Pteridophyte taxa associated to a Plumier's plate and to a specimen from the Mascarene Islands — Lectotypification of Polypodium punctulatum Poir.

During our study of the Plumier's specimens, collected in the Antilles, in the historical herbaria of the Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Paris (P), we noticed that the protologues of certain taxa contain the reference to Plumier and mention specimens coming from the Mascarene Archipelago. These taxa are detailed in the present article and, in this occasion, we have proceeded to the lectotypification of Polypodium punctulatum Poir.

Revision of typifications among some taxa of pteridophytes of Guadeloupe described by A. L. A. Fée upon F. J. L'Herminier's specimens.

A survey of major herbaria that contain ferns and allied plants collected by Ferdinand L'Herminier and described by Antoine Fée allowed us to achieve the typification of 14 names of taxa. Some previous typifications, controversial or incomplete, are reviewed and clarified. Thus, we designate one holotype (Litobrochia affinis Fée), ten lectotypes (Acrostichum herminieri Bory & Fée ex Fée, Dicksonia cicutarioides Fée, Didymoglossum angustifrons Fée, Didymoglossum fructuosum Fée, Didymoglossum laceratum Fée, Drynaria elastica Fée, Goniopteris rostrata Fée, Hymenophyllum ectocarpon Fée, Phegopteris dilatata Fée, Selaginella mollis Fée) and two neotypes (Microlepia incisa Fée, Polypodium tenuiculum Fée). In addition to some lectotypes based on illustrations or incomplete specimens, we propose one epitype (Phegopteris dilatata Fée). Finally, including Goniophlebium acuminatum Fée, we detail all these taxa whose names were previously typified by other authors.

The application of the name Hexalobus jussiaeanus Baill. has remained unclear since its original publication in 1868. The type, and sole basis of the species, is a specimen in the Jussieu Herbarium in Paris that lacks any information on its origins. The Jussieu specimen is found to be a collection of Uvaria narum (Dunal) Blume (Annonaceae), a species from southern India and Sri Lanka. Hexalobus jussiaeanus should therefore be considered a junior synonym of Uvaria narum.

Two new species of Benthamia A. Rich. (Orchidaceae) from Madagascar, B. boiteaui Hervouet, sp. nov. and B. bosseri Hervouet, sp. nov., are described. Both have been found at the summit of Ambondrombe (Haute Matsiatra region, near Ambalavao), and also, for B. boiteaui Hervouet, sp. nov. in the Ranomafana national park, and for B. bosseri Hervouet, sp. nov. in the Andringitra massif. The two species are represented in the Paris herbarium at the Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (MNHN) by specimens collected in April 1941 by Pierre Boiteau and more recently, for B. boiteaui Hervouet, sp. nov. by specimens at K, MO and TAN, and for B. bosseri Hervouet, sp. nov., by specimens collected by Jean Bosser in April 1964. With linear leaves and an elliptic dorsal sepal, B. boiteaui Hervouet, sp. nov. can easily be distinguished from other Benthamia with white flowers. The non resupinated, drooping flowers and the arching spike of B. bosseri Hervouet, sp. nov. are very distinctive too.

New remarks on the identity of Aloe deltoideodonta Baker (Xanthorrhoeaceae) and new name, Aloe horombensis nom. nov., for the Aloe of Southern Betsileo.

The identity of the mysterious Aloe deltoideodonta Baker is studied here. In the light of ancient writings of Rev. R. Baron which allow us to follow his trips and locate his harvests in Madagascar, of the study of the herbarium sheets from Kew and Paris, and of the morphological study of the plants in their natural habitat, I come to the same conclusion than J.-J. Lavranos, that A. madecassa H. Perrier from around Antananarivo is synonymous with A. deltoideodonta. New combinations and new names are proposed to solve the taxonomic problems caused by this synonymy: South Betsileo and Androy Aloe formerly named A. deltoideodonta var. brevifolia and A. deltoideodonta var. intermedia are renamed A. horombensis nom. nov. and the other former varieties or subspecies of A. deltoideodonta (candicans, fallax, ruffingiana, amboahangyensis) become subspecies of A. horombensis. Finally, a new subspecies from the Fort-Dauphin area is described here: A. horombensis subsp. andavakana subsp. nov.

Orchidantha virosa Škorničk. & Q.B.Nguyn, sp. nov. (Lowiaceae), a new species from Phú Th province, northern Vietnam is described and illustrated here. The new species is unique among other species in Vietnam and Laos in its robust habit and size (up to 2 m) and the non-petiolate leaves in mature individuals. The key to Orchidantha N.E.Br. species of Laos and Vietnam is accordingly updated.

Crataegus davisii Browicz is a later homonym of C. davisii Sarg., and the species has been renamed as Crataegus petrodavisii Dönmez, nom. nov., following its acceptance as a valid species. Crataegus × yosgatica K.I.Christ. is reduced to a synonym of C. meyeri Pojark., and an emended description of the species is given here. Crataegus pseudoazarolus Popov, C. pseudoheterophylla Pojark. subsp. turcomanica (Pojark.) K.I.Christ. and Crataegus × lavallei Hérincq ex Lavallée are new records for the Turkish flora. New descriptions of the taxa concerned are provided.

In 1970, Howard proposed a fifth type of nodal anatomy pattern, where a single vascular trace from the stele is associated with more than one leaf and termed it as “split-lateral”. Several workers observed this type of nodal vascular trace in different angiosperm families, but with rather conflicting interpretations. The present study added another family — Euphorbiaceae — in the list of such nodal type and, based on the observation of different nodal configurations of the species Mallotus nudiflorus (L.) Kulju & Welzen (basionym Trewia nudiflora L.), the evolutionary consequences of “split-lateral” were discussed.

