Abrahamia louvelii Randrian. & Lowry

≡ Protorhus louvelii H. Perrier in Mém. Mus. Natl. Hist. Nat. 18: 263. 1944 [as louveli].

Lectotypus (designated here): MADAGASCAR. Prov. Toamasina: Rég. Alaotra-Mangoro, Analamazaotra, c. 1000 m, fl., 1919, Thouvenot 36 (P [P00722660]!; isolecto-: P [P00722661]!, TAN [TAN000075]!, US-2494483 image seen).

Description

Trees 14-15 m tall, bark with white-yellow milky latex; young twigs glabrous but with scabrous indument at the tips, with a few lenticels. Leaves subopposite to opposite; blades obovate to oblanceolate, 2-4 3 1-2 cm, coriaceous to subcoriaceous, apex emarginate, retuse or rounded, margin entire, base cuneate, adaxial surface glabrous, abaxial surface with very sparse, appressed, short indument, venation craspedodromous, midvein prominent abaxially, secondary veins 15-28 pairs, 1-2 mm apart, parallel or nearly so, prominent abaxially, tertiary veins obscure on both surfaces; petiole 3-7 mm long, canaliculate on adaxial surface, glabrous. Inflorescence axillary and terminal, a panicle, 2.5-4.5 cm long, axes flattened or somewhat triangular, pubescent to strigose. Male flowers 5-merous; pedicel 0.2-0.3 mm long, very sparsely strigose; calyx lobes deltate, 1 3 1 mm, valvate, glabrous; corolla lobes ovate, 2.5 3 1.5 mm, imbricate, glabrous; stamens 5, filaments 0.5-0.7 mm long, glabrous, anthers 0.5-0.6 mm long, obloid to slightly ovoid, glabrous; disk dish-shaped or slightly cupiliform, 1.5 mm in diam., glabrous; ovary rudimentary. Female flowers unknown. Fruits 1.5- 1.7 3 1-1.2 cm, green when fresh, black when dry, ellipsoid to slightly obovoid, glabrous, with longitudinal striations.

Vernacular names

“Ditimena’’, “Soretry’’.

Distribution, ecology and phenology

Abrahamia louvelii is known only from the Analamazaotra and Vohibe (Ambalabe) forests (Map 5) at elevations between 600 and 1000 m, in areas with eastern humid forest. Material has been collected in flower in November and in fruit in January.

Conservation status

With a minimum AOO of 8 km 2 and 3 localities, all of which are situated within protected areas (Ambalabe and Analamazaotra), A. louvelii is assigned a preliminary conservation status of “Least Concern” [LC] using the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria (IUCN, 2012).

Notes

Abrahamia louvelii most closely resembles A. minutifolia but differs by having flowers borne in panicles (vs thyrses), a glabrous (vs abaxially pubescent) corolla, and glabrous (vs velutinous) fruits.

100 Boissiera 71

We have selected one of the two sheets of Thouvenot 36 in the Paris herbarium as the lectotype of Protorhus louvelii because it comprises more complete material.

Additional material examined

MADAGASCAR. Prov. Toamasina: Réserve spéciale au S d’Andasibe Mahaveriky, [18°56’S 48°26’E], 4.XI.1967, ster., Jacquemin 687 (P); Vatomandry, Ambalabe, forêt de Vohibe, 19°09’39’’S 48°34’43’’E, 657 m, 22.I.2012, fr., Rakotoarivelo et al. 643 (G, K, MO, P, TAN); ibid. loco, 19°09’31’’S 48°34’40’’E, 536 m, 19.II.2009, ster., Razanatsima 667 (MO, P, TAN); Moramanga, Analamazaotra, Périnet, [18°56’S 48°26’E], II.1966, ster., Service Forestier 25719 (P).