Alyxia loeseneriana Schlechter (1906: 237)

Lannuzel, Guillaume, Munzinger, Jérôme, Vandrot, Hervé & Gâteblé, Gildas, 2024, Alyxia Banks ex R. Br. in New Caledonia: a clarification of several species complexes, nomenclatural notes, and a description of three new species, Phytotaxa 649 (1), pp. 1-43 : 15

Alyxia loeseneriana Schlechter (1906: 237) .

Lectotype, designated by Middleton (2002:32):— NEW CALEDONIA, Auf den Bergen bei Ou-Hinna , elev. 800 m., 7 January 1903, Schlechter 15689: P [ P00072143 !] ( Fig. 7 )

= Alyxia johnsoniae Moore (1921: 358) . Holotype:— NEW CALEDONIA, Mont Mou , 13 March 1914, Compton 543: BM [BM000508534!]

= Alyxia vieillardii Boiteau (1979:452) . Lectotype (designated here):— NEW CALEDONIA, Balade, Vieillard 961: P [P00072144!]; isolectotypes: P [P00143131!; P00143132!], L [L0544776!]

Notes:— In the protologue of Alyxia vieillardii, Boiteau (1979) wrote that the type specimen was “ Vieillard 961, bord de rivière à Balade (riverside at Balade), (holo-, P)”. There are at least six specimens of Vieillard 961 at P and one at L. Two of them (P00228423! and P04223453!) belong to the genus Ochrosia Juss. and one (P00143133!) is not labelled “bord de rivière à Balade” so they can be excluded from the type material. A lectotype and three isolectotypes are then designated in accordance with Middleton’s 1997–1999 notes on the specimens.

Species circumscription:— Boiteau (1981) and Middleton (2002) had a concept of Alyxia loeseneriana which included Alyxia loeseneriana var. macrocarpa Boiteau , the latter only known from specimens bearing fruits. Flowering specimens collected after Boiteau’s description of the variety or not seen by him (not held at P) shows this variety deserves to be elevated to the species level (see under A. paniensis nom. nov., stat. nov.) because of different flower morphology. The concept of A. loeseneriana is thus narrowed to specimens with corolla tubes 3–5 mm long, and fruit articles ca. 1.5 cm long, with rounded apices.

Distribution and habitat:— This species is quite common on Grande Terre, mostly on non-ultramafic substrates and sometimes on ultramafic ones, from 50 to 1000 m elev. It grows almost exclusively in dense humid forest, but can be seen at forest edges.

Phenology:— From herbarium specimens, A. loeseneriana is flowering from October to February. Fruits were collected all year round so they probably mature slowly.

