Pichonia munzingeri (Sapotaceae), a new and rare micro-endemic species from New Caledonia

Abstract

Gâteble, G. & U. Swenson (2019). Pichonia munzingeri (Sapotaceae), a new and rare micro-endemic species from New Caledonia. In English, English and French abstracts. Candollea 74: 1–7. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15553/c2019v741a1Pichonia munzingeri Gâteble & Swenson (Sapotaceae, Chrysophylloideae) is here described from the southern ultramafic massif of Grande Terre, New Caledonia. It is a micro-endemic species confined to a small area along Oumbea Creek in La Coulee Valley of Mont-Dore. Based on nuclear ribosomal sequence data, areolate higher leaf venation, staminodes, stamens in corolla tube orifice, and seeds having plano-convex cotyledons, no endosperm, and no radicle, this new species is placed in Pichonia Pierre. Preliminary phylogenetic analysis places Pichonia munzingeri as the sister species to all other congeners in New Caledonia, which justifies a high conservation status from the authorities for protecting the species. Less than 50 individuals have been counted in an area affected by the major “Montagne des Sources” anthropogenic fire in late 2005. Hence, repeated fires form the main threat to the existence of this new species, and it is assigned an IUCN Red List preliminary status as “Critically Endangered”.