(15–)20–25(–29)	(24–)30–60(–70)
Shape	elliptic to obovate	ovate, obovate to rotund	elliptical to ovate	deltoid to elliptic	elliptic to obovate
Leaf	Margin	slightly serrate	entire	entire to subentire	entire	entire
Apex	acute to obtuse	acuminate to obtuse	acute to obtuse	acuminate	acuminate to acute
Base Abaxial indumentum	cuneate tomentulose	acute to obtuse glabrous or hairy	acute to cuneate glabrous, occasional hairs	cuneate glabrous, occasional hairs	acute glabrous
Petiole	Length (mm) Indumentum	(25–)30–46(–62) tomentulose	(12–)20–40(–52) glabrous or hairy	(6–)7–10(–11) glabrous	(4–)8–10(–12) glabrous	14–20 glabrous

Description Shrub up to 5 m tall, rarely branched. Twigs all orthotropous ( Fig. 3A ) green to red ( Fig. 3B ), angular and tomentulose, simple pluricellular trichomes appressed toward the apex, terminal vegetative bud densely tomentulose. Leaves opposite and decussate; clustered at the top of branches ( Fig. 3A ); blade (9.1–)10–15.6(–19.8) × (4–)4.5–6.5(–8.2) cm, elliptic to obovate, dark green above ( Fig. 3C, E ), pale green below (in vivo; Fig. 3G ), glabrous adaxially, tomentulose abaxially, base cuneate, apex acute to obtuse, margin slightly serrate, lateral veins (3–)4(–5) per side. Petiole yellow (in vivo; Fig. 3B, G ), (25–)30–46(–62) mm long, (1–)1.6–2.2(–2.7) mm wide, tomentulose. Inflorescence axillary, indeterminate thyrse, with ultimate axes being pair-flowered cymes ( Fig. 4 ), and inferior axes being indeterminate thyrses; three to five levels of branching ( Figs 2 , 3B ), axes tomentulose, (12–)15–32(–38) flowers per inflorescence, with peduncle / first axis (17–)32–61(–72) mm long, (0.5–)0.8–1.2(–1.3) mm wide, tomentulose. Second axis 10–23(–32) mm long, 0.3–0.7(–1) mm wide, bracteoles linear, (2.5–)3–4.2(–4.5) mm long; third axis 3–11(–14) mm long, (0.2–)0.3–0.5(–0.6) mm wide, bracteoles linear, (1.5–)1.9–2.6(–2.8) mm long, pedicels 1.5–6.5 mm long. Calyx with 5 equal lobes, sepals broadly triangular, (1.2–)1.4–1.8(–2) mm long, 0.4–0.5 mm wide at base, slightly connate at the base and attenuate at apex ( Figs 3F , 5 B–C), tomentulose outside and glabrous inside ( Fig. 5C ), the lobes not exceeding 25% of the total length of the calyx ( Fig. 3F , 5 B–C). Corolla zygomorphic, uniformly white, shortly ventricose, tube curved, (2.2–)2.6–3.6(–4.1) mm long, limb of five inequal oval to orbicular lobes, rounded, strongly curled outwards, the median lobe ca 1.5 × 1.3 mm , the two lateral lobes ca 1.0 × 1.0 mm, the two dorsal lobes ca 0.5 × 0.6 mm ; outer surface of corolla tomentulose, inner surface of corolla glabrous ( Fig. 5D ). Androecium, four stamens, inserted, alternating with corolla lobes, subequal ( Fig. 5D ); filaments broad, 0.1 mm in diameter, flattened near the base, glabrous, adnate to the base of the corolla tube for 1–2 mm ( Fig. 5D ); four anthers connate, flat, irregularly cordiform ( Fig. 5 D–E), pollen spheroidal, 11–14 µm . Nectary ring-shaped, ca 0.25 mm thick, continuous or with shallow lobes at the rim, pinkish (preserved in alcohol), adnate at the base of the ovary ( Fig. 5C ). Gynoecium ovoid, ca 1 × 1 mm , pubescent, bicarpellate, bilocular, style short, ca 0.15 mm long, ca 0.4 mm wide, stigma bilobed ( Fig. 5C ); ovules numerous (ca 50), ellipsoid, 100–130 µm long. Fruit unknown. Fig. 2. Schema of the inflorescence of Bopopia parviflora Munzinger & J.R.Morel gen. et sp. nov. , an indeterminate thyrse. Only four axes are represented on this schema (while up to 5 were seen on herbarium specimens). Fig. 3. Bopopia parviflora Munzinger & J.R.Morel gen. et sp. nov. A . Habit. B . Upper part of stem and axillary inflorescences C . Adaxial side of leaf. D . Trunk. E . Magnified leaf showing leaf teeth (or hydathodes?). F . Flower in lateral view. G . Abaxial side of leaf. Scale bar: F = 1 mm. Photographs taken by Jérôme Munzinger. Distribution The new species is presently only known from the North Province of New Caledonia’s main island Grande Terre, on the south flank of Mt Katalupaik, around 500 m a.s.l. ( Fig. 7 ), about 17 km as the crow flies south of Hienghène. Habitat and ecology The plants occur in dense humid forests from low to medium elevations on volcano-sedimentary substrates ( Jaffré et al. 2012 ). Collecting points projected on the geological map (Gouvernement de la Nouvelle- Calédonie 2019) fall in a wide area of black siltites surrounded by basalts, dolerites, undifferentiated gabbros or fine tuffs. They are quite far from serpentine veins (ultramafic) in that area; thus the species is considered to grow on non-ultramafic substrates. Individuals of B. parviflora gen. et sp. nov. were observed to be relatively abundant in the valley that was explored (~ 100 m wide). Additional surveys are needed in the surrounding valleys. Phenology Plants collected in flower in October 2017 .The length of the flowering time and the period of fructification are currently unknown. Conservation status Bopopia parviflora gen. et sp. nov. is only known from one population corresponding to a single location sensu IUCN (2019) , and was estimated to contain <250 individuals. This population is not in a protected area. The forest on the southern flank of Mt Katalupaik is highly fragmented by fire ( Fig. 7 ), and fire appears to be a recurrent threat. The conservation status of the species is therefore preliminarily assessed as Endangered [EN: D]. This assessment has been submitted to the New Caledonian Plant Red List Authority for review and validation.