Saurauia merrillii Elmer (1908: 321)

Mazo, Kean Roe F. & Aribal, Lowell G., 2025, Rediscoveries, lectotypifications and new species record of the genus Saurauia (Actinidiaceae) from southwestern Philippines, Phytotaxa 704 (1), pp. 69-78 : 75-77

3. Saurauia merrillii Elmer (1908: 321) ; Figs. 4 A–N

Type: — Philippines, Visayas, Leyte, Palo, January 1906, elevation 200 m, Elmer 7530 (lectotype (designated here): NY 00428870!, isolectotype: E 00683159!).

Description:—Shrub to small tree, 2.5 m high, 10 cm in diameter at breast height, bark greenish-brown, lenticels sparse. Branchlets terete, green. Distal portions of the twigs with dense, erect and spreading bristle-like hairs; hairs 5–7 mm long, greenish on middle portion, drying brown at the tip. Leaves alternate, simple chartaceous; petiole green, terete, 10–16 mm long, 3.0– 4.6 mm in diameter, with indumentum similar to that of distal twigs; young leaves light green; blade green, oblanceolate, 13.5–27.0 × 3–5 cm, adaxially colliculate, uniformly with bristle-like thin and erect hairs (up to 1.5 mm long except the larger hairs on the midrib); abaxially pale green, pubescent, hairs denser on the midrib, secondary veins and reticulations; secondary veins 12–14 pairs, prominent on the lower surface, 5–14 mm apart along the midrib, reticulately veined, arching and fading towards the leaf margin, base rounded, margin serrulate and ciliate (hairs up to 2.5 mm long), apex caudate-acuminate. Inflorescences axillary, terminal, solitary or few-branched cyme, 4–6 cm long; flowers rotate, 1–4 per peduncle, 2.0– 2.3 cm in diameter, odorless; peduncle pale green, 1.3–3.0 cm long, with indumentum similar to that of distal twigs (hairs 3.0– 4.5 mm long); bracts 2, green, linear, 10–15 ×1.5–2.0 mm, with indumentum similar to that of distal twigs (hairs 1–2 mm long); bracteoles 2, green, linear, 6–9 ×1.0– 1.5 mm, with indumentum similar to that of bracts (hairs 2.5–4.0 mm long); pedicels light green, 10–15 mm long, with indumentum similar to that of peduncle (hairs 5–6 mm long). Sepals 5, white, pale green in fruits; outer sepals 2, translucent white, ovate, 7.2–8.4 × 4.2–4.5 mm (excluding setae), adaxial surface glabrous, abaxial surface with pale green, appressed and slightly spreading bristle-like hairs (up to 4 mm long), margin entire, apex bluntly acute-obtuse; intermediate sepal present, partly covered with hairs similar to outer sepals and partly glabrous similar to inner sepals; inner sepals 2, translucent white, oblong-elliptic to ovate, 5.2–6.1 × 3.3–3.8 mm (excluding setae), adaxial surface glabrous, abaxial surface with indumentum similar to that of outer sepals but only at the median portion, margin entire, apex bluntly acute-obtuse. Petals 5, white, oblong, 10–12 × 4.5–5.6 mm, glabrous on both surfaces, apex strongly unequally retuse, sinus 0.5–0.7 mm long. Stamens 20–25, yellow, in three series, adnate to the corolla; filaments yellow, 1.2–2.0 mm long, glabrous; anthers oblong, 2.0– 2.5 mm long × 0.5–0.7 mm wide, dorsifixed, longitudinally dehiscent, apex divided into 2 lobes, each lobe 0.5–1.3 mm long. Ovary white, ovoid, 1.5–2.0 × 2.5–2.7 mm, glabrous; locules 3, placentation axile, ovules numerous. Styles 3, white, (pale green in fruit), proximal 30% fused, filiform, 2.8–3.5 mm long, stigma capitate, minutely corniculate. Fruits baccate, translucent white, globose to subglobose, 7–8 × 8.5–10.5mm (styles excluded), glabrous, styles persistent. Seeds numerous, brown, irregularly triangular to oblong, 0.4–0.8 × 0.3–0.6 mm, embedded in mucilaginous matrix.

Distribution and Ecology:— Endemic to the Philippines. Saurauia merrillii is distributed in the islands of Leyte, Samar, and in the province of Zamboanga del Norte. In Zamboanga Peninsula, S. merrillii is found growing in the secondary lowland evergreen rainforest near a river or stream at 400–750 m elevation. It has been observed flowering in December and fruiting in May.

Local Name and Uses: —Similar to other Saurauia species in Zamboanga del Norte, S. merrillii is also known as himag. The mature twigs and stems are dried and used as an ointment for wounds.

Provisional IUCN conservation assessment:— Saurauia merrillii is proposed here as Vulnerable (V D2) following IUCN red list categories and criteria ( IUCN, 2022). The extent of occurrence (EOO) is less than 20,000 km 2 (7, 734 km 2; Bachman et al. 2011). During fieldwork in Barangay Tinuyop, Leon B. Postigo, Zamboanga del Norte, only three individuals of S. merrillii were observed. The habitat of S. merrillii in Barangay Tinuyop is not protected, and threats such as small-scale mining, forest road construction, and land conversion were recorded.

Notes:— Saurauia merrillii resembles S. erythrotricha Elmer (1915: 2614) and S. clementis Merrill (1906: 208) in having densely bristly distal twigs, leaves, and sepals, axillary and terminal inflorescences, 3-locular, and glabrous ovoid ovary. However, it differs from S. erythrotricha in having greenish-brown bristle-like hairs (vs. reddish-brown to purplish), longer petioles (10–16 mm vs. 5–10 mm), oblanceolate leaves (vs. subovate to obovate, elliptic), 12–14 pairs of secondary veins (vs. 5–8 pairs), smaller sepals (5.5–7.5 × 3.0– 4.2 mm vs. 8 × 6 mm), larger petals (10–12 × 4.5–5.6 mm vs. 8 × 2.5–3.5 mm), and shorter styles (2.8–3.5 mm vs. 4 mm). On the other hand, S. merrillii can be easily differentiated from S. clementis Merr. in having oblanceolate leaves (vs. elliptic to oblong-obovate), 12–14 pairs of secondary veins (7–8 pairs), and oblong petals (vs. obovate).

Additional specimens examined:— Saurauia merrillii Elmer. PHILIPPINES. Mindanao, Zamboanga del Norte Province, Municipality of Leon B. Postigo , Barangay Tinuyop , 8°2’50.69”N, 122°56’32.72”E, elevation 337 m, 2 December 2021, K. R. F. Mazo 62 ( PNH 258600 !; CMUH!); Visayas, Samar, Loquilocon Wright , April–May 1948, Sulit 2099 ( PNH 6114 !) .

Figures

FIGURE 4. Saurauia merrillii Elmer. A. Habitat in Barangay Tinuyop, Leon B. Postigo, Zamboanga del Norte; B. Flowering twig; C. Leaf (adaxial view); D. Leaf (abaxial view); E. Portion of leaf showing petiole and leaf base; F. Leaf surface; G. Close-up of the midrib. H. Flower; I. Petals; J. Sepals, ot (outer sepals), it (intermediate sepal), in (inner sepals); K. Pistil; L. Cross-section of ovary; M. Cross-section of fruit showing seeds; N. Fruit showing the persistent styles and sepals. Photos by K.R. Mazo.