Ficus corneariana, a new species of Ficus subg. Sycidium sect. Palaeomorphe (Moraceae) from the Solomon Islands

2 Pages·2000·0.34 MB·English

by  Berg, C C

BLUMEA 45 (2000)397- 398
Ficus corneariana, a newspecies of
Ficus subg. Sycidium sect. Palaeomorphe(Moraceae)
from the SolomonIslands
C.C. Berg
TheNorwegianArboretum/Botanical Institute,University ofBergen,5259 Hjellestad,Norway
Summary
Anewspecies ofFicussubg.Sycidium sect.Palaeomorphe,F.corneriana C.C.Berg,isdescribed.
Key words-. Ficus, sect.Palaeomorphe, Solomon Islands,Moraceae.
Introduction
Ficus subg. Sycidium (Miq.) Mildbr.& Burret (as sectioninCorner'sclassification;
Corner, 1960:443;1965:62)comprises c. 105 species andhasarangeof distribution
fromWestAfricaandMadagascar toAustralia, NewCaledoniaandSamoa.Itisrepre-
sentedby c. 30species inthePacificregion, mostofthembelonging tosect.Sycidium
(subsection inComer'sclassification; Corner1960:444; 1965:62; 1967:89), which
is centred in the eastern Malesian-Pacificregion, andfour belong to sect. Palaeo-
morphe (subsection in Comer'sclassification; Comer, 1960:446; 1965: 74; 1967:
110). The latter section is centred in the western Malesianregion, andcomprises
species whichcanproduce adventitiousroots. Someofthesespecies areoftenhemi-
epiphytic,andtwo ofthem,F. tinctoriaG.Forst. andF. virgata Blumearealso found
inthe Pacific region (Comer, 1967: 110, f. 36). The majority ofthePalaeomorphe
species are always oroftenclimbers; fourspecies occurinNewGuinea,oneofthem,
thevery widespreadF. subulataBlume,extendstotheSolomonIslands(Corner, 1967:
113,f. 37),andF. corneriana,describedbelow, isendemic totheseislands.
Ficus cornerianaC.C. Berg, spec. nov.
Fico subulatae affinis e.g.in lamina pilis gaudenti,basi cordata distincta. —Typus:
R. Mauriasi et al. BS1P9575 (holoL), Solomon Islands,SEKolombangara,28 May
1968.
Climbers.Branchletsdryingpale brown.Leafytwigs 1.5-3mmthick,± compressed,
sparselyto denselywhitishpuberulous tohirtellous,smooth; internodessolid.Leaves
distichous; laminaoblong tosubovate,(7-)12-25by (3—)4—9 cm,± asymmetric, at
least at thebase, subcoriaceous, apex acuminate, base inequilateral, (sub)cordate,
margin ±revolutetowardsthebase toplane; uppersurface very sparsely puberulous
onthe midrib, glabrescent, lower surfacepuberulous to subhispid onthemidrib, or
alsovery sparsely soonthelateralveins,glabrescent, smoothor±scabrous;cystoliths
398 BLUMEA Vol. 45, No. 2, 2000
only beneath; midribslightly prominent above;lateral veins 10-18pairs, thebasal
pairhardly differentfromtheotherlateralveins,unbranchedorbranched,1 or2pairs
ofsmallerlateralveinsbelowthemainbasalpair, tertiary venationscalariform(orin
smaller leaves to reticulate); waxy glands in the axils ofboth lateral veins, large,
extending totheaxils ofthesmaller lateralveins belowthemain ones; petiole 0.4-
1.2cmlong,sparsely todensely whitepuberulous, epidermis flakingoff; stipules am-
plexicaul,0.8-1 cmlong,glabrous, caducous;terminalbudnotdivaricate.Figsaxillary,
solitary or paired,or clusteredonspurs, morecommonly so onupto 1cm long spurs
belowtheleaves(to ramiflorous?), subsessileor with apeduncle up to0.1 cmlong;
peduncular bracts 3, inwhorl, c. 0.5-1mmlong;receptacle (sub)globose, when dry
0.4-0.7 cmdiam., sparsely and minutely puberulous, smooth, withsome or without
lateralbracts,atmaturity yellow,apexconvex, ostiolec. 1.5 mmdiam.,slightly promi-
nent. Internalbristlesabsent. Tepals whitish, glabrous. Styleglabrous.
Distribution SolomonIslands(Kolombangara andSanCristobal).
—
Habitat—Forest.
Vernacularnames —Sirifenaor(Fai) Sirifena(Kolombangara: Kwara'aenames).
Notes— 1. Thematerialofthisspecies is indicatedon labelsasclimber,epiphytic
climber, or epiphyte.
2. This species showsaffinitiesto F. subulata, fromwhichitis clearly distinctby
the presence ofindumentumon the lamina, thecordatebase ofthe lamina,and the
large waxy glandularspotsextending beyond theaxilsofthemainbasallateralveins.
The (sterile) collectionmadeby Comer, was identifiedas F. virgata, in spiteofthe
conspicuous differences,such as in thebase ofthe lamina,the presenceofhairs on
thelamina,andthe absence ofcystoliths in thelaminaabove(as notedonthelabel).
Additional collections examined'.
SOLOMONISLANDS: Kolombangara: Kokave Area,9 Jan. 1968,R. Mauriasi et al.BSIP7559
(L).- SEKolombangara:WofVila River, 13Dec. 1967,R. Mauriasi et al.BSIP8409 (L).- San
Cristobal: Warahito/FegatoCamp, 30 July 1965(st), E.J.H.Corner 22(L).
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The authoris indebted toDr. J.F.Veldkamp(Leiden)fortranslatingthe diagnosisinto Latin
REFERENCES
Corner, E.J.H. 1960. Taxonomic notesonFicus Linn.,Asia and Australasia. IV.Subgen. Ficus
sect.Sycidium Miq.Gard. Bull. StraitsSettlem. 17:442-485.
Corner,E.J.H. 1965.Check-list ofFicusin AsiaandAustralasiawithakeytoidentification. Gard.
Bull. StraitsSettlem.21: 1-186.
Corner,E.J.H. 1967.Ficus in the Solomon Islands ands itsbearingonthe Post-Jurassichistory of
Melanesia. Philos. Trans. B.253: 23-159.