Drypetes darcyana McPherson, 2000

McPHERSON, Gordon, 2000, Drypetes (Euphorbiaceae) in Madagascar and the Comoro Islands, Adansonia (3) 22 (2), pp. 205-209 : 205-206

Drypetes darcyana McPherson , sp. nov.

Drypetes madagascariensi (Lam.) Humbert & Leandri affinis sed petiolis pubescentibus, fasciculis paucifloris, pedicellis brevibus, et praesertim staminibus septem notabilis.

TYPUS. — Pascal 519, Mayotte, Convalescence , 500 m, 17 Apr. 1996, staminate fl. (holo-, P; iso-, MO).

Small trees 2-5 m, dioecious. Stems pubescent at first, glabrescent. Leaves alternate. Petioles 2-5 mm, channeled, somewhat obscurely pubescent with appressed hairs (best seen on young leaves). Leaf blades oblong-elliptical, (3-) 5-12 cm long, (1-) 1.7-4 cm wide, sparsely pubescent to glabrescent; secondary nerves 10-11 on each side of the midrib, prominent, as are often the intersecondaries and minor veins; base asymmetrical, acute to obtuse; apex acute, slightly to distinctly acuminate; margins entire. Stipules triangular, 0.7-1 mm long, ca. 0.5 mm wide at base, pubescent, caducous or subpersistent. Staminate flowers on twigs, in leaf-bearing axils or in the axils of fallen leaves, solitary or in pairs; pedicels of buds ca. 2 mm long, sparsely pubescent; buds ca. 3 mm in diam.; sepals 5, (in bud) 2-3 mm long, 2-3 mm wide, obtuse, pubescent on margin and sparsely so abaxially; stamens 7; disk flat centrally, extending between the filaments as raised flaps (which, if the flower is viewed from the side, can appear as separate, extrastaminal disk elements). Pistillate flowers in leaf-bearing axils, not seen at anthesis, apparently solitary. Fruiting specimens with pedicels 3-4 mm long, sparsely pubescent; sepals 5(-6), persistent, 2-3 mm long, 2.5-3.5 mm wide, obtuse, sparsely pubescent at least on margin; disk ca. 6 mm in diam., glabrous. Fruit (immature) ca. 2 cm long, ca. 1.2 cm in diam., bilocular, glabrous, usually bearing 2 persistent styles ca. 1.5 mm long, ca. 0.5 mm wide.

DISTRIBUTION. — Known only from Mayotte.

PARATYPE. — MAYOTTE: Pascal 635, Sohoa , 200 m, 20 Aug. 1996, fr. ( MO, P).

The new species resembles D. madagascariensis in having a calyx of 5 (rarely 6) sepals combined with a pistil of 2 carpels, but differs most notably in having an androecium of 7 stamens (vs. 3), as well as in having pubescent petioles (vs. glabrous), 1-2-flowered fascicles (vs. often several-flowered), and shorter fruiting pedicels(3-4 mm vs. 5-10mm). Furthermore, D. darcyana appears to be endemic to Mayotte, whereas D. madagascariensis is unknown from the Comoro Islands.

The species epithet commemorates Dr. W.G. D’ARCY, colleague and friend, who collected on the Comoro Islands in 1987 while preparing the Solanaceae for the Flore de Madagascar et des Comores.