See discussions, stats, and author profiles for this publication at: https://www.researchgate.

net/publication/262638811

Maesa from New Guinea: A New Species and a Revised Description of Maesa
beamanii. Contributions to the Flora of Mt Jaya, X

Article · January 2003

DOI: 10.2307/4119370

CITATIONS READS

5 69

1 author:

Timothy M. A. Utteridge
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
84 PUBLICATIONS   470 CITATIONS   

SEE PROFILE

Some of the authors of this publication are also working on these related projects:

A taxonomic revision of the genus Diplycosia (Ericaceae) in New Guinea View project

Capacity-building for biodiversity conservation and livelihood enhancement in Indonesian New Guinea View project

All content following this page was uploaded by Timothy M. A. Utteridge on 27 May 2014.

The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file.

Two New Species of Maesa (Myrsinaceae) from Puncak Jaya, New Guinea. Contributions to the
Flora of Mt Jaya, I
Author(s): T. M. A. Utteridge
Reviewed work(s):
Source: Kew Bulletin, Vol. 55, No. 2 (2000), pp. 443-449
Published by: Springer on behalf of Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/4115658 .
Accessed: 31/03/2012 10:52

Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at .
http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp

JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of
content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms
of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact support@jstor.org.

Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and Springer are collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend
access to Kew Bulletin.

http://www.jstor.org
KEWBULLETIN 55: 443 - 449 (2000)

Two new species of Maesa (Myrsinaceae) from PuncakJaya,

New Guinea. Contributions to the Flora of MtJaya, I

T. M. A. UTTERIDGE'

Summary. Maesa beamanii and M. procumbens are described as new from New Guinea. Maesa procumbens
has a unique antherarrangementnot found in other membersof the genus.

The genus Maesa Forssk. comprises some 150 species distributed throughout the
Old World. It was last monographed by Mez (1902), and the New Guinea members
were revised by Sleumer (1987), who recognised 26 species. During studies of
material in BO, and recent collections from expeditions to the Freeport Concession
in Irian Jaya, two morphologically distinct entities were identified. These could not
be matched with any known species, and are described here as new.
The type and distribution of indumentum in Maesa is taxonomically very useful
(Utteridge 1998). There are two components to the indumentum in the genus,
single-celled hairs of variable length, and irregularly shaped peltate scales.
Indumentum terminology follows Hewson (1988); glabrous, for example, is used to
describe an absence of trichomes, i.e., hairs and scales, rather than a surface that is
'not rough' (e.g., Stearn 1983).

Maesa beamanii Utteridgesp. nov. Maesa lineolatae Sleumer affinis sed floribus
plerumque tetrameris non pentameris, bracteolis suboppositis non alternis,
marginibus foliorum dentibus papilliformibus munitis non perfecte integris differt.
Typus: Indonesia, Irian Jaya, Freeport Concession Area, Beaman 12191 (holotypus
K!; isotypi A!, BISH!, BO, CANB!, FRE, K!, L!, MAN).
Shrub c. 5 m high; all parts lacking hairs; scaly to sparsely scaly throughout with
peltate, sessile, irregularly shaped, ferruginous scales, c. 60 - 100 pm in diameter
(see description of specific structures for distribution). Branchesscaly when young,
glabrescent with scattered scales when mature; mature branches reddish brown,
lenticels inconspicuous. Leaves spirally and regularly arranged; lamina coriaceous,
elliptic to obovate, (2.8 -)3.5 - 4.8 x 1.6 - 2.5 cm, apex retuse, sometimes truncate,
with a dark glandular, papilliform tooth where the midrib terminates, base cuneate,
scaly on both the adaxial and abaxial surfaces when young, becoming glabrous on
the adaxial surface and sparsely scaly on the abaxial surface when mature, dull
green on the adaxial surface and yellow-green abaxially when dry; margins entire

Accepted for publication January 2000.

