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| Myrsine exquisitorum Utteridge & Lepschi
in Utteridge & Lepschi, 2020.
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Abstract
Myrsine exquisitorum Utteridge & Lepschi (Primulaceae-Myrsinoideae) is described and illustrated as a new species endemic to the Western Highlands Province from Papua New Guinea. The new species is unique in the relatively large, almost orbicular leaves with entire margins, and the tetramerous flowers arranged in axillary fascicles without forming short shoots.
Keywords: Papuasia, Malesia, Myrsinaceae, Rapanea, taxonomy, Eudicots
Myrsine exquisitorum Utteridge & Lepschi sp. nov.
Unique in the genus Myrsine on account of the combination of the subsessile leaves with petioles less than 5 mm long, the relatively large, almost orbicular leaves with entire margins, 8.5–11 × 6.4–7.9 cm, lacking distinct glandular lines or punctuations, the tetramerous flowers with papillate hairs only on the petal tips and margins. Although unlikely to be confused with any species of Myrsine in New Guinea, M. exquisitorum differs from M. augustae, M. leucantha and M. warrae, the other Myrsine species in New Guinea with relatively large (> 8 cm long), subsessile leaves and 4- merous flowers in axillary fascicles (inflorescences not forming short-strobiliform axes), in leaf shape and the absence of obvious glandular lines and/or punctations on the leaf lamina.
Distribution:— Endemic to New Guinea, currently only known from the type locality from Western Highlands Province, Papua New Guinea.
Habitat:— Recorded from ‘Miscanthus regrowth’ on a limestone ridge; the elevation was recorded as 8000 ft [c. 2400 m], which would place the species in upper montane forest, within the ‘Central Range Montane Rain Forest’ ecoregion of New Guinea (Olson et al. 2001).
Etymology:— From Latin, the genitive plural of ‘exquisitor’ (= searcher, investigator, or researcher) giving a meaning “of the researchers/investigators”, honouring the contribution of the botanical staff of the CSIRO Land Research and Regional Survey Section (and its several successive incarnations 1953–1974; see Keig et al. (2019a, p. 87) for a summary). The Section/Division employed several botanists as part of its survey teams working in Australia and New Guinea. During the period 1946–1974, these staff collected many thousands of exceptionally high quality herbarium specimens, usually widely replicated and often with additional supporting information such as black and white photographs, from across northern Australia and within Papua New Guinea. These collections, along with those of the former CSIRO Division of Plant Industry, formed the basis of the present day CANB herbarium upon their amalgamation as one collection in 1973 (L.A.Craven, pers. comm.) and remain a rich and important scientific resource, especially where the biota of New Guinea is concerned.
Timothy M.A. Utteridge and Brendan J. Lepschi. 2020. A New Species of Myrsine (Primulaceae-Myrsinoideae) from New Guinea. Phytotaxa. 442(3); 133–137. DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.442.3.1
Keywords: Papuasia, Malesia, Myrsinaceae, Rapanea, taxonomy, Eudicots
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| FIGURE 1. Myrsine exquisitorum. Image of the holotype CANB 88216.1. |
Myrsine exquisitorum Utteridge & Lepschi sp. nov.
Unique in the genus Myrsine on account of the combination of the subsessile leaves with petioles less than 5 mm long, the relatively large, almost orbicular leaves with entire margins, 8.5–11 × 6.4–7.9 cm, lacking distinct glandular lines or punctuations, the tetramerous flowers with papillate hairs only on the petal tips and margins. Although unlikely to be confused with any species of Myrsine in New Guinea, M. exquisitorum differs from M. augustae, M. leucantha and M. warrae, the other Myrsine species in New Guinea with relatively large (> 8 cm long), subsessile leaves and 4- merous flowers in axillary fascicles (inflorescences not forming short-strobiliform axes), in leaf shape and the absence of obvious glandular lines and/or punctations on the leaf lamina.
Distribution:— Endemic to New Guinea, currently only known from the type locality from Western Highlands Province, Papua New Guinea.
Habitat:— Recorded from ‘Miscanthus regrowth’ on a limestone ridge; the elevation was recorded as 8000 ft [c. 2400 m], which would place the species in upper montane forest, within the ‘Central Range Montane Rain Forest’ ecoregion of New Guinea (Olson et al. 2001).
Etymology:— From Latin, the genitive plural of ‘exquisitor’ (= searcher, investigator, or researcher) giving a meaning “of the researchers/investigators”, honouring the contribution of the botanical staff of the CSIRO Land Research and Regional Survey Section (and its several successive incarnations 1953–1974; see Keig et al. (2019a, p. 87) for a summary). The Section/Division employed several botanists as part of its survey teams working in Australia and New Guinea. During the period 1946–1974, these staff collected many thousands of exceptionally high quality herbarium specimens, usually widely replicated and often with additional supporting information such as black and white photographs, from across northern Australia and within Papua New Guinea. These collections, along with those of the former CSIRO Division of Plant Industry, formed the basis of the present day CANB herbarium upon their amalgamation as one collection in 1973 (L.A.Craven, pers. comm.) and remain a rich and important scientific resource, especially where the biota of New Guinea is concerned.
Timothy M.A. Utteridge and Brendan J. Lepschi. 2020. A New Species of Myrsine (Primulaceae-Myrsinoideae) from New Guinea. Phytotaxa. 442(3); 133–137. DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.442.3.1
