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| Melastoma lawrenceliaoi Tahil, inTahil, 2022. facebook.com: Kady Tahil |
Abstract
Members of the Melastoma laevifolium group in the Philippines which include the poorly known M. culionense from Culion Island and the new species M. lawrenceliaoi sp. nov. from Tawi-Tawi Island are herein taxonomically reassessed and described, respectively. Having the holotype missing/lost, M. culionense is herein lectotypified. Melastoma lawrenceliaoi is closely related to M. laevifolium from Borneo but differs by having flattened and furrowed young twigs, shorter leaves, midrib and longitudinal veins with slightly curved lanceolate scales up to ca. 0.8 mm long on the lower leaf surface, solitary flowers, shorter and grass green bracteoles, hypanthium sparsely covered with neatly appressed linear scales up to ca. 0.8 mm long, longer hypanthium lobes, ovate petals and shorter greyish anthers on the longer stamens. Taxonomic notes on M. laevifolium is herein provided too.
Keywords: Culion Island, lectotype, Melastomataceae, Tawi-Tawi Island, taxonomy
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| Fresh specimen of Melastoma lawrenceliaoi Tahil. A, Leafy branch with flower; B, Anterior view of flower; C, Flower showing linear bract (arrow); D, Posterior view of flower; E, Lateral view of hypanthium; F, Hypanthium with artificially removed hypanthium lobes showing stamens. Photographs by A. Tahil based on A. Tahil 397. |
Melastoma lawrenceliaoi Tahil, sp. nov.
A species closely similar to M. laevifolium Merr. by the production of lanceolate leaves, funnel shaped hypanthium and linear hypanthium lobes but is readily distinguishable by having flattened and furrowed young twigs (vs. terete), shorter leaves (7–9 cm vs. 5.5–13.6 cm long), midrib and longitudinal veins with slightly curved lanceolate scales up to ca. 0.8 mm long on the lower leaf surface (vs. ovate scales up to 0.5 mm long), solitary flowers (vs. 1–3 in a cyme), shorter (13–15 mm vs. 18–22 mm long) and grass green bracts (vs. reddish), hypanthium sparsely covered with neatly appressed linear scales up to ca. 0.8 mm long (vs. ovate or triangular scales up to 0.5 mm long), longer hypanthium lobes (20–25 mm vs. 16–17 mm long), ovate petals (vs. broadly obovate) and shorter (9–10 mm vs. 12–13 mm long) greyish anthers (vs. pink anthers) on the longer stamens.
Eponymy: This handsome species is named after Phycologist Dr. Lawrence M. Liao, Professor at the Graduate School of Biosphere Science, Hiroshima University, in honor for his significant contributions to the marine botany of the Philippines.
Distribution and ecology: Melastoma lawrenceliaoi is presently only known from Mt. Gaha, a small forested limestone mountain which occupies a total area of less than 30 km². The forest of Mt. Gaha is ca. 1000 ha area of secondary forest over limestone at ca. 600–700 m. This new species grows on limestone structures along with Paraboea sp. Epiphytes such as Hoya and Dischidia spp. were observed growing on this species. Bees were also observed visiting the flowers of this species.
Arkady A. Tahil. 2022. Studies on Philippine Melastoma (Melastomataceae)—The rarely collected M. laevifolium group. Harvard Papers in Botany. 27(1); 117–124. DOI: 10.3100/hpib.v27iss1.2022.n16