1 Herbarium, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, TW9 3AB, U.K.

443
444 KEW BULLETIN VOL. 55(2)

but with 3- 4 glandular, papilliform teeth on each side terminating the secondary
veins; midrib depressed above, prominent below, sparsely scaly both adaxially and
abaxially; secondary veins 3- 4 pairs, somewhat depressed on the upper surface and
slightly prominent below, semicraspedodromous, indumentum as midrib; tertiary
veins and higher order venation indistinct; petioles 6- 9 mm long, glabrous to very
sparsely scaly. Inflorescenceslateral (axillary), racemose, rarely with two racemes in
the same axil, 5 - 15(- 22) mm long, 4- 6-flowered, very sparsely scaly with scales
scattered along the axis; pedicels 4.4 - 6.5 mm long at anthesis, elongating slightly
during fruiting (see below), very sparsely scaly; bracts ovate, 0.4 - 1 mm long, apex
acute, margins entire, sparsely scaly or glabrous; bracteoles ovate, subopposite,
directly below the ovary, 0.75 - 1 mm long and sometimes fused at the base for c.
0.2 mm, apex acute, margins entire, sparsely scaly. Flowers usually tetramerous,
occasionally pentamerous. Hypanthiumdensely scaly at the base, becoming scaly to
sparsely scaly toward the base of the calyx-lobes. Calyx-lobes triangular, 0.75 - 1.2 x
0.75 - 1.2 mm, apex acute, margins entire or slightly erose, somewhat lineate with 2
- 5 faint glandular canals, abaxial surface sparsely scaly. Corollafused from the base
to c. half its length, creamy-white, 1.5 - 2.2 mm long, somewhat lineate with 4 - 9
faint and irregular glandular canals in each lobe; corolla-lobes recurving during
anthesis, very broadly ovate, 0.75 - 1.2 x 1.2 - 1.6 mm, apex rounded, margins
entire. Stamensepipetalous, arising c. 0.9 mm from the base of the corolla; anthers
dorsifixed, 0.3 - 0.6 mm long; filaments 0.5 - 0.7 mm long. Ovarysemi-spherical, 1.4
- 1.8 mm long, 0.7 mm in diameter, glabrous; style 0.6 - 0.8 mm long, unlobed, with
2 - 3 faint secretory canals. Fruits subspherical, 4 - 5.5 x 3.5 - 4.6 mm, reddish-
brown, drying dark brown, sparsely scaly (scales not visible when dry); fruit wall 0.2
- 0.3 mm thick; pedicels in fruit 5.5 - 9 mm long; bracteoles remaining directly
opposite each other below the mature fruit; persistent calyx-lobes at the apex of the
fruit, overlapping, appressed against the style. Seeds pale orange-brown with
translucent papillae on all surfaces, 20 - 25 seeds per fruit, 0.6 - 1.2 mm long, 0.8 -
1.1 mm wide at the apex. Fig. 1.
Irian Jaya, known only from the type locality.
DIST'RIIuJTIoN.
HAmITAT. In regrowth in mid-montane zone; mature forest dominated by Nothofagus.
INI)ONESIA. Irian Jaya, Freeport Concession Area, Mt Jaya vicinity, area above
turnoff to Hidden Valley along Main road (c. Mile post 66), 409'0"S 13706'6"E, c.
2300 m, 10 Aug. 1998 (fl. & fr.), Beaman 12191 (holotype K!, isotypes A!, BISH!, BO,
CANB!, FRE, K!, L!, MAN).
Maesa beamaniihas a unique combination of characters, including the elliptic to
obovate leaves, the retuse leaf apex, the absence of hairs but presence of peltate
scales, the bracteole arrangement and, notably, the relatively long pedicels for
members of the genus. Maesa beamanii is morphologically most similar to M.
lineolataSleumer, with which it shares a lack of hairs throughout, relatively few pairs
of secondary veins and pedicels of similar length. Maesa lineolatadiffers in the leaves
having entire margins without papilliform teeth, the pentamerous flowers, and the
bracteoles that are alternate on the pedicels and never subopposite.
The specific epithet honours Professor John Beaman who collected the type
material.
TWO NEW MAESA SPECIES FROM NEW GUINEA 445

..I.mm 2 cm

D
........
E;.i-,
,,
3 mm ........

