Benthamia mascula Hervouet & Descourv., 2025
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publication ID |
https://doi.org/10.5252/adansonia2025v47a11 |
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persistent identifier |
https://treatment.plazi.org/id/039B87AB-FFE7-FFD3-2044-F28828A9C6BE |
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treatment provided by |
Plazi |
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scientific name |
Benthamia mascula Hervouet & Descourv. |
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Benthamia mascula Hervouet & Descourv. , sp. nov.
( Figs 69 View FIG ; 70 View FIG ; 71 View FIG ; 72 View FIG )
DIAGNOSIS. — Similar to Benthamia africana but differing by the clearly trilobed lip (vs obscurely trilobed), the absence of a callus on the lip, the larger scrotiform spur and the 2-3 leaves in the middle of the stem (vs basal or in the lowest part of the stem), it differs from Benthamia perfecunda by the secund rachis (vs in three ranks), flowers that are not autogamous (vs autogamous), smaller leaves and a lax rachis (vs dense).
TYPE MATERIAL. — France, La Réunion • Sentier du Bras Cabot, îlet de Patience; 21°06’S, 55°37’E; 7.IV.1978; J. Bosser 22460; holotype: P [ P00738370 ] !.
ETYMOLOGY. — Referring to the proportionally large scrotumshaped spur.
PHENOLOGY. — March to May.
DISTRIBUTION AND ECOLOGY. — La Réunion and Madagascar. Widespread in La Réunion and so far only known from photographs from Ambondrombe in Madagascar, in montane grassland. From 1600 to 2300 m ( Fig. 73 View FIG ).
CONSERVATION. — This species is not very rare in La Réunion, and has largely been overlooked, it is found in protected areas in La Réunion. It is thus considered of Least Concern (LC). In Madagascar it is provisionally considered Data Deficient (DD).
ADDITIONAL SPECIMENS EXAMINED. — Madagascar • Haute Matsiatra GoogleMaps , summit of Ambondrombe; 21°52’30”S, 47°15’37”E; alt. 1875 m; 10.IV.2018; photograph by Jean-Michel Hervouet ( Fig. 69 View FIG ). France, La Réunion • Massif de la Fournaise, Ramon GoogleMaps crater area; 21°17’41”S, 55°42’22”E; alt. 2000 m; 15.II.1971; T. Cadet 3045 and 3046; REU [ REU006428 View Materials , REU006429 View Materials ] ! • Plaine des Salazes GoogleMaps ; 21°06’S, 55°32’E; alt. 2500 m; 3.III.1971; T. Cadet 3134; REU [ REU017471 View Materials ] !• Salazie GoogleMaps plain; 21°06’S, 55°32’E; alt. 1500 m; 7.III.1971; T. Cadet 3136; REU [ REU006430 View Materials ] ! • Brûlé de Saint-Denis GoogleMaps ; 20°55’S, 55°26’E; 2. V.1974; J. Bosser 21924; P [ P00738536 ] ! • Takamaka GoogleMaps ; 21°05’S, 55°38’E; 24. V.1974; J. Bosser 22050; P [ P00738381 ] ! • Sentier du Bras Cabot, îlet de Patience; 21°06’S, 55°37’E; 7.IV.1978; J. Bosser 22472; P [ P00738367 ] ! • Hauts de Sainte-Rose GoogleMaps ; 21°09’S, 55°45’E; 18.IV.1978; J. Bosser 22521; P [ P00738517 ] ! • Morne GoogleMaps des patates à Durand; alt. 1000-1100 m; 20°56’S, 55°27’E; 5. V.1978; J. Bosser 22448; P [ P00738376 ] ! • Plaine des Fougères GoogleMaps ; 21°00’15”S, 55°29’21”E; alt. 1200 m; 28. V.2003; T. Pailler TP 79 and TP79.2; REU [ REU006442 View Materials , REU007937 View Materials except plant on the right] ! • L’Étang-Salé , source of La Nouvelle Bras Sec; alt. 1300 m; II.2004; V. Grondin et al. 1014; CBNM ! • Plaine des Palmistes GoogleMaps , sentier Piton Bébour; 21°07’41”S, 55°33’43”E; 26.II.2004; J. Férard et al. 1009; CBNM ! • Piton Rouge GoogleMaps , Plaine des Cafres; 21°09’S, 55°34’E; alt. 1900 m; 9.III.2004; T. Pailler TP 162 and TP163; REU [ REU006440 View Materials , REU006424 View Materials ] ! • Route du Volcan GoogleMaps , vers Le Piton de l’Eau; 21°11’02”S, 55°40’28”E; alt. 2100-2200 m; 15.III.2007; F. Martos FM88 and FM89 ; REU [ REU007631 View Materials , REU007632 View Materials ] ! • Plaine des Palmistes GoogleMaps , Piton des Cabris; 21°09’24”S, 55°39’03”E; alt. 1200 m; 21. V.2008; F. Martos FM318 and FM319 ; REU [ REU007893 View Materials , REU007902 View Materials ] ! • Route du Volcan GoogleMaps , vers Le Piton de l’Eau; 21°11’02”S, 55°40’28”E; 21. V.2008; F. Martos FM348 and FM349 ; REU [ REU007892 View Materials , REU007901 View Materials ] !.
