Blumea 59, 2014: 103–105 www.ingentaconnect.com/content/nhn/blumea RESEARCH ARTICLE http://dx.doi.org/10.3767/000651914X684880 Resurrection of Angelesia, a Southeast Asian genus of Chrysobalanaceae C.A. Sothers1, G.T. Prance2 Key words Abstract Licania subg. Angelesia is composed of only three species restricted to Southeast Asia and is cur- rently delimited as one of four subgenera of Licania, a species-rich genus of mostly Neotropical taxa. Molecular Licania phylogenetic studies involving Chrysobalanaceae have revealed that Licania is polyphyletic. Here we propose pantropical to re-establish Licania subg. Angelesia to generic rank based on molecular and morphological evidence and the polyphyletic three species currently placed in Licania subg. Angelesia (Licania fusicarpa, L. palawanensis and L. splendens) taxonomy are here re-instated and transferred to Angelesia, as appropriate. This new generic delimitation renders Licania an exclusively Neotropical genus, and Angelesia an endemic Southeast Asian genus. Published on 30 September 2014 INTRODUCTION Following the views of Hallier (1903), who suggested that Mo­ quilea and Angelesia should be united under Licania based Licania comprises a genus of c. 220 species, and is currently di- on anatomical studies, Moquilea, Angelesia, and Afrolicania, vided into four subgenera: subg. Licania, subg. Moquilea, subg. a monospecific genus described by Mildbraed (1921: 483), Parinariopsis and subg. Angelesia. All four subgenera share were placed in the synonymy of Licania (Prance 1967, 1972, the characters of a unilocular ovary inserted at or near the base Letouzey & White 1978a, b, respectively). Subgenus Parinari­ of the receptacle and an essentially actinomorphic receptacle. opsis was subsequently described (Prance & White 1988) to However, generic instability concerning the circumscription of accommodate the Neotropical L. licaniiflora. Licania and its subgenera has persisted to the present time. Thus, in Prance & White’s (1988: 93) concept, Licania was The genus Licania was described by Aublet (1775: 119) based treated as a pantropical genus, incorporating the American on L. incana Aubl. from French Guiana. In the same work Aublet species of Licania (subg. Licania, subg. Moquilea, subg. Pari­ (1775: 521) also described Moquilea, among other genera of nariopsis), the Southeast Asian species (subg. Angelesia), and Chrysobalanaceae. the West African Afrolicania elaeosperma (subg. Afrolicania). Angelesia was described by Korthals (1855: 384), who cited Prance & Sothers (2003: 175) re-established Afrolicania as a A. splendens Korth. as the type. Miquel (1855: 357) described distinct genus based on morphological characters and also on Trichocarya based on two species Korthals (1855) had previ- the molecular studies of Dissanayake (1999). ously published, A. splendens and Diemenia racemosa Korth. Here we propose to re-instate Angelesia to generic rank and (= Parastemon urophyllus), creating the illegitimate name transfer its three species, Licania splendens (Korth.) Prance, Trichocarya splendens (Korth.) Miq. That same year Blume L. fusicarpa (Kosterm.) Prance and L. palawanensis Prance, (1855) proposed that A. splendens be transferred to Licania, to Angelesia based on molecular evidence (Sothers 2010, Bar- but in doing so he also created the illegitimate name Licania don et al. 2013). These results are also supported by discrete angelesia Blume (1855: 10). morphological characters which differentiate Angelesia from Grisebach (1857: 50) was the first to suggest uniting Licania its previous Neotropical congeners. This revised taxonomy and Moquilea, and placed Moquilea in synonymy under Licania. represents a further step towards understanding the complex Hooker (1865: 606) treated Trichocarya (with Angelesia as a and currently polyphyletic classification of the American spe- synonym), Licania and Moquilea as distinct genera. Baillon cies of Licania. (1869: 480) accepted only Licania and Trichocarya, treating Moquilea as a synonym of Licania. He was also the first to ar- range genera of Chrysobalanaceae into groups based on the TAXONOMY symmetry of the flowers and the position of the ovary (group A central vs group B not central or ‘excentrique’). Fritsch (1888: Angelesia 94) recognized only Angelesia and Licania, citing Moquilea as Angelesia Korth. (1855) 384. a synonym of Licania. Focke (1891: 57), however, accepted Trichocarya Miq. (1855) 357, nom. superfl. illegit. the three genera and subdivided them into two distinct tribes, Licania subg. Angelesia (Korth.) Prance & F.White (1988) 94. — Type: placing Moquilea and Licania in Chrysobalaninae, and Ange­ Angelesia splendens Korth. lesia in Hirtellinae. Coccomelia Ridl. (1920) 183. — Type: Coccomelia nitida (Hook.f.) Ridl. Distribution — A genus of three