Bm2 cm

B ~2 mmA

FIG. 1. Maesa beamanii. A flowering branch; B flower, lateral view; C corolla, opened out, adaxial view with two
anthers removed; D flower, corolla and one calyx-lobe removed; E fruiting branch; F fruit. All drawn from the
type collection by Kathleen McKeehen.
446 KEW BULLETIN VOL. 55(2)

Maesa procumbens Utteridgesp. nov. Maesa haplobotrysF. Muell. similis sed habitu
procumbenti, foliis hirsutellis non glabris, pedicellis longioribus (1.5 - 4.8 mm non
0.5 - 1.5 mm longis) et praesertim antheris ad filamentis adnatis non dorsifixis,
sursum non introrsum dehiscentibus differt. Typus: Indonesia, Irian Jaya, Freeport
Concession Area, Utteridge164 (holotypus K!; isotypi BO!, FRE!, K!, L!, MAN!).
Shrub, procumbent or scrambling along the forest floor or ascending to c. 2 m;
sparsely hirsutellous to hirsutellous throughout, hairs similar on all parts, short and
stiff, 40 - 80 pm long, translucent and colourless (see description of specific
structures for distribution); scaly to sparsely scaly, scales peltate, sessile, irregularly
shaped, c. 50 - 100 pm in diameter, ferrugineous (see description of specific
structures for distribution). Branchessparsely hirsutellous to hirsutellous and scaly
when young, rarely glabrous; mature branches sparsely hirsutellous and sparsely
scaly, rarely glabrous, pale brown, lenticels scattered but conspicuous. Leavesspirally
and regularly arranged; lamina coriaceous, ovate to broadly elliptic, (5-)6.5-12(-
14) x 3.5 - 7(- 8.5) cm, apex attenuate or somewhat acuminate, with a dark
glandular, papilliform tooth where the midrib terminates, base cuneate-obtuse,
rarely subcordate, adaxial surface hirsutellous to densely hirsutellous, abaxial surface
lacking hairs, both surfaces densely scaly when young, becoming scaly to sparsely
scaly when mature, adaxial surface dull dirty green when dry, abaxially pale yellow-
brown with numerous irregular dark-brown glandular canals; margins very slightly
dentate or more usually entire, with 6- 11 dark glandular, papilliform teeth on each
side terminating the secondary veins and their branches; midrib prominent above
and below, sparsely to densely hirsutellous on the adaxial surface, lacking hairs on
the abaxial surface, both surfaces sparsely scaly; secondary veins raised slightly above
and below, semicraspedodromous, straight to regularly curving, 6 - 9 pairs,
indumentum as midrib; tertiary veins and higher order venation indistinct; petioles 8
- 13(- 20) mm long, lacking hairs or hirsutellous on the adaxial surface, scaly to
sparsely scaly. Inflorescenceslateral (axillary), racemose or laxly paniculate with 1 - 3
branches of the first order only, slender, 45 - 70 mm long, glabrous or sparsely
hirsutellous, sparsely scaly with isolated scales scattered along the axis; pedicels 1.5 -
4.8 mm long at anthesis, glabrous or sparsely hirsutellous, very sparsely scaly; bracts
triangular, 0.65 - 0.8 mm long, acute at the apex, margins entire or somewhat erose,
glabrous to sparsely hirsutellous, scaly to densely scaly; bracteoles ovate-triangulate,
arranged sub-opposite each other directly below the ovary, 0.6 - 1 mm long and
sometimes fused at the base for c. 0.2 mm, margins entire or somewhat erose,
glabrous to sparsely hirsutellous, scaly. Flowerspentamerous. Hypanthium lacking
hairs, densely scaly at the base, becoming scaly or rarely sparsely scaly toward the base
of the calyx-lobes. Calyx-lobes broadly triangular, c. 1 x 1.2 - 1.5 mm, apex acute,
margins entire or slightly erose, somewhat lineate with 4 - 6 very faint glandular
canals, abaxial surface sparsely scaly. Corollaconnate from the base to c. half its
length, white, c. 2.7 mm long, somewhat lineate with 4- 9 faint and irregular golden-
yellow glandular canals in each lobe; corolla-lobes recurving during anthesis, very
broadly ovate, 1.9 x 2.7 mm, apex rounded, margins entire. Stamens epipetalous,
attached to the base of the corolla and fused for c. 0.25 mm along the length of the
filament; anthers ellipsoid, 0.3 - 0.4 mm long, somewhat divergent, adnate to semi-
TWO NEW MAESA SPECIES FROM NEW GUINEA 447

2mm

Smm

F
I mm

'• .................

