Elaeocarpus alanganorum Coode

Coode, M.J.E. (2019). Elaeocarpus for Flora Malesiana: five new taxa. Kew Bulletin 74: 36. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12225-019-9824-3

Type

Philippines, Mindoro, Naujan, NE Mt Halcon, following Paitan access trail, c. 2000 m, fl. buds & fr. 3 May 1995, Mandia 495 (holotypus K! (K000708302 & isotypus: K000708303); isotypus Herb. De La Salle University, Manila).

Morphology General Habit

Trees 4 – 8 m high

Morphology Twigs

Twigs 2.5 – 5 mm thick on current growth, persistently densely brownish-velvety to -pubescent, with non-resinous, hairy terminal buds

Morphology Leaves Stipules

Stipules caducous, oblong to narrow-triangular, 3 – 4 mm long, slightly concave dorsally, tough, tip ± acute (not sharp), ± glabrous, entire

Morphology Leaves

Leaves spirally arranged, loosely grouped towards twig tips; petioles variable in length, 2 – 6 cm long, 1.5 – 2 mm wide, densely brownish-velvety to -pubescent when young, glabrescent, mostly rounded or flat in apical third above, occasionally slightly shallowly grooved, apex distinct from leaf-base, usually somewhat swollen, sometimes slightly swollen and geniculate at base; blades coriaceous, mostly elliptic, sometimes ovate-elliptic or -oblong, 1.7 – 2.5 × as long as wide, 8 – 14 × 4 – 7 cm, mostly acuminate, acute to obtuse at apex (70 – 100°), mostly rounded at base, sometimes broadly cuneate, sometimes slightly glossy above, very young leaves densely brownish-felty to -velvety throughout, when mature glabrous beneath or puberulous on blade, hairs straighter on veins, with 7 – 8 pairs of main lateral veins (obscure and difficult to count from above) at 60 – 70° to midrib, fine venation network obscure or somewhat raised above with areoles squarish and less than 2 mm across, midrib prominent beneath, main lateral veins scarcely prominent beneath and branching ½ – ¾ inside margin, domatia absent beneath, without dark dots beneath, margins entire to ± entire

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Racemes borne behind the leaves, 3 – 5 cm long, axis c. 0.8 mm thick at about halfway and sparsely ± adpressed-hairy; flowers probably 8 – 10 per inflorescence scattered throughout raceme nearly to base, bisexual, 5-merous; bracts persistent to bud at least, ovate, broad and cupped at base, rather thick and tough, 2 – 3 mm long, glabrous on the back or with a small tuft of short straight gingery hairs at base, entire and lacking basal ‘stipules'; bracteoles absent; pedicels c. 4 mm long and strongly down-curved in bud; buds ovoid, acute at apex

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Sepals in bud glabrous outside and obviously long-hairy and strongly keeled inside

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Petals in bud glabrous outside, apparently weakly keeled inside

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Disc

Disk in fruit, a ring of small teeth, 0.5 mm high

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Stamens probably c. 20; anthers apparently with incipient awns

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary

Ovary 2-locular, ovules 4 per loculus (from fruit)

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Pedicel

Pedicels 15 – 21 mm long in fruit

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruits ovoid or ellipsoid, 1.1 – 1.5 cm long when dried, pointed at apex, rounded at base, glabrous, mesocarp c. 0.5 mm thick; stones ovoid to ellipsoid, 1 – 1.4 cm long, surface with sutures distinct throughout as grooves, lacking longitudinal ridges, crests or wings, ± tuberculate to strongly so, a few minute arches (or ‘bridges’) may be present, terete at midpoint but flattened towards apex, stone wall < 2 mm thick, loculus 1, central, roughly circular; seed 1, embryo curved and narrow, with entire endosperm.

Note

Probably a member of the Coilopetalum group; differs from Elaeocarpus multiflorus (Turcz.) Fern.-Vill. in having the young growth densely brownish-velvety (not glabrous or with a few adpresed hairs), leaf margins entire (not shallowly serrate), the racemes up to 5 cm long (not 5 – 15 cm). Known only from the type. This distinctive species somewhat resembles Elaeocarpus takolensis Coode from Sulawesi, also of the Coilopetalum group (Coode 2001b: 851) in appearance, in its dense brown floccose indumentum on the young parts and in the stipules’ being longer than usual in Elaeocarpus. See Table 1 for distinctions. Unfortunately, the flower buds are too young to establish whether the ovary and disk are glabrous or hairy; if glabrous, then this species might belong instead in the Oreocarpus group (Coode 2019, in press), close to E. culminicola Warb., which it resembles in its petals’ being glabrous outside — see Table 2 for distinctions. Elaeocarpus alanganorum is easily distinguished (by its thick coriaceous leaves) from all known specimens of E. culminicola (including E. pendulus Merr.) from the Philippines, except one — Mandia 435, also from Mt Halcon, which has rather similar coriaceous leaves (see Coode 2019).

Ecology

Upper montane forest.