Typus: MADAGASCAR. Prov. Toliara: Rég. Anosy, Vinanibe, à l’W de Fort-Dauphin, [25°03’S 46°56’E], 7.XII.1968, fr., Service Forestier 28611 (P [P00722641]!; iso-: G [G00341714]!, K!, MO- 6684134!, P [P00722642]!, TEF [TEF000884]!).

Diagnosis

Abrahamia ellipticarpa Randrian. & Lowry can be distinguished from other member of the genus by its large, glabrous, ellipsoid fruits measuring 3-3.5 3 1.5-1.8 cm.

Description

Trees c. 10-12 tall, bark with white latex; young twigs with appressed indument. Leaves alternate, subopposite or opposite; blade oblanceolate to narrowly elliptic, 3-9.5 3 1.3-3 cm, subcoriaceous, apex acute or sometimes retuse or rarely emarginate, margin entire, base cuneate, adaxial surface glabrous, abaxial surface with appressed indument, more so along the midvein and margin, venation craspedodromous, midvein prominent abaxially, secondary veins 18-30 pairs, more or less parallel, 2-3 mm apart, slightly raised adaxially and prominent abaxially, tertiary veins very few, impressed and barely visible; petiole 5-10 mm long, c. 1 mm in diam., canaliculate on adaxial surface, pubescent. Inflorescences and flowers unknown. Fruits 3-3.5 3 1.5-1.8 cm, ellipsoid, glabrous, with longitudinal striations.

Distribution, ecology and phenology

Abrahamia ellipticarpa has been recorded from sublittoral forest on sand at several sites in the Fort-Dauphin area, including Mandena, Vinanibe, and Petriky (Map 1). It has been collected in flower in September and in fruit in December.

Conservation status

With an EOO of 28 km 2, an AOO of 12 km 2, and three known locations, 2 of which are situated within protected areas (Mandena and Petriky) whereas the third one is highly degraded and subjected to continued degradation from uncontrolled harvesting and possibly also fire leading to a projected decline in all 5 sub-criteria, A. ellipticarpa is assigned a preliminary conservation status of “Endangered’’ [EN B1ab(i,ii,iii,iv,v)+2ab (i,ii,iii,iv,v)] using the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria (IUCN, 2012).

Notes

Abrahamia ellipticarpa is vegetatively similar to A. oblongifolia but can be distinguished by its fewer secondary veins (18-30 vs 35-40), impressed and barely visible (vs slightly raised and very visible) tertiary venation, and large fruits (3-3.5 3 1.5-1.8 vs 2 3 1 cm) with evident (vs obscure) longitudinal striations.

Paratypi

MADAGASCAR. Prov. Toliara: Petriky, N shore of Lake Andranany, 25°03’S 46°53’E, 0-10 m, 14.IV.1989, ster., Gereau 3376 (MO, P, TAN); env. de Fort-Dauphin, entre le Pic St. Louis et la mer, 1-25 m, 20.IX.-6.X.1928, fl., Humbert 5984 (G, P [2 sheets]); Man-dena forestry station, 24°57’S 47°00’E, 0-10 m, 20.XI.1996, ster., A. Randrianasolo 578 (MO, P, TAN); ibid. loco, 3.IX.1953, bud, Service Forestier 8171 (MO, P, TEF); ibid. loco, 12.XII.1952, ster., Service Forestier 207-R-16 (P).