Ficus buntaensis C.C.Berg, 2012

Berg, C., 2012, Seven new Malesian species of Ficus (Moraceae), Blumea 57 (2), pp. 147-157 : 153

Ficus buntaensis C.C.Berg , sp. nov. — Fig. 5

Ficu subcongesta similis, laminis angustioribus, lanceolatis contra oblongis, venis lateralibus basalibus laminae longitudinae 1/20–1/10, pedunculo ad 0.2 cm longo differt. — Typus: Hendrian, Newman , Scott, Saleh & Supriadi 933 (holo E), Indonesia, Sulawesi,Luwuk District,Bunta Subdistrict,Gunung Hek, Sungai Hek, 26 Feb. 2004.

Tree up to 7 m tall. Leafy twigs 2.5– 5 mm thick, densely whitish hirtellous, the hairs curved (upwards) and with thickened bases; nodal waxy glands absent; internodes hollow; periderm of the older parts flaking off. Leaves spirally arranged to subdistichous or (sub)opposite; lamina lanceolate, 12– 27 by 3 – 6.5 cm, almost symmetric to slightly asymmetric at the base, chartaceous to subcoriaceous, apex acuminate to subcaudate, base rounded to obtuse, margin dentate, slightly revolute; upper surface white hirtellous to subhispid on the veins, scabrous, lower surface white hirtellous to hispid, scabrous, cystoliths only beneath; lateral veins 8 –12 pairs, the basal pair to 1/20–1/10 the length of the lamina, faintly branched, often 1–2 pairs of smaller lateral veins below the main pair, tertiary venation loosely scalariform; waxy glands small, in the axils of some of the lateral veins in and above the middle part of the lamina; petiole 1–3.5 cm long, c. 2 mm thick, whitish hirtellous, the epidermis ± flaking off; stipules 1.5 – 2 cm long, whitish to brownish strigose to hirtellous, subpersistent or caducous. Figs axillary or on unbranched or shortly branched up to 2 m long leafless branchlets on the lower part of the trunk, internodes to 4 cm long, often with some 0.8–1.2 cm long, with subpersistent stipules (or not?), rooting if reaching the soil; subsessile or with a peduncle up to 0.2 cm long; basal bracts 3, subverticillate, 2 – 3 mm long; receptacle subglobose, 0.8–1.3 cm diam when dry, non-stipitate, sparsely to densely whitish to brownish strigillose to puberulous, with curved hairs (glabrescent), without lateral bracts, mostly ribbed, lenticellate and the epidermis flaking off, red at maturity, apex convex; ostiole c. 1.5 mm diam, surrounded by 5 cushionshaped apical bracts or elevated ends of ribs; internal bristles sparse. Styles of long-styled flower hairy.

Distribution — Indonesia, Central Sulawesi.

Habitat — Evergreen forest, at altitudes of 600–1000 m.

Additional specimens seen. Hendrian et al. 951 (E), 956 ( E), Indonesia, Sulawesi, Luwuk District, Bunta Subdistrict, Gunung Hek , Sungai Hek , 27 Feb.2004 ; Hendrian et al. 819 ( E), Poso District, Ulubonka Subdistrict , Mire , Gunung Katopas , 1270 m, 19 Feb. 2004 .

Note — This species shows similarities to the New Guinean F. subcongesta Corner , from which it differs by the narrower lamina with much shorter basal lateral veins and the much shorter peduncle of the fig. It also shows similarities to F. parvibracteata Corner , a species of Sulawesi, which clearly differs in the unbranched basal lateral veins, running close to the margin, the longer thinner petioles with persistent epidermis. Moreover, it shows similarities to F. tunicata Corner , probably an endemic of the Great Kei Island, from which it differs in the narrower lamina, the much longer fig-bearing branches and the (initially) hairy fig receptacle.

Figures

Fig. 5 Ficus buntaensis C.C.Berg. Leafy twig and stolon with figs (Hendrian et al. 933, E).