species distributed through- 1 Herbarium, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, Surrey TW9 3AE, UK; corresponding author e-mail: [email protected]. out Southeast Asia. 2 Herbarium, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, Surrey TW9 3AE, UK; [email protected]. © 2014 Naturalis Biodiversity Center You are free to share - to copy, distribute and transmit the work, under the following conditions: Attribution: You must attribute the work in the manner specified by the author or licensor (but not in any way that suggests that they endorse you or your use of the work). Non-commercial: You may not use this work for commercial purposes. No derivative works: You may not alter, transform, or build upon this work. For any reuse or distribution, you must make clear to others the license terms of this work, which can be found at http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/legalcode. Any of the above conditions can be waived if you get permission from the copyright holder. Nothing in this license impairs or restricts the author’s moral rights. 104 Blumea – Volume 59 / 2, 2014 Angelesia fusicarpa (Kosterm.) Sothers & Prance, comb. nov. DISCUSSION Hunga fusicarpa Kosterm. Reinwardtia 10 (1985) 123. The species now placed in Angelesia are trees and shrubs Licania fusicarpa (Kosterm.) Prance (1987) 366. — Type: J.Buderus NGF­ distri buted throughout Southeast Asia (Prance 1989, Prance 24059 (holo L; iso A, BRI, CANB, K), Papua New Guinea, Milne Bay Distr., & Sothers 2003). The leaves are glabrous, the inflorescences Ferguson Island, Selomo. are a panicle of cymules, with eglandular bracts and bracteoles, Distribution & Habitat — Eastern New Guinea. Coastal rain- not enclosing groups of flower buds, the flowers are bisexual, forests. c. 2 mm long, with unequal calyx lobes and with petals always Conservation status — This species is also here assessed present; the stamens number 7–10, and the filaments are as near threatened, NT, under the IUCN (2001) criteria. It is included and slightly fused at the base. The ovary is unilocular only known from one locality and by a few collections. and inserted at the base of the receptacle. The fruits are fleshy Selected specimens examined. NEW GUINEA, A.N.Gillison & A.Kairo drupes with a smooth, unridged and glabrous epicarp. NGF25630 (A, K, L, SING), Papua New Guinea, Morobe Distr., Waiu Bay. The symmetry of the receptacle, number of locules in the ovary and position of the ovary on the receptacle are characters which Angelesia palawanensis (Prance) Sothers & Prance, comb. have been used to separate genera of Chrysobalanaceae nov. and have defined the circumscription of Licania. As a result, taxa such as Angelesia, Moquilea and Afrolicania have been Licania palawanensis Prance, Brittonia 31 (1979) 94. — Type: D.R.Mendoza associated with Licania. However, Angelesia can be distin- & R. Espirita PNH 91305 (holo BM; iso K, L, PNH), Philippines, Palawan, guished from American species of Licania (subg. Licania, subg. Queza. Moquilea and subg. Parinariopsis) by such characters as the Distribution & Habitat — Philippines; known only from Pala- unequal calyx lobes (as in Kostermanthus and Acioa), the petals wan and Luzon. Forests on rocky seashores, 0–300 m altitude. always present (vs several Licania which are apetalous) and Conservation status — This species is assessed here as stamens fused at the base, a feature seen only in Chrysoba­ near threatened, NT, under the IUCN (2001) criteria. It has a lanus and a few species of Licania and Magnistipula. restricted geographic distribution. Angelesia and the Neotropical species of Licania are not closely Selected specimens examined. PHILIppINES, G.E.Edaño PNH14082 (BR, L, allied as previously regarded, despite sharing key morphologi- PNH, US), Palawan, Malasgao R., Aborlan; D.Soejarto & B.C.Stone PPI433 cal features. In two molecular analyses (Sothers 2010, Bardon (BRIT), Palawan, Pto. Princesa, Bacungan; E.J.Reynoso et al. 295 (BISH), et al. 2013), Angelesia splendens (as Licania splendens) ap- Mt Bloomsfield, Gabang; D.R.Mendoza PNH91432 (L, PNH, SAN), Quezon; pears in a separate lineage altogether from American species A.C.Podzorski SMHI 543 (K, L), 561 (K, L), Mt Beaufort, NW side; M.D.Sulit PNH12305 (L, PNH, US), Aborlan, Panacan, Victoria Mts; C.G.Manuel of Licania. Affinities of Angelesia appear to lie both with New PNH18631 (US), Luzon, Pasay City. world genera, such as Acioa and Exellodendron, as well as the Old world genus Hunga (Sothers 2010, Bardon et al. 2013 and unpublished results by Sothers). Future studies should establish Angelesia splendens Korth. and clarify the relationships of Angelesia with other genera. Angelesia splendens Korth. (1855) 384. Furthermore, the current circumscription of Neotropical Licania Trichocarya