Novitates neocaledonicae XII: Two additional new species of Cryptocarya R.Br. from New Caledonia

Jérôme Munzinger,Gordon Mcpherson

doi:10.5252/adansonia2021v43a13

Abstract

Two endemic species of Cryptocarya R.Br. are described from New Caledonia. Cryptocarya conduplicata Munzinger & McPherson, sp. nov. was previously confused with C. aristata Kosterm., which it resembles in its typically numerous lenticels and oblate fruit, but from which it differs most noticeably in its leaf blades partly folded longitudinally (vs blades flat), and its smaller fruits (13-15 mm long vs 20-30 mm long). Cryptocarya ovoidea Munzinger & McPherson, sp. nov. can be distinguished most easily from C. pluricostata, its sister species according to molecular data, by its indument (hairs sparse, whitish, cream-grey to blackish, quickly falling vs. hairs dense, ferrugineous sublanate and subpersistent in C. pluricostata). As well, the fruit of C. ovoidea, sp. nov. is ovoid and its perianth is caducous, in contrast to the fruit of C. pluricostata, which is ellipsoid and retains its perianth. The two new species are trees occurring in dense humid forest, and are restricted to non-ultramafic substrate. Cryptocarya conduplicata sp. nov. is common, known from three protected areas, and is assigned a preliminarily Least Concern IUCN status, while C. ovoidea sp. nov. is only known from two individuals on Mont Aoupinié, a protected area, where many inventory plots were established without finding any individuals; thus, we assign it a preliminary status of Critically Endangered (CR).

Highlights

The Lauraceae of New Caledonia were treated in volume 5 of the Flore de la Nouvelle-Calédonie et Dépendances (Kostermans 1974) and a new species in the genus Litsea Lam. was added 3 years later (Kostermans 1977)
We undertook the revision of the family, within the framework of the Flore de la Nouvelle-Calédonie, in order to publish a new version, because it had become obvious that the first treatment was in need of revision, as are other early volumes of the collection (Munzinger 2015)
Results far include the description of three new species of Cryptocarya (Munzinger & McPherson 2016) and the discovery that Litsea mackeei Kosterm. is synonymous with a species of Oleaceae (Munzinger & McPherson 2017)

Summary

Introduction

The Lauraceae of New Caledonia were treated in volume 5 of the Flore de la Nouvelle-Calédonie et Dépendances (Kostermans 1974) and a new species in the genus Litsea Lam. was added 3 years later (Kostermans 1977). Results far include the description of three new species of Cryptocarya (Munzinger & McPherson 2016) and the discovery that Litsea mackeei Kosterm. From Cryptocarya aristata, which it resembles in its typically numerous lenticels and oblate fruit, C. conduplicata, sp.

Results

Conclusion