Ficus porata C.C.Berg, 2012

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

Ficus porata C.C.Berg , sp. nov. — Fig. 1

Ficu casearioidi similis, laminarum apice acuminato, ficis sessilibus minutis ostiolo depresso distincta. — Typus: M. Janda Y068 (holo LAE; iso L), Papua New Guinea, Sandaun Prov., Yapsiei , 112 m, 26 Mar. 2004 .

Tree, small. Leafy twigs 1.5 –3 mm thick, subterete, sparsely minutely white puberulous. Leaves spirally arranged; lamina coriaceous, oblong, 10–18 by 3.5 – 6 cm, slightly inequilateral, apex acuminate, base obtuse, margin entire, revolute towards the base; upper surface glabrous, lower surface glabrous, subtessellate; cystoliths only beneath, sparse; midrib (almost) plane above, lateral veins 6 – 8 pairs, none furcate away from the margin, the basal pair up to 1/6–1/3 the length of the lamina, tertiary venation reticulate; waxy glands present in the axils of the basal lateral veins; petiole 0.7–1.2 cm long, 1– 2 mm thick, minutely white puberulous adaxially, the epidermis flaking off; stipules c. 0.5 mm long, sparsely white appressed-puberulous, caducous. Figs below the leaves, solitary or clustered, up to 4 together, subsessile. Basal bracts c. 1 mm long; receptacle depressed-globose, 0.5 –0.6 cm diam, without lateral bracts, glabrous, punctate; ostiole sunken; internal hairs absent. Staminate flowers subsessile to shortly pedicellate, subtended by 2 lanceolate bracts; tepals 3, lanceolate; anthers 2, 0.8–1.2 mm long. Short-styled flowers: tepals 3, mostly (sub)spathulate.

Distribution — Only known from the type collection.

Habitat — Humid forest; at a low altitude.

Note — The species resembles F. casearioides King in the reticulate tertiary venation and the subtessellate lower surface of the lamina, but it clearly differs in the distinctly acuminate apex of the lamina, the more distinct basal lateral veins, up

1 Bergen Museum,University of Bergen,Allégate 41, 5007 Bergen, Norway; Netherlands Centre for Biodiversity Naturalis (section NHN), Leiden University, P.O. Box 9514, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands.

Deceased on 31 August 2012.

to 1/3 the length of the lamina, the shorter stipules, and more pronouncedly in the smaller and subsessile figs, with the ostiole sunken in pore in the apex of the fig receptacle.

Figures

Fig. 1 Ficus porata C.C.Berg. Leafy twig without inflorescences and leafy twig with a cluster of inflorescences (Janda Y068, L).