Specimens examined:— NEW CALEDONIA: North province; Sud de Canala , 1 November 1869, Balansa 2436 (P04237304!, P04237305!) ; Col Amieu , 11 February 2005, Barrabé 277 ( NOU004587 !) ; Pouébo , 15 September 1949, Cheeseman 3153 (P04237261!) ; Haute vallée de la Tchamba, elev. 100 m, 15 January 1966, MacKee 14251 (L.2711018!, NOU058079 !, P04237282!) ; Massif Ton-Non , elev. 800 m, 21 March 1968, MacKee 18518 (P04237263!) ; Massif Ton-Non , elev. 900 m, 13 July 1968, MacKee 19176 (P04237262!) ; Table Unio , elev. 900 m, 14 November 1970, MacKee 22882 (L.2711013!, NOU058098 !) ; Col D’Arama , elev. 60 m, MacKee 25969 (L.2711014!, P04237251!) ; Tiwaka: Entre Bopope et Pombei , elev. 250 m, 30 October 1973, MacKee 27666 (L.2711019!, NOU058080 !, P04237250!) ; Haute Tchamba , elev. 500 m, 8 March 1977, MacKee 32890 ( NOU058083 !, P04237283!) ; Haute Tipindjé , elev. 900 m, 27 December 1990, MacKee 45273 ( NOU058101 !) ; Mt. Colnett , elev. 1000 m, 29 October 2003, McPherson 19061 (P04551208!) ; Mt. Colnett , elev. 950 m, 1 November 2003, McPherson 19122 (P04551209!) ; Tiébaghi Massif , elev. 550 m, 20 December 1983, McPherson 6167 ( MO421107 , NOU058071 !, NSW 238708, P04237259!) ; Roches de la Ouaième, elev. 619 m, 20°38'26''S, 164°52'15''E, 1 November 2010, Munzinger 6094 ( NOU063272 !) ; s.l., Pancher s.n. (P04237273!); Gatope , s.c. 2960 (P04237281!) ; Auf den Bergen bei Ou-Hinna , elev. 800 m, 7 January 1903, Schlechter 15689 (P00072143!) ; Route de Gomen à Konio , 21 December 1966, Schmid 1900 ( NOU058077 !) ; Mont Ignambi , elev. 1000 m, 19 August 1965, Veillon 431 (P04237266!) ; Mont Panié , elev. 900 m, 7 July 1978, Veillon 3609 (P04237265!) ; Bord de rivière à Balade , Vieillard 961 (L 0544776!, P00072144!, P00143131!, P00143132!) ; Balade , Vieillard 961 (P00143133!) ; Gatope , 1861, Vieillard 2960 (P04237277!) ; Gatope, 1861, Vieillard 2961 (P04237280!), Kanala, 1861, Vieillard 2962 (P04237274!) ; Gatope , 1861, Vieillard 2963 (P04237269!) ; Gatope , 1861, Vieillard 2965 (P04237255!) ; South province; Forêts situées au dessus de la Ferme-Modèle ( Nouméa ), 1 October 1868, Balansa 212 (P04237306!) ; Mont Mi , 20 February 1869, Balansa 1399 (P04237307!, P04237252!, S-PL-20399!) ; Forêts situées au NE de la Conception, elev. 700 m, 24 January 1869, Balansa 1404a (P04237301!, P04237303!) ; Monts Koghis , elev. 500 m, 1965, Blanchon 8 (P04237268!) ; Tendo , 21 August 1974, Bourret 12 ( NOU058082 !) ; Mt Mou , 13 March 1914, Compton 543 ( BM000508534 !) ; Me Ammeri , 30 November 1950, Guillaumin, Baumann-Bodenheim & Hürlimann 9075 (L.3729966!) ; Mt. Mou , 2 February 1951, Guillaumin, Baumann-Bodenheim 10141 (L.3718458!, P04237267!) ; Mt. Bouo , 20 April 1950, Guillaumin, Baumann-Bodenheim & Hürlimann 12609 (L.3729994!) ; Mt. Bouo , 20 April 1950, Guillaumin, Baumann-Bodenheim & Hürlimann 12611 (L.3729993! L.3729995!) ; Mt. Bouo , 20 April 1950, Guillaumin, Baumann-Bodenheim & Hürlimann 12650 (L.3735012!) ; Mt Bouo , 20 April 1951, Guillaumin, Baumann-Bodenheim 12651 (P04237257!) ; Tonghoue , 24 January 1971, MacKee 23281 (L.2711009!) ; s.l., Hürlimann 125, (P04237270!); Route de la Ouenghi, elev. 100 m, 16 December 1970, Jaffré 430 ( NOU058067 !) ; Près de La Foa 1910, Le Rat s.n. (P04237271!) ; s.l., Le Rat s.n. (P04237272!); Mt. Koghi: Vallée Thy , elev. 200 m, 24 December 1955, MacKee 3632 (E00075715!, L.2711011!, P04237300!, P04237302!) ; Mt. Koghi , MacKee 4005 (L.2711017!) ; Koh , 1 October 1967, MacKee 17764 (P05391652!) ; Canala: Sentier Ciu-Koindé , elev. 300 m, 5 December 1967, MacKee 18079 (L.2711020!, NOU058078 !, P04237285!) ; Tonghoué , elev. 100 m, 24 January 1971, MacKee 23281 ( MO1114225 , NOU058076 !, P04237284!) ; Thio: Vallée De Koua , elev. 200 m, 23 June 1977, MacKee 33333 (L.2711010!, MO1114562 , NOU058081 !, P04237253!, WAG.1475204) ; Mt Koghis , elev. 850 m, 27 October 1979, McPherson 1984 ( MO1574039 , NOU021989 !) ; Monts Koghis , elev. 500 m, 14 January 1965, Schmid 8 ( NOU057968 !) ; Mt Koghis , elev. 950 m, 7 December 1967, Veillon 1543 (P04237254!) ; Paita, au nord du pic Nondoué , elev. 50 m, 4 April 1991, Veillon 7356 ( NOU058180 !) ; Port de France , 1855, Vieillard 959 (P04237275!, P04237276!, P04237278!)

Figures

FIGURE 7. Known distribution Alyxia kaalaensis (dots) and Alyxia loesneriana (squares). Symbols with “T” represent type specimens. Grayed areas represent ultramafic substrates.