A new species and new combinations in Cryptocarya from Madagascar Henk VAN DER WERFF Missouri Botanical Garden, P.O. Box 299, St. Louis, MO 63166-0299 (USA) [email protected] Van der Werff H. 2008. — A new species and new combinations in Cryptocarya from Mada- gascar. Adansonia, sér. 3, 30 (1) : 41-46. ABSTRACT A new species, Cryptocarya glabrifl ora, is described and illustrated. It diff ers KEY WORDS Lauraceae, from other Malagasy species of Cryptocarya in being entirely glabrous, in its Cryptocarya, coriaceous, obovate or obovate-elliptic leaves with a rounded apex and in its Ravensara, infl orescences being 3.5 to 9 cm long. Eight species of Ravensara, now consid- Madagascar, new species, ered a synonym of Cryptocarya, are transferred to Cryptocarya. New names are new combinations. proposed for six of these eight species. RÉSUMÉ Une nouvelle espèce et des combinaisons nouvelles de Cryptocarya de Madagascar. Une nouvelle espèce, Cryptocarya glabrifl ora, est décrite et illustrée. Elle se dis- MOTS CLÉS Lauraceae, tingue des autres espèces malgaches par son état entièrement glabre, ses feuilles Cryptocarya, coriaces, obovées ou obovées-elliptiques à apex arrondi, et son infl orescence Ravensara, de 3,5 à 9 cm de long. Huit espèces de Ravensara, genre dorénavant considéré Madagascar, espèce nouvelle, comme synonyme de Cryptocarya, sont transférées dans ce dernier ; de nouveaux combinaisons nouvelles. noms sont proposés pour six d’entre elles. ADANSONIA, sér. 3 • 2008 • 30 (1) © Publications Scientifi ques du Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, Paris. www.adansonia.com 41 Van der Werff H. INTRODUCTION TYPUS. — Madagascar. Toamasina, Vatomandry, Com- mune Ambalabe, W of Sahamahirana stream,19°09’33’’S, Th e genus Ravensara, endemic to Madagascar, was 48°34’40’’E, 21.XI.2004, A. Randrianasolo, R. Ranai- vojaona & A. Razanatsima 902 (holo-, TAN; iso-, G, described by Sonnerat (1782) with the single species MO, P, US). R. aromatica Sonn. Kostermans maintained Raven- sara in his treatment of the Lauraceae for the Flore DESCRIPTION de Madagascar et des Comores (Kostermans 1950) Tree, to 30 m. Twigs angular or terete, glabrous, and in a later publication in which he described an terminal buds densely and minutely puberulous. additional nine new species of Ravensara (Koster- Leaves alternate, obovate to obovate-elliptic, 6-11 × mans 1958). Currently, the estimated number of 3-6 cm, glabrous, stiffl y coriaceous, the base acute, species of Ravensara is about 30 (Rohwer 1993). rarely obtuse, margin fl at, the apex rounded, the Ravensara has always been considered closely re- lower surface minutely but densely gland-dotted, lated to Cryptocarya R.Br., described in 1810, a lateral veins 4-6 on each side, reticulation raised pantropical genus with an estimated 350 species on both surfaces, petioles glabrous, 9-14 mm long. (Rohwer 1993). Th e only diff erence between the Infl orescences 3.5-9 cm long, paniculate, branched two genera is a fruit character: in Ravensara the from the base, glabrous; bracts along infl orescences fruits are ruminate, whereas in Cryptocarya they mostly deciduous, 1.5 mm long, linear, pubescent. are not. Because some Cryptocarya species outside Flowers yellow-green, externally glabrous, tepals Madagascar also have ruminate fruits (Van der initially half-erect, in old fl owers spreading, fl ow- Werff 1992), this one-character diff erence is in- ers 4-5 mm in diameter; pedicels short, from half suffi cient for the separation of two genera. Since the length of the fl oral tube to equaling it; tepals Ravensara is the older name, merging Cryptocarya 6, equal, narrowly ovate, 1.5-2 mm long, glabrous and Ravensara would necessitate the transfer of outside, puberulous inside; stamens 9, all 2-celled, hundreds of Cryptocarya species to Ravensara. In pubescent, c. 1 mm long, the fi lament very short, order to avoid this, Van der Werff (1992) proposed 0.1-0.2 mm, the anther cells large, the connectives the conservation of Cryptocarya over Ravensara, a slightly prolonged beyond the anther cells; stamens proposal which was accepted (Brummit 1994). with the same length and width as the tepals and hid- However, because the malgache species placed in den behind them; 2 small globose glands present at Ravensara and Cryptocarya are still poorly known, the base of the inner three stamens; staminodia small, a transfer of all Ravensara species to Cryptocarya narrowly ovate, pubescent; pistil glabrous, the style seems premature, especially as several will likely be to 1 mm exserted, receptacle tubular, pubescent near placed in synonymy once revised. In this contribu- the rim, otherwise glabrous. Fruits unknown. tion a new species of Cryptocarya from Madagascar is described and eight relatively well-known species REMARKS described in Ravensara are transferred to Crypto- Only two species of Cryptocarya from Madagascar carya. New names are proposed for six of these eight (including those previously placed Ravensara) have species because their epithets are already occupied the combination of glabrous