Meryta pastoralis
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Foliage leaves and fruits of Meryta pastoralis |
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| Meryta pastoralis | ||||||||||||
| F. Tronchet & Lowry |
Meryta pastoralis is a plant of the genus Meryta within the family of Araliaceae (Araliaceae). This endemic occurs only on one island inthe Marquesas in the southern Pacific .
description
Vegetative characteristics
Meryta pastoralis grows as an unbranched to sparsely branched tree that reaches heights of 3 to 10 meters. There is no milk juice.
The alternate arranged on the branches leaves are divided into a petiole and leaf blade. The petiole is 1.5 to 4 centimeters long and 0.2 to 0.3 centimeters in diameter. On the upper side of the widened base of the petiole , which somewhat encompasses the branch, one finds membrane-like ligules , which are triangular in shape with a length of 0.5 to 1.7 centimeters. The simple, paper-like or leathery leaf blade has a length of 20.4 to 40 centimeters and a width of 5.2 to 9.8 centimeters and is approximately obovate to spatulate. The spreading base tapers evenly or unevenly to a point, the tip of the spreading blade is blunt or tapering to a point, occasionally also spiky, the somewhat backward curved spreading edge is entire and wavy at the base of the leaf. The hairless top of the leaf blade is glossy green, while the underside, which is also bald, is a little lighter green in color. From each side of the leaf central nerve, 12 to 22 pairs of greenish-yellow and loopy lateral nerves branch off and the higher-order leaf veins form a network-like pattern.
Inflorescences and flowers
Meryta pastoralis is dioeciously separated sexes ( diocesan ). The terminal and upright, racemose , female inflorescences consist of several spike-like partial inflorescences . The partial inflorescences have a length of 0.9 to 1.3 centimeters and a diameter of 0.7 to 1.2 centimeters. The light green inflorescence stem has a length of 15 to 20 centimeters and a diameter of 0.5 to 0.8 centimeters. At the base of the inflorescence stem one finds lower leaves , which are triangular shaped with a length of 1.3 to 2.4 centimeters. The straight or slightly upwardly curved shafts of the partial inflorescences are 8 to 17 centimeters long, with the shafts of the upper partial inflorescences being shorter than those of the lower. The partial inflorescences of the female plants each contain 7 to 15, occasionally up to 27 individual flowers. The bracts are brownish red. Nothing is known about the male flowers, as only old inflorescences have been found so far.
The female flowers are sessile and five-fold. The brownish red bracts are 0.3 to 0.5 centimeters long and triangular in shape and usually fall off early. The five sepals are fused. The five to eleven white, slightly cap-shaped petals grooved on the top are egg-shaped with a length of 0.1 to 0.25 centimeters with a pointed upper end. The stamens consist of 0.5 to 0.1 millimeter long stamens and about 0.5 millimeter large anthers, but the pollen sacs contain no pollen . Five to eleven fruit leaves are a five- to elfkammerigen ovary grown. The poorly educated out pens are up to 0.1 centimeters long. The 0.15 to 0.3 centimeter long scar is usually strongly bent back or twisted.
Fruits and seeds
The fleshy and smooth stone fruits are spherical to approximately spherical in shape with a length of 0.7 to 0.9 centimeters and a thickness of 0.7 to 1 centimeter. They are initially yellowish green and turn light purple towards maturity. Dry fruits are ribbed. Each of the fruits contains five to eleven stone pits. The flattened stone cores are 0.6 to 0.7 inches long and 0.3 to 0.4 inches wide.
Occurrence
This endemic occurs only on the island of Hiva Oa , which belongs to the Marquesas . The only known distribution area of Meryta pastoralis only includes the type locality located in the vicinity of Mont Temetiu and Mont Feani .
Meryta pastoralis thrives at altitudes above 900 meters. Meryta pastoralis grows there in damp mountain forests, mostly on slopes and along watercourses. Various types of ironwood ( Metrosideros ) and Weinmannia grow in these forests .
Systematics
It was first described as Meryta pastoralis in 2011 by Frédéric Tronchet and Porter Prescott Lowry in PhytoKeys , Volume 4, page 151. The specific epithet pastoralis honors PA Schäfer (pastor = shepherd), who collected the type material of this species in 1975. The type material was deposited with the number S. Perlman 19767 and “ French Polynesia. Marquesas Islands, Hiva-Oa, Hanamenu valley off Hanamenu trail, in Metrosideros-Weinmannia-Dicranopteris linearis wet forest, 09 ° 47'50 "S, 139 ° 05'35" W, 908 m. “Stated.
swell
- Meryta pastoralis. In: Flora of the Marquesas Islands. www.botany.si.edu/pacificislandbiodiversity/marquesasflora, accessed on May 7, 2017 (English).
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d e f g h Frédéric Tronchet, Porter P. Lowry II: A new species of Meryta (Araliaceae) from the Marquesas Archipelago, French Polynesia . In: PhytoKeys . No. 4 , 2011, ISSN 1314-2003 , p. 149-156 , doi : 10.3897 / phytokeys.4.1408 .
- ↑ Meryta pastoralis. In: Flora of the Marquesas Islands. www.botany.si.edu/pacificislandbiodiversity/marquesasflora, accessed on May 7, 2017 (English).
- ↑ a b Meryta pastoralis at Tropicos.org. Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, accessed January 9, 2019.