2cm

IIS
|mm

2 mm

2
J mmm

2 mm

GI"

FIG. 2. Maesa procumbens. A habit; B upper leaf surface, detail; C flower, lateral view; D flower, apical view; E
bract, abaxial view; F calyx-lobe, abaxial view; G corolla, opened out, abaxial view; H stamens, (1 to r) ventral,
dorsal and lateral views; J ovary. All drawn from the type collection by Kathleen McKeehen.
448 KEW BULLETIN VOL. 55(2)

adnate, the entire dorsal face fused to the apex of the filament, dehiscing upwards or
nearly so; filaments 0.85 - 1 mm long. Ovaryobovoid, 2- 2.5 mm long, 1.75- 2 mm
in diameter, style 0.5 - 0.7 mm long, unlobed. Fruits not known. Fig. 2.
DISTRIBUTION. Endemic to New Guinea; MtJaya to the Idenburg River.
HABITAT. In the undergrowth of montane and Nothofagus forest, from c. 1700 -
2650 m.
INDONESIA. Irian Jaya, 15 km SW of Bernhard Camp, Idenburg R., 1750 m, Jan.
1939 (fl.), Brass 12196 (A, BO!); ibid., 1700 m, Jan. 1939 (fl.), Brass 12312 (A, BO!);
Irian Jaya, Freeport Concession Area, Mt Jaya vicinity, Nothofagusforest next to Main
road from Tembagapura to Army Post between Mile post 63 - 64, 4o12'14"S,
137005'50"E, c. 2650 m, 22 March 1999 (fl.), Utteridge164 (holotype K!; isotypes
BO!, FRE!, K!, L!, MAN!).
Maesa procumbensis a very distinctive species, remarkable for the adnate to semi-
adnate anthers (see Weberling 1989: 112), which dehisce upwards or nearly so (Fig.
2H), and is currently the only known species in the genus with such an anther
arrangement, dorsifixed anthers being the normal state. In addition to the anther
arrangement, the combination of the hirsutellous adaxial leaf lamina, slender
inflorescences, corolla lobes recurving at anthesis and procumbent or scrambling
habit make this species distinctive. The affinities of M. procumbensare unclear, but it
is somewhat similar in appearance to the New Guinea species M. haplobotrysF.
Muell., especially in its leaf characters, but that species differs in being a small tree
of 3 - 10 m often found growing in open or disturbed habitats, flowers with short
pedicels (0.5 - 1.5 mm long), its lack of hairs on the adaxial leaf lamina and
particularly in its dorsifixed anthers.
The specific epithet refers to the habit of the plant.

ACKNOWIE);EMENTS

I would like to thank R. J. Johns for his encouragement and assistance; in

addition I am grateful to the following for their assistance in the field: Sutrisna,
Hamzah, Arief Hidayat (all BO), Pratita Puradyatmika (PT Freeport Indonesia),
Fiona Willis and Peter Edwards (both K). I would also like to thank Bernard
Verdcourt for helpful comments on the manuscript, Aaron Davis for his erudite aid
with the plant descriptions, and Kathleen McKeehen for the illustrations. This work
was made possible with logistical and financial assistance from PT Freeport
Indonesia and Rio Tinto.

REFERENC(lES

Hewson, H. J. (1988). Plant Indumentum. A handbook of terminology. Bureau of

Flora and Fauna, Canberra.
Mez, C. (1902). Myrsinaceae.In: A. Engler (ed.), Das Pflanzenreich 9 (IV. 236): 1 -
437. Wilhelm Engelmann, Berlin.
Sleumer, H. (1987). A revision of the genus Maesa Forsk. (Myrsinaceae) in New
Guinea, and the Solomon islands. Blumea 32: 39 - 65.
 TWO NEW MAESA SPECIES FROM NEW GUINEA 449
Stearn, W. T. (1983). Botanical Latin. (3rd Edn.). David & Charles, Newton Abbot &
London.
Utteridge, T. M. A. (1998). Systematics and reproductive biology of Maesa Forssk.
(Myrsinaceae) with particular reference to Hong Kong and the Philippines.
Unpublished Ph.D. thesis, The University of Hong Kong.
Weberling, F. (1989). Morphology of flowers and inflorescences. Cambridge
University Press, Cambridge.

View publication stats