twigs and leaves and in Cryptocarya. raised reticulation on both surfaces of the leaves. Of these two, Ravensara macrophylla Kosterm., only known from the fruiting type, diff ers in leaf shape SYSTEMATICS (elliptic) and size (16-20 cm long). Th e other species, C. alseodaphnifolia Kosterm., is known only from the Cryptocarya glabrifl ora Van der Werff , sp. nov. fl owering type collection. Like C. glabrifl ora, it has (Fig. 1) glabrous fl owers, a feature unknown in other mem- Cryptocaryae alseodaphnifoliae affi nis, sed foliis obovatis, bers of the genus on Madagascar (although fl owers coriaceis, subtus glandulo-punctatis, infl orescentiis majoribus, are unknown in 13 species, their types having fruits ad 9 cm longis recedit. only). Cryptocarya glabrifl ora diff ers in having stiffl y 42 ADANSONIA, sér. 3 • 2008 • 30 (1) A new Cryptocarya from Madagascar A D B C FIG. 1. — Cryptocarya glabrifl ora Van der Werff: A, habit; B, fl ower; C, opened fl ower showing arrangement of stamens and staminodia; D, detail of lower leaf surface showing gland dots. Randrianasolo et al. 902. Scale bars: A, 2 cm; B-D, 1 mm. ADANSONIA, sér. 3 • 2008 • 30 (1) 43 Van der Werff H. coriaceous leaves (chartaceous in C. alseodaphnifolia, with an acute base and pinnate venation. I name although Kostermans (1957) described them as co- this species in memory of Karel U. Kramer, formerly riaceous), leaves that are obovate to obovate-elliptic of the State University of Utrecht, the Netherlands, (elliptic to broadly elliptic in C. alseodaphnifolia), whose encouragement kindled my interest in botany and densely and minutely gland-dotted on the lower and initiated my passion for ferns. surface (without gland-dots in C. alseodaphnifolia), and the infl orescences are 3.5 to 9 cm long (1-3 cm in C. alseodaphnifolia according to Kostermans (1957) Cryptocarya litoralis Van der Werff , nom. nov. although the isotype I have seen did not have infl o- rescences longer than 1.5 cm). Cryptocarya glabrifl ora REPLACED SYNONYM. — Agathophyllum acuminatum Willd. ex C.F.W.Meissn., Prodromus Systematis Naturalis is only known from the type collection, made in Regni Vegetabilis 15 (1): 110 (1864); Ravensara acuminata primary forest near Ambalabe, at mid-elevation on (Willd. ex C.F.W.Meissn.) Baillon, Adansonia 9: 330 the east coast of central Madagascar. (1878), non C. acuminata Merr. (1906). TYPUS. — Madagascar. Du Petit-Th ouars s.n. (holo-, B-W 9114; iso-, P). Cryptocarya agathophylla Van der Werff , nom. nov. REMARKS Th is species is fairly common in littoral forest and REPLACED SYNONYM. — Ravensara aromatica Sonn., can be recognized by its acuminate leaf apices and Voyage aux Indes orientales et à la Chine III: 248 (1782), non C. aromatica (Becc.) Kosterm. (1949). the slightly raised reticulation on the upper leaf surface. Often some of the leaves are folded (con- TYPUS. — Commerson s.n., s.l. (lecto-, P, designated by duplicate) after drying. Kostermans [1939]). REMARKS Cryptocarya ovalifolia Cryptocarya agathophylla can be recognized by its (Danguy) Van der Werff , comb. nov. sparsely appressed pubescent fl owers and its glaucous leaves; most species of Cryptocarya from Madagascar BASIONYM. — Ravensara ovalifolia Danguy, Bulletin du have densely puberulous fl owers. Its fruits and leaves Muséum d’Histoire naturelle, Paris 26: 548 (1920). are used as spice. It is the type species of Ravensara TYPUS. — Madagascar. Th ouvenot 72 (holo-, P). and its fragrant leaves are refl ected in the generic name (Ravensara means “good leaf”, as does the REMARKS epithet agathophylla). Th is species is similar to Cryptocarya crassifolia Baker, but diff ers in having leaves with fewer lateral veins (3 or 4 vs. 5 or 6), a slightly areolate (vs. smooth) Cryptocarya krameri Van der Werff , nom. nov. upper leaf surface and a longer indument on the young twigs. Mostly because of the indument dif- REPLACED SYNONYM. — Ravensara lucida Kosterm., ference, I accept C. ovalifolia as a distinct species. Bulletin du Jardin botanique de l’État, Bruxelles 28: 182 (1958), non C. lucida Blume (1851). Th e few collections I have seen all come from the Perinet-Andasibe region. TYPUS. — Madagascar. Beavony, Ambanja, Service Forestier 2568 (holo-, P). Cryptocarya retusa REMARKS (Willd. ex Nees) Van der Werff , comb. nov. Th is species occurs in the NE part of Madagascar BASIONYM. — Agathophyllum retusum Willd. ex Nees, (Ambanja-Ambilobe region) and resembles C. sub- Systema Laurinarum 234 (1836); Ravensara retusa (Willd. triplinervia, but diff ers in having narrower leaves ex Nees) Baill., Adansonia 9: 303 (1878). 44 ADANSONIA, sér. 3 • 2008 • 30 (1) A new Cryptocarya from Madagascar TYPUS. — Madagascar. Du Petit-Th ouars s.n., (holo-, tacle). Th e new name refers to the distribution of B-W 9116; iso-, P). C. septentrionalis, restricted to the northern part of Madagascar. REMARKS According to Kostermans (1958), this species is widely distributed on Madagascar and best rec- Cryptocarya subtriplinervia ognized by its smooth, coriaceous leaves with im- (Kosterm.) Van der Werff , comb.