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Phytotaxa 480 (1): 079–084
https://www.mapress.com/j/pt/
Copyright © 2021 Magnolia Press Article PHYTOTAXA
ISSN 1179-3155 (print edition)
ISSN 1179-3163 (online edition)
Accepted by Sin Yeng Wong: 16 Dec. 2020; published: 15 Jan. 2021
https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.480.1.7
79
Ardisia recurvisepala (Primulaceae-Myrsinoideae), a new species from Peninsular
Malaysia
AVELINAH JULIUS1,3* & TIMOTHY M.A. UTTERIDGE2,4
1 Forest Research Institute Malaysia, Kepong, Selangor, 52109, MALAYSIA
2 Identification & Naming Department, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, TW9 3AE, U.K.
3
�
plagiovel80@gmail.com; https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1991-1915
4
�
t.utteridge@kew.org; https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2823-0337
* Corresponding author
Abstract
Ardisia recurvisepala Julius & Utteridge sp. nov. (Primulaceae-Myrsinoideae), a member of Ardisia subgenus Crispardisia
on account of the vascularized leaf marginal glands, is herein described and illustrated as new species. The new species can
be easily recognized by the elliptic-oblong calyx lobes recurving at the apex, and is also characterized by the narrowly el-
liptic to narrowly oblong-elliptic leaf laminas with an attenuate-decurrent base and acuminate-caudate apex. Ardisia recurvi-
sepala is known so far from a single locality in Perak and its conservation status is assessed as Vulnerable (VU). An updated
key to Ardisia subgenus Crispardisia in Peninsular Malaysia is provided.
Key words: conservation status, endemic, Malesia, Perak, South-East Asia, subgenus Crispardisia, taxonomic key, Eri-
cales
Introduction
In Peninsular Malaysia, extensive fieldwork has been carried out to collect new floristic data since the launch of the
Flora of Peninsular Malaysia project in 2005, and has resulted in the discovery of new taxa or new records (e.g. Julius
& Utteridge 2012; Julius et al. 2017). Here, we describe a new species, Ardisia recurvisepala Julius & Utteridge,
discovered from new collections from Bukit Larut, Perak – a locality previously considered well-documented and
collected. These recent collections have complete flowering and fruiting materials, and enabled us to critically scrutinize
the specimens, compare them with known species and provide a complete description.
Ardisia Swartz (1788: 48), with about 720 species, is distributed in the Americas, Asia, Australia, and the Pacific
Islands, mainly in the tropics (POWO 2020). It is classified into 15 subgenera using characters of habit, leaf morphology,
disposition of flowers at inflorescence branch apices (racemes, umbels, corymbs), inflorescence position and floral
morphology (Mez 1902, Larsen & Hu 1995), with ten subgenera present in Malesia (see Stone 1982 for a discussion
and key to the groups in Malesia). In Peninsular Malaysia, all these ten subgenera are present, and the newly described
species here belong to subgenus Crispardisia because A. recurvisepala sp. nov. is characterized by the presence of
vascularized glands (bacterial nodules) along the leaf margins; this latest addition brings the number of Crispardisia
species in Peninsular Malaysia to nine. Of these, three species, including the new one, are endemic to Peninsular
Malaysia: A. lankawiensis King & Gamble (1905: 125), A. minor King & Gamble (1905: 146) and A. recurvisepala
sp. nov.
Materials and methods
This study was based on examination of herbarium specimens at KEP and K, and the relevant taxonomic literature (e.g.
Larsen & Hu 1991; Stone 1992; Chen & Pipoly 1996); in addition, specimen images from Global Plants JSTOR (http://
JULIUS & UTTERIDGE
80 • Phytotaxa 480 (1) © 2021 Magnolia Press
plants.jstor.org/), Plants of the World Online (POWO: http://www.plantsoftheworldonline.org/) and the BioPortal of
Naturalis Biodiversity Center (http://bioportal.naturalis.nl/) were consulted. Herbaria are abbreviated according to
Index Herbariorum (Thiers 2016). All measurements were taken from herbarium specimens and rehydrated material
for floral description; shape terminology follows Systematics Association Committee (1962). The conservation
assessment of the species was undertaken using IUCN categories of threat (see IUCN 2012, 2016) following the
guidelines and procedures developed at FRIM for the Malaysia Plant Red List (Chua & Saw 2006).