NOTES
The species also seems to be in Madagascar, according to photographs from Ambondrombe, however no herbarium specimen from this island has been located so far. The position of the leaves on the stem is similar to Benthamia macra Schltr. from Madagascar but the latter has a smaller spur, different bracts (acicular and shorter than ovary in Benthamia mascula sp. nov., lanceolate acuminate and longer than ovary in Benthamia macra ), the flowers are smaller (lip at most 2.5 mm long vs 4 mm for Benthamia macra ) and the rachis is denser. It is apparent on some specimens that not all the flowers are pollinated and some remain fresh late in the season, while others are fruiting on the same rachis, it is thus probably allogamous.
See also: Bernet (2010: 139, as Benthamia sp. 2 ), Szelengowicz & Tamon (2013: 245, as Benthamia herminioides subsp. arcuata H.Perrier , photograph on the right only).
DESCRIPTION
Erect terrestrial herb, 25-60 cm tall. Tubers 2, digitate, up to 25 mm long, roots thick, starting from the junction between stem and tubers. Stem 2-5 mm in diameter, with 2 basal sheaths, then leaves in the middle, then 3-4(7) acicular sterile bracts, 1-2 cm long. Leaves 2-3, cauline, narrowly ovate or elliptic-lanceolate, acuminate, erect, 4-8 cm × 4-12 mm for the larger. Rachis unilateral, lax, 5-13 cm long, with 5-10 mm between successive flowers, bearing 7-30(50) flowers. Floral bract nearly as long or ¾ of the length of the ovary. Ovary 4-8 mm long, at right angle to the rachis when mature. Flowers greenish, partly closed except the spreading lateral sepals, around 2-3 mm long; dorsal sepal elliptic, concave, 1-veined, apex rounded, 1.8-2 × 0.8-1.1 mm; lateral sepals obliquely elliptic, concave, 1-veined, apex subacute or obtuse, 1.6-2.3 × 1-1.2 mm; petals more or less obliquely elliptic, 1-veined, apex subacute, 1.8-2 × 1 mm, forming a hood with the dorsal sepal. Lip 1.5-2.5 × 2-3 mm, trilobed in upper third, with thick lobes, without callus, smooth and glossy, canaliculate, with the lateral lobes slightly shorter then midlobe, forming with the perianth a narrow entrance into the spur; spur markedly bilobed, scrotiform, 1 mm long, nearly as wide as long, narrowed at base. Column subterete, 0.6 mm long, with two basal auricles shorter than the column, rectangular, with distal margin irregular.
| J |
University of the Witwatersrand |
| P |
Museum National d' Histoire Naturelle, Paris (MNHN) - Vascular Plants |
| T |
Tavera, Department of Geology and Geophysics |
| REU |
Université de la Réunion |
| V |
Royal British Columbia Museum - Herbarium |
| CBNM |
Cedar Breaks National Monument |
| F |
Field Museum of Natural History, Botany Department |
No known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation.