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| Sonerila mapelo Naive, in Naive et Quakenbush, 2023. |
Abstract
A species new to science, Sonerila mapelo Naive, discovered in Pasonanca Natural Park, Zamboanga City, Western Mindanao, Philippines, is herewith described and illustrated. Color plates, notes on its distribution, habitat, phenology, and a comparison to its allied species are provided below. In addition, we took this opportunity to lectotypify the name S. woodii and its synonym S. lilacina. With the discovery of the new species, the Philippines now has a total of three Sonerila taxa, of which two are known to be endemic.
Keyword: Lectotypifications, Sonerila metallica, Sonerila heterophylla, Sonerileae, Tropical botany, Zamboanga Peninsula
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| Sonerila mapelo Naive. A. Flower (front view). B. Flower (profile view). C. Detail of flower (petals removed). D. Detail of fruit (front view). E. Detail of fruit (profile view). Photos and prepared by: MAKN (MAK Naive 134, PNH, HNUL, HITBC). |
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| Sonerila mapelo Naive. A. Habit and habitat. B. Detail of Stem and petiole. C-D. Detail of leaves showing that two individuals exhibit different color forms (left, adaxial leaf; right, abaxial leaf). Photos and prepared by: MAKN (MAK Naive 134, PNH, HNUL, HITBC). |
Sonerila mapelo Naive, sp. nov.
Diagnosis: This new species can be easily distinguished from all other Philippine Sonerila by having short petioles (≤6 mm) and strongly dimorphic leaves at each node. Sonerila mapelo closely resembles S. metallica C.W. Lin, C.F. Chen & T.Y.A. Yang. (Lin et al., 2015) from Sarawak, Borneo, however, it differs significantly in having these following characters: both sides of the leaves densely strigose with up to 6 major veins (vs. sparsely setose in 2 or 4 rows between main and lateral veins with 3–5 veins in S. metallica); broadly cordate small leaves (vs. suborbicular to obovatelanceolate small leaves in S. metallica); lanceolate bracts with acute apex (vs. acicular to linear bracts with apiculate apex in S. metallica); infundibuliform, angular hypanthium (vs. campanulate, terete hypanthium in S. metallica); elliptic, flat petals (vs. oblong to obovate involute petals in S. metallica); purplish-white filament, style and stigma (vs. cream filament, style and sigma in S. metallica); and infundibuliform, 3-ribbed, strigose capsule (vs. campanulate, densely hispid-setose capsule in S. metallica).
Etymology: The specific epithet ‘mapelo’ was used as a noun in apposition. It is a chabacano word which means hairy, in reference to the pubescent overall morphology of this new species. Chabacano is the native language of about 50% of the population of Zamboanga City and the surrounding area in the extreme western part of Mindanao Island (Steinkrüger, 2013).
Mark Arcebal K. Naive and J. Peter Quakenbush. 2023. A New Species of Sonerila (Melastomataceae) serendipitously discovered in Pasonanca Natural Park, Zamboanga City, Southwestern Philippines with notes on S. woodii. Taiwania. 68(3); 318-322. DOI: 10.6165/tai.2023.68.318