Taxonomic treatment
Ardisia recurvisepala Julius & Utteridge sp. nov. (subgenus Crispardisia) (Fig. 1)
Similar to Ardisia villosa Roxburgh (1824: 274) in being hairy throughout, but A. recurvisepala differs in the smaller stature (less than 35
cm in height vs. >35 cm in height in A. villosa), hairs shortly hirsute, thick and rusty in colour (rather than hairs being villous-pilose
and white in colour), the leaves narrowly elliptic-oblong to narrowly oblong (vs. elliptic-lanceolate to ovate or oblanceolate), flowers
usually arranged in a compound umbellate-cyme (rather than simple umbellate-cymes), and lateral (axillary) from the stem or rarely
on a specialised lateral branch (not compound and terminal on specialised lateral leafy branches), flowers laxly arranged (not densely
arranged and close to each other) and calyx green (not white).
Type:—MALAYSIA. Peninsular Malaysia: Perak, Bukit Larut, road to Gunung Hijau, 4°51.50’ N, 100 °47.25’ E, 920 m altitude, 15 July
2006 (fl.), Kamarul Hisham et al. FRI 52060 (holotype KEP!; isotypes SAN, SAR).
A woody, undershrub 20–35 cm tall, usually unbranched. Indumentum of rusty, short, hairs either simple and segmented
with or without glands, or stellate hairs, on young, vegetative and reproductive parts. Leaves spirally arranged; petioles
slender, 5–7 mm long, densely hairy; lamina thinly chartaceous, narrowly elliptic-oblong to narrowly oblong, 14–23
× 2–4 cm, gland-dots sparse on both surfaces, young leaves pale brown, mature leaves dark green above, pale green
beneath, base attenuate-decurrent, margin crenate with vascularized glands between crenatures, apex acuminate-
caudate, with acumen 1–2 cm long, young leaves densely hairy on both surfaces, stellate hairs distributed near margin
beneath, mature leaves glabrescent except denser on midrib beneath; midrib flat above, raised beneath; lateral veins
obscure above, indistinct beneath, 10–19 pairs; intercostal veins obscure; intramarginal veins very faint, c. 1 mm
from margin. Inflorescences lateral (axillary), occasionally terminal on short, specialised lateral branch, compound
umbellate-cymose; peduncle 1.5–2 cm long, densely hairy; bracts lanceolate-oblong, 1.5–3 × c. 1 mm, apex acute,
densely hairy on both surfaces. Flowers 3–6 per cyme; pedicels 1.3–2 cm long, densely hairy; calyx lobes 5, green,
with conspicuous black lineate dots throughout, oblong-lanceolate, c. 2 × 1 mm, apex acute-obtuse, recurving outward,
margin ciliate, densely hairy on both surfaces; corolla lobes 5, dark red, with sparsely black lineate dots throughout
the surface, ovate with prolonged apex, c. 8 × 2.5 mm, apex slightly twisted and recurve apically, glabrous; stamens
5, connivent, filaments ±sessile, anthers ovate-lanceolate, c. 4 × 1 mm, connective obtuse, thecae opening with
longitudinal slits, without lineate dots, glabrous; ovary ovoid, c. 1.5 × 1 mm, style and stigma filiform, c. 7.5 mm long,
densely hairy, with simple hairs from the middle of ovary towards basal part of style. Fruits red, globose, 6–7 × 5–6
mm, densely hairy; ovules c. 5 in 1 series.
Phenology:—Flowers collected in July, and fruits in October.
Habitat:—Grows in an undisturbed habitat, on a slope down the forest hill away from the main road towards
Gunung Hijau, Bukit Larut.
Etymology:—The species epithet is derived from the calyx shape.
Conservation status:—Vulnerable (VU). With only two collections from a single location, it is impossible to
calculate a polygon for estimating the Extent of Occurrence (EOO), but using the standard 2 km2 cell size for Area of
Occupancy (AOO; IUCN 2012, 2016), Ardisia recurvisepala can be assessed as Vulnerable (VU) based on Category
D ‘Very small or restricted population’, having an AOO of <20 km2 and less than five locations. The habitat where the
species was found is undisturbed and in spite of low population density, the species was still found in the same locality
in 2014 from where it was first collected in 2006. Further collections and observations of the species are needed for a
full assessment, including the number of mature individuals in the population.
Additional specimen examined:—MALAYSIA. Peninsular Malaysia: Perak, Bukit Larut, roadside to top of
Bukit Larut, at KM 8–KM 9 [4°52.03’ N; 100°47.11’ E], on slope, slightly under canopy, 947 m altitude, 30 October
2014 (fr.), Ummul Nazrah et al. FRI 81626 (KEP!)
ARDISIA RECURVISEPALA Phytotaxa 480 (1) © 2021 Magnolia Press • 81
FIGURE 1. Ardisia recurvisepala Julius & Utteridge. A Habit, flowering. B Habit, fruiting. C Flower, bud. D Flower, mature. E Calyx-
lobes, showing the adaxial and abaxial surface. F Corolla-lobe, dissected. G Flower dissected to show the stamen arrangement. H Stamens,
showing abaxial surface. I Anther. J Ovary and pistil. K Ovary dissected to show the ovules. L Simple, short and segmented hairs on
ovary. M Fruit. N Fruit dissected to show the seed. O Vascularized glands at leaf margin: i opened abaxial glands showing hairs inside, ii
elongated shape of vascularized glands on adaxial surface. Illustration by Mohamad Aidil Nordin.
