Myrsine vescoi Drake

Myrsine vescoi Drake del Castillo

Myrsine vescoi Drake del Castillo, Ill. Fl. Ins. Pac. 7:227, 1892; Fl. Poly. Fr. 119, 1893.

Rapanea vescoi (Drake del Castillo) Mez, Pflr. 9(236):372, 1902.—Grant, Fosberg, and Smith, Smithsonian Contr. Bot. 17:18, 1974.

What may be the type of this species is an unannotated sterile sheet in the Paris Museum. It is described below, as neither Mez nor Grant saw it.

Leaves narrowly obovate to oblong, bluntly acute to obtuse at apex, cuneate-attenuate at base, about 14 × 5 cm, some slightly wider or slightly longer, mostly smaller, venation not prominent but distinct, main veins up to 25 or more on a side, irregularly spaced, decurrent into the midrib, anastomosing distally into an undulating, not prominent submarginal vein, network fine, rather prominent on both sides, some intervals between main veins with weaker veins that do not reach margin, both surfaces scarcely punctate, blade decurrent at base into a slightly winged (at least above) petiole 5–6 mm long, 2 mm thick; sterile.

It may be distinguished from the similar M. ovalis by its narrower leaves and less prominent, more closely spaced veins.

Described from and endemic to Tahiti.

SPECIMENS SEEN.—Society Islands: Tahiti, s.l. M. Vesco in 1847 (P, type? US, loose fragments).

3. Three Species of Geniostoma J. R. & G. Forster

Geniostoma (Loganiaceae) is another genus (vide supra Myrsine) where there seems to be a choice between recognizing a vast indefinable coenospecies (G. rupestre Forster) or admitting a large number of “microspecies” based on assemblages of minor characters. Smith and Stone (1962) have taken the latter course, Leenhouts (1962:370) the former. We have, in this genus also, chosen to recognize a number of segregate species rather than lumping everything in G. rupestre, which was based on a rather different-looking plant from the New Hebrides.

The two new species described here bring the Geniostoma species in eastern Polynesia to six, the others being G. astylum A. Gray of Tahiti (clarified below), G. rapense F. Brown of Rapa, G. clavatum Moore of Raiatea, and G. hendersonense St. John of Henderson Island. All the records of G. rupestre from eastern Polynesia have been disposed of except that by Cheeseman (1903:288) from Rarotonga, of which we have not seen a specimen. Cheeseman says “Geniostoma rupestre Forst.?—Southern slopes of Maungaroa, not seen elsewhere. I do not feel quite sure that this species is correctly identified.” We would expect it to be close to our G. quadrangulare. An attempt should be made to recollect it. We do not think that G. rupestre, sensu stricto, occurs in eastern Polynesia at all.

Rapanea vescoi (Drake del Castillo) Mez

Myrsine vescoi Drake del Castillo, Ill. Fl. Ins. Pac. 7:227. 1892; Fl. Polyn. Franc. 119. 1892.

Rapanea vescoi (Drake del Castillo) Mez, in Das Pflanz. 9: 372. 1902.

DESCRIPTION (after Drake del Castillo).—Large glabrous shrub. Leaves oblong, 12–25 × 3–4 cm, attenuate at base, acute at apex. Umbels 5–8-flowered. Pedicels short, thick. Calyx lobes ovate, acute, glandular-ciliolate. Corolla slightly longer than calyx, lobes obovate. Anther tips attenuate.

The species is very close to R. ovalis, perhaps too close. It is supposed to have narrower acute leaves. We are placing here a specimen that seems to fit, though the leaves are broader and the umbels fewer-flowered. It is a tree 2.5 m high and 4 cm in diameter, with petioles 5–10 mm long, blades oblanceolate to elliptical, 13–17 × 5 cm, acutish or obtuse, attenuate to rounded at the base, pergameneous, minutely pellucid punctate by transmitted light, umbels 3–4 flowered, pedicels 3–4 mm long, calyx tube 0.5 mm long, lobes 1 mm long, glandular-ciliolate, drupe green, red-punctate (black in drying), globose to obovate, 4–4.5 × 4 mm.

TYPE.—Collected by Vesco in Tahiti in 1847.

RANGE.—Society Islands: Tahiti: Vesco in 1847 (P, fide Drake del Castillo, but not found there by Mez); Grant 4054, Papenoo, Ana Hue, alt. 310 m (1010 ft), in Psidium-Neonauclea forest, 5 September 1930, fruit (BISH, MIN).