Barringtonia lumina Jebb & Prance, 2011

Jebb, M. & Prance, G. T., 2011, Five new species of Barringtonia (Lecythidaceae) from Papua New Guinea, Blumea 56 (2), pp. 105-112 : 106-107

1. Barringtonia lumina Jebb & Prance , sp. nov. — Fig. 1

Species B. procera affinis, arboribus monocaulinis,foliis majoribus 100–190 cm longis, 22–42 cm latis (haud 29–62 × 2–16 cm), verticellis staminarum 8–12 haud 5–6, hypanthio calycisque extus veludo-pubescentibus,gemmis quadratis differt. — Typus: M. Jebb 920 (holo K; iso L, LAE, NY), Papua New Guinea, Morobe Province, 1 km W of north end of Finschaffen airstrip, 6°36.9'S, 147°50.7'E, 80 m, 19 May 1991 .

Monocaulous tree to 15 m tall, dbh 15 cm; bark flaky grey, pustular lenticels to 0.8 by 0.2 cm, pink within; axes segmented at 10 –40 cm intervals; architecture conforming to Corner’s Model. Leaves in a single whorl of 12– 25 in mature trees, several whorls in younger trees; scarcely petiolate; leaf scars rounded, obovate-rhomboid, crowded, 2.5 by 2 cm; leaf blades flat, recurved, narrowly-obovate; 100 –190(– 228) by 22– 42, widest at 2/3 its length, coriaceous, dark green above, paler below; dead or damaged leaves yellow to red, new leaves pinkish red; primary veins 50– 65 pairs, arising obliquely from midrib, straight and parallel, and arched and joined at margin, more pronounced below; apex rounded and abruptly acuminate, the acumen to 2.5 cm; base tapering to petiole; midrib prominent below, angular, with a narrow raised ridge above; margin minutely crenulate; terminal bud a prominent spike to 30 by 5 cm. Cataphylls lanceolate, 5–19 by 3 –4.5 cm, caducous, pinkish red; apex rounded to acute, base auriculate; margin finely serrate; venation reticulate irregular. Inflorescences lateral in groups of 2 – 6, usually arising from a single previous whorl of leaves, axillary to a former leaf base; racemes 80–100 cm long, to 1.5 cm diam, scarcely tapered, fissured; bracts triangular, acuminate, to 1.2 by 0.6 cm, densely velvety pubescent throughout, khaki green to light brown, base blunt; young inflorescence with buds compressed, quadrangular form maintained through development; basal bracts oblong, 4.5 by 2.5 cm, caducous, apex ± bifurcate, rounded. Flowers 80–100, sessile; buds oblate, entire, not porate but with a minute apical depression, square in apical view, with 4(– 5) narrow sulci along the corners, densely velvety pubescent, khaki-green; calyx circumscissile, the persistent part becoming thickened in fruit; to 1.5 by 0.4 cm; petals 4(– 5), obtusely triangular to obovate, to 40 by 15 mm, white with a faint pink flush, apex rounded; stamens 450 –500, in 8 –12 whorls, to 50 by 0.5 mm, connate at their very base only, innermost whorl staminodal, 3 –20 mm long; anthers elliptic, 0.75 by 0.5 mm, 4-celled; disc to 9.5 mm diam, the inner annulus 4 mm diam and <1 mm high, becoming strikingly hemispherically concave in fruit; style slender, tapering, to 55 by 1 mm; ovary rounded-cupuliform, sessile, 0.7 by 0.7 cm; locules 4, each with 3 ovules. Fruit sessile, obovate, to 7.5 by 3.5 cm; apex obtuse, base tapering, acute, almost circular in section.

Distribution & Habitat — Jayapura, Sepik, Morobe, Milne Bay and Bougainville, forest. Altitude: 0 – 300 m.

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Additional specimens examined. IRIAN JAYA, Jayapura, Natri, Jautefah Bay, 16 May 1957, Roentboy BW 5406 ( LAE); Nemo , 30 Apr. 1956, Kalkman BW 3470 ( LAE) .– PAPUA NEW GUINEA, Sepik, Vanimo hinterland, 2°40'S, 141°15'E, 30 Nov. 1971, Streimann LAE 52982 ( LAE); Morobe, Buso valley, 7°25'S, 147°10'E, 14 Aug. 1970, Streimann NGF 45145 ( LAE), 7°50'S, 147°30'E, Ekokora creek, Anna village , 2 Mar. 1978, Kerenga LAE 73831 ( LAE); Milne Bay, Gumini valley, Cameron plateau, 10°20'S, 150°0'E, 9 June 1964, Womersley NGF 19266 ( LAE); Bougainville, Arawa , 4 Dec.1980, Bourke 71 ( LAE) .

Note — This species is similar to B. procera but differs in the much larger leaves, the quadrangular buds and the distinctive velvety pubescence of the hypanthium and calyx. At some times of the year it is reported as being deciduous, with only the large terminal bud remaining (A. Hay pers. comm.). It can commence flowering when 2 m tall. The prominent and pinkcoloured terminal bud is reminiscent of a candle flame atop the unbranched stem particularly if the leaves have fallen (Lat. lumina = candle or light).

Figures

Fig. 1 Barringtonia lumina Jebb & Prance. a. Type specimen. The young leaf buds shown here are bright red and candle-like giving rise to the specific name for this species; b. inflorescence; c. fruit (all: Jebb 920, K, L, LAE).