A revision of the Malagasy endemic Talinella (Portulacaceae) Author Applequist, Wendy L. text Adansonia 2005 3 27 1 47 80 journal article http://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5370864 1639-4798 5370864 10. Talinella pachypoda Eggli Adansonia, sér. 3, 19: 57 (1997) . — Type : Röösli & Rechberger s.n. , Madagascar , Diégo Suarez, Montagne des Français , SE flank, 7-8 km from Diégo Suarez ( c. 12°19.5’S , 049°20’E ), 1989 (holo-, ZSS ) . Shrub to 3 m , usually with arching branches, sometimes with short thick trunk or basal caudex; rarely described as a small tree. Twigs straight to contorted, brown to reddish brown; lenticels on large twigs pale, elliptical to round, occasionally absent; smallest twigs frequently papillose with brown and white papillae. Leaves elliptical, 2.5- 7.0 cm long, 1.00- 2.75 cm broad; apex apiculate, occasionally acute or emarginate, usually symmetrical; base tapering; margins entire, slightly wavy, minutely papillose; blade membraneous or papery when dried, sometimes possibly paler around midrib and secondary veins above; under surface sometimes reddish tinged; midrib conspicuous at least on lower surface, higher-order venation observable. Often leafless at time of flowering. Inflorescences unisexual, plants probably dioecious. Inflorescences lateral or terminal, with up to a dozen fertile flowers; peduncle and rachis white-papillate; bracts c. (0.3-) 0.5-1.6 mm long, narrowly to broadly triangular, reddish to brown, often with a pale apex. Pedicel 1.5-5 mm long. Sepals (1.7-)2.0-3.0 mm long, orbicular, sometimes unequal. Petals (3-)5, (2.0-) 2.5- 3.5 mm long, pink-tinged white to rose, sometimes irregularly shaped or orbicular due to fusion of 2 petals, otherwise oblong to elliptical. Filaments connate at base and attached to ring- shaped nectary disk, 1.5-2.5 mm long, white or pinkish, the bases barely ciliate; anthers yellow, 0.40-0.60(-0.85) mm long. Stigma branches 2-3, white, 1.0- 1.5 mm long, flattened, with papillose or ciliate edges, sessile in developing fruit, sometimes on very short broad style; ovary green, ovoid. Fruit ovoid to pyriform or oblong, with a pronounced apical beak, sometimes a capsule apically dehiscing by 2-3 shallow valves, to 8 mm long, up to 6-seeded; sepals and frequently petals persistent; pedicel sometimes thickening slightly in fruit; immature seeds elliptical to orbicular, possibly with a shallow ridge around edge. Few fruiting specimens of Talinella pachypoda exist. The fruits, which are ovoid with a prominent apical nipple for most of their development, have been described as berries ( EGGLI 1997 ). However, one specimen ( Jongkind & Rapanarivo 969 , MO) has mature fruits that are clearly capsular, apically dehiscent with thin dry walls. An error could easily have been made if only unripe fruits were available; for example, CAVACO (1952) described the globose circumscissile capsules of three Malagasy species of Deeringia as berries (APPLEQUIST & PRATT in press). If mature fleshy berries have indeed been observed, then “ T. pachypoda ” as presently defined must include a second unrecognized species. This observation suggests that T. pachypoda may occupy a basally branching position within Talinella , retaining both the usual petal number (five) and the dry fruit type of the genus’ nearest relatives in Talinum . DISTRIBUTION. — Talinella pachypoda occurs in northern Madagascar , from Ankarana to the vicinity of Antsiranana ( Fig. 4 ), on calcareous substrates including tsingy. CONSERVATION STATUS. — Provisional IUCN Red List Category: Vulnerable (VU D2). No more than five clearly separate locations are known and the area of occupancy is estimated at 20 km 2 . Moreover, the number of mature individuals of Talinella pachypoda in the wild may be <1000, as the plant seems to be scarce in at least some of the known localities. MATERIAL EXAMINED. — MADAGASCAR : Prov. Antsiranana : Bardot Vaucoulon 481 , calcaires lapiazés, massif de l’Ankarana , fl., fr., leaf, 15 Jan. 1991 ( P ); Decary 14555 , massif de l’Ankara , roches calcaires , fl., 25 Jul. 1939 ( P ); Gentry 11943 , road along coast from Diégo-Suarez to Ramenz [= Ramena], rocky hills overlooking sea, near sea level, 23 May 1974 ( P ); Jongkind & Rapanarivo 969 , Ankarana Reserve near Campement des Anglais , open forest on calcareous plateau with many small succulent Euphorbias, c. 4 km S of Campement des Anglais , 12°54’42”S , 049°06’43”E , 240-260 m , fl., fr., leaf, 22 May 1993 ( P , MO ); Phillipson 1993 , Ankarana, along RN6 30 km N of Ambilobe , 12°57’S , 049°08’E , 120 m , fl., 30 Jun. 1987 ( P , MO , TAN ) ; Razafimandimbison & Andrianantoanina 97a , District d’Ambilobe , Canton de Mahamasina , N de Mahamasina , Réserve Spéciale d’Ankarana , route de la Grotte des chauvessouris, 12°58’S , 049°08’E , 50 m , fl., leaf, 15 Jun. 1995 ( MO ) ; Service Forestier 22678 , Plateau calcaire de l’Ankarana , à l’W de Mahamasina (Antanatsimanja), 12°57’S , 049°08’ E , fl., 23 Apr. 1963 ( TEF ) .