In the second part of the taxonomic revision of Phyllanthus L. in Madagascar and the Comoro Islands the subgenera Anisonemoides (Jean F. Brunel) Ralim. & Petra Hoffm., stat. nov. and Menarda (Müll. Arg.) Ralim. & Petra Hoffm., stat. nov. are described. The subgenera are characterised by pinnatiform or bipinnatiform phyllanthoid branching, stamens are (2-4)5(-6) free or fused in Anesonemoides but 5, free stamens in Menarda; dehiscent fruits and tricolporate or trisyncolporate pollen with a macro-microreticulate exine, with muri bordering colpi, and one or two pores. They are endemic to Madagascar with most taxa being of limited geographic distribution. The subgenus Anisonemoides, stat. nov. comprises fifteen species and two species are belonging to Menarda, stat. nov. Four species from the Eastern floristic domain are newly described: Phyllanthus bemangidiensis Ralim., sp. nov., P. coodei Ralim. & Petra Hoffm., sp. nov., P. gordonii Ralim. & Petra Hoffm., sp. nov., and P. mantadiensis Ralim. & Petra Hoffm., sp. nov. Distribution maps and IUCN conservation assessment status are provided for each taxon. The circumscription of several species within Anisonemoides stat. nov. and Menarda stat. nov. has been revised.

Morphometric analysis of Phyllobotryon Müell.Arg. in the Korup Forest Area of Cameroon recognizes three distinct morphospecies (1–3), which show significant variation in several leaf and fruit characters. In order to clarify the taxonomy of Phyllobotryon, we conducted univariate and multivariate analyses on sixteen quantitative and four qualitative characters scored from 111 fresh samples. Analysis of Variance revealed nine significant quantitative characters from which the first three Principal Components accounted for 74.6 % of the total variation. Results from Discriminant Analysis strongly support the existence of two groups (96.2 % and 100 %) representing Morphospecies 2 and 3, but morphospecies 2 is only weakly supported (88.9 %) as distinct from morphospecies 1. Characters such as petiole length, fruit surface ornamentation, style & calyx persistence, flower and fruit orientation and leaf shape are of taxonomic importance. A comparison of our three morphospecies to literature descriptions and available herbarium specimens matched up our morphospecies 1 to the published Phyllobotryon spathulatum Müell.Arg., while the two other morphospecies did not correspond to validly published taxa. Based on our results, the analyzed morphological variation suggests three morphological entities and one known species in the genus, and therefore a formal taxonomic status of the species rank should be considered for all three morphospecies. An identification key to taxa of the genus is provided.

A new species, new combinations, synonyms, lectotypes and neotypes for Combretum Loefl. (Combretaceae) from continental African and Madagascar are published. Especially the lumping of Combretum platypetalum Welw. ex M.A.Lawson with the older Combretum sericeum G.Don is an important change. Combretum gordonii Jongkind, sp. nov. is newly described, no Combretum species with densely hairy and more or less auriculate leaves in combination with infundibuliform flowers was known yet from Madagascar. The new combinations C. comosum G.Don var. dolichopetalum (Engler & Diels) Jongkind, comb. nov. and C. comosum var. hispidum (M.A.Lawson) Jongkind, comb. nov. are made because the intermediate specimens between the former species did make it untenable to maintain these taxa on species level.

Xanthomyrtus wendae sp. nov. (Myrtaceae), a new species from Papua.

A new species, Xanthomyrtus wendae Danet, sp. nov. recently discovered in the Indonesian province of Papua is described and illustrated. It can be separated from X. grandiflora A.J.Scott by having wider sepals, subglabrous twigs, a shorter petiole, a smaller and glabrous foliar limb.

Ant-plant interactions mediated by special structures provided by plants such as domatia, extrafloral nectaries (EFNs) and food bodies, are very frequent in tropical ecosystems. To understand why ants are frequently encountered on most species of Carapa Aubl. (Meliaceae), we investigated the presence of extranuptial nectaries (ENNs) in all 27 species of the genus, spanning its entire distributional range in tropical Africa and America. We report for the first time in the genus the occurrence of extrafloral nectaries (at the base of the petiole, along the rachis of the pinnately compound leaf, on bracts) petaline nectaries (on the outer surface of petals), and pericarpial nectaries (on the surface of fruits), and confirm the presence of nectaries on leaflets in Carapa. Petiolar nectaries are the most common, occurring in 85% of the species. Nectaries were mainly active in young developing plant organs. Ants were observed foraging on exudates from these nectaries. The secretions from these glands help to explain the abundance of ants on Carapa trees. Although similar nectaries were also found in other members of the subfamily Cedreloideae, their position and frequency provide new characters for the identification of Carapa species in the field and the herbarium. As in other myrmecophilous plants, ENNs probably confer adaptive advantages to Carapa trees.

Recent field work in Lao PDR and the Malaysian state of Sabah produced multiple collections of a large-flowered Ipomoea that appeared to be the same species. The disjunct distribution, however, seemed anomalous. Checking type images and other specimens led to the name I. cambodiensis Gagnep. & Courchet, described from Cambodia. A full description, distribution map, discussion of the taxonomy, ecology, and perceived relationships, plus a compilation of all specimens seen to date are provided for this enigmatic and heretofore little known species.