JULIUS & UTTERIDGE
82 • Phytotaxa 480 (1) © 2021 Magnolia Press
Discussion:—Ardisia recurvisepala is an endemic and rare woody shrublet and is known only from two collections
from Bukit Larut, Perak (Figure 2). This newly described species is morphologically similar to A. villosa in regard
to the hairs present throughout the plant and the elongated calyx lobes, but A. recurvisepala differs from the latter in
several aspects, especially the indumentum type and inflorescence structure as detailed in the diagnostic statement
above.
Members of subgenus Crispardisia show different sizes and shapes of vascularized glands or bacterial nodules
along crenatures of the leaf margin. The swollen parts are visible either at tips of crenature, on the upper or lower leaf
surface, but in the new species described here they are ellipsoid and tiny vascularized glands, not as obvious as in the
widespread species Ardisia crenata Sims (1817: t. 1950). Microscopic observations using dried herbarium specimens
shows small openings at the apex of vascularized glands which split later along the abaxial surface; rusty, short and
simple, non-glandular hairs were observed inside the cavity as shown in Figure 1 (OI).
In Peninsular Malaysia, there are now nine species of the subgenus, and a key to the taxa is provided below in
advance of a full revision of the subgenus for the Flora of Peninsular Malaysia account.
FIGURE 2. Distribution of Ardisia recurvisepala (●).
ARDISIA RECURVISEPALA Phytotaxa 480 (1) © 2021 Magnolia Press • 83
Key to Ardisia subgenus Crispardisia in Peninsular Malaysia
1. Inflorescences strictly terminal on lateral leafy branches ..................................................................................................................2
- Inflorescences lateral (axillary) and/or terminal on main stem or lateral branches ...........................................................................5
2. Lamina coriaceous, rarely subcoriaceous, relatively small 2.5–6.5(–9) cm long, rarely up to c. 13 cm
long ................................................................................................................................. Ardisia rosea King & Gamble (1906: 150)
- Lamina chartaceous, rarely subcoriaceous, larger (7–)9–16(–18) cm long .......................................................................................3
3. Inflorescences much branched, peduncle longer (1.5–)5 cm long ................................Ardisia polysticta Miq. (Miquel 1861: 576)
- Inflorescences usually unbranched, and if only 1–2 with peduncle(s) then these less than 1.5 cm long ...........................................4
4. Leaf apex obtuse, sometimes acute, secondary veins closely spaced .......................................................................Ardisia crenata
- Leaf apex long acuminate to acuminate-caudate, secondary veins laxly spaced ......... Ardisia ridleyi King & Gamble (1906: 148)
5. Inflorescence strictly lateral (axillary) on main stem .........................................................................................................................6
- Inflorescence lateral (axillary) and/or terminal on main stem or lateral branches .............................................................................7
6. Lamina oblong-lanceolate, subcoriaceous, apex usually shortly acuminate rarely long and slightly caudate, 0.5–1(–2) cm long;
pedicels longer and slender ...................................................................................Ardisia sphenobasis Scheff. (Scheffer 1867: 65)
- Lamina elliptic, coriaceous, apex long acuminate-caudate, 2–2.5 cm long; pedicels shorter and thicker ...................Ardisia minor
7. Inflorescence lateral (axillary) and terminal on lateral branches ..................................................................... Ardisia lankawiensis
- Inflorescence lateral (axillary) on main stem and/or terminal on lateral branches ............................................................................8
8. Lamina oblanceolate-elliptic, apex acuminate, densely, villous-pilose hairs on both surfaces; inflorescences terminal on lateral
branches; hairs white ................................................................................................................................................... Ardisia villosa
- Lamina narrowly elliptic to oblong-elliptic, apex acuminate-caudate, lamina soon glabrescent except the midrib; inflorescences
lateral (axillary) on main stem and terminal on short lateral branch; hairs rust coloured ...............................Ardisia recurvisepala
Acknowledgements
This research was carried out as part of the Flora of Peninsular Malaysia Project at the Forest Research Institute
Malaysia (FRIM). Financial support for the Flora of Malaysia projects, including the field work undertaken for this
paper, was supported by the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources (KeTSA) of Malaysia under the 11th Malaysian
Plans (SPPII No: P23085100018003). We thank Mohamad Aidil Noordin for the botanical illustration, to the dedicated
staff of KEP herbarium at FRIM for their support in the field.
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