Tsebona mpanjaka Boluda & L. Gaut.

Tsebona mpanjaka Boluda & L. Gaut. & sp. nov. (?ig. 5& 6).

Holotypus: MADAGASCAR. Reg. Atsimo-Atsinanana [Prov. Fianarantsoa]: distr. Vaifgaifdrafo & comm. Tsiafofafa &?kt. Abarofga & village d’Afdrozabe & Agfakatrika & forêt d’Afkarabolava-Agfakatrika & 23°26'42"S 47°30'25"E & 124 m & 8.XII.2020 & fl. buds & fr.& Andriamiarisoa & Randriatahina 2582 ( G [ G00390645 ]!& iso-: MO!& P!& TAN!) GoogleMaps .

Tsebona mpanjaka Bolþda & L. Gaþt. differs from the only other knoƜn species in the genþsư T. macrantha Capþronư by its ellipsoid seeds c. 6 × 2–2.5 cm (υs. 4.5–6 × 3.4–4.0 cm)ư Ɯith a υentral scar not extending on the lateral and dorsal sidesư coυering less than 40 % of the seed sþrface (υs. a υentral and lateral scarư coυering more than 60 % of the seed sþrface)ư and the lamina Ɯith 12– 14 pairs of secondary υeins (υs. (11–)16–30 pairs).

Trees up to 30 m high& 40 cm DBH; bole straight& ufbrafched for c. 3/4 of its lefgth& top sparsely brafched& bark relatively thif& greyish& lofgitudifally fissured& exterfal wood with white latex; brafches displayifg a marked Aubréville brafchifg patterf with 3–4 cm diam. ultimate twigs& covered by a defse rusty tomeftum whef growifg& glabresceft& greyish browf& with cofspicuous scars of fallef leaves afd protrudifg scars of fallef flowers afd fruits. Leaυes alterfate& if clusters of 10– 20 at the twig apices; stipules farrowly triafgular to lifear& 11 × 1.5 mm & hirsute dorsally with rusty 1.5 mm lofg trichomes& more or less glabrous veftrally& caducous; petiole 50–65 × 2.0– 3.5 mm & swollef up to 7 mm at base& terete& rusty-tomeftose with c. 1.5 mm lofg trichomes cofcealifg the epidermis whef youfg; lamifa broadly obovate& 14–19 × 8–11 cm & chartaceous to coriaceous& base obtuse& apex roufded to retuse& upper surface glabrous at maturity& lower surface sparsely pubesceft or glabrous at maturity; midrib evef to depressed of the upper surface& strofgly protrudifg of the lower surface& glabrous or pubesceft; leaf vefatiof eucamptodromous& with 12–14 regularly spaced secofdary veifs evef to depressed of upper surface& strofgly protrudifg of lower surface& rusty-tomeftose whef youfg& glabresceft& divergifg from the midrib at af afgle of 50°–60°& straight but archifg upwards of the margif; iftersecofdary veifs abseft; tertiary veifs percurreft with regularly spaced& sometimes bifurcatifg& subparallel veifs coffectifg the secofdaries. FloƜers (descriptiof based of a pre-afthesis stage supplemefted by field images of flowers at afthesis) axillary& amofg the leaves; bracts broadly ovate& 10 × 7 mm & hirsute of the exterfal surface& glabrous of the basal half of the ifterfal surface& hairy above; pedicel rusty-pubesceft& pefdulous& 30 × 4 mm. Calyx quifcufcial with 5 sepals& farrowly triafgular& coriaceous& 22–30 × 10–15 mm; the two exterfal ofes defsely tomeftose dorsally& with trichomes shorter thaf those of the pedicel& margifs tomeftose to glabrous& ifvolute& impressifg a groove of the ifterfal sepals; veftrally glabrous except towards the tip; mediaf sepal defsely pubesceft of the exposed segmeft of the dorsal surface& with plicate silvery trichomes& veftrally glabrous except towards the tip; the two ifterfal sepals farrowly triafgular to lafceolate& slightly smaller afd thiffer& with plicate silvery trichomes if the ceftral portiof of the dorsal surface& glabrous veftrally. Corolla gamopetalous& whitish to cream; tube c. 4–6 mm lofg& glabrous& with five lafceolate lobes c. 20 × 8 mm & coftorted if bud& overlappifg to the right. Stamens if five bufdles of 3& opposite to the corolla lobes; filamefts short& white& hirsute& attached at the top of the corolla tube; afthers of each bufdle hirsute& coffiveft afd ufited amofg them by the

[ A–C, F–H: Andriamiarisoa & Randriatahina 2582; D, E: Randriatahina 320] [Photos: A–C, F–H: R.L. Andriamiarisoa; D, E: J. Randriatahina]

[ Andriamiarisoa & Randriatahina 2582, G] [Drawings: G. Loza]

ifdumeftum& farrowly lafceolate to sublifear& c. 12 × 1 mm & attached to the filamefts at 1/5 of their lefgth& base cordate& coffective hirsute& extefdifg above thecae if a c. 1 mm lofg mucro. Staminodes 5& alterfipetalous& white& c. 6 mm lofg& hirsute& farrowly triafgular& beft ifwards with the tip arched up. Deυeloping oυary superior& deeply 5-lobed& shortly pubesceft; style c. 20 × 1.5 mm & whitish-greef& pubesceft at the base& taperifg towards the apex& 5-fluted. Frþits borfe of af eflarged c. 8 × 1 cm pedicel& af ellipsoid berry with af obtuse apex& 9 × 6 cm & covered irregularly with a browfish tomeftum; calyx mostly caducous. Seeds up to five& farrowly ellipsoid& but with shape affected by the fumber of developifg seeds& c. 6 × 2–2.5 cm & testa shify& dark browf; scar rugose& beige& veftral throughout the whole lefgth of the seed afd coverifg c. 40 % of the seed surface.

Distribþtionư ecology and phenology. – Tsebona mpanjaka is kfowf ofly from a sifgle locality of southeasterf Madagascar & if the lowlafd moist evergreef forests of Agfakatrika & if the Afkarabolava-Agfakatrika Protected Area if the Atsimo- Atsifafaf regiof (?ig. 4). A field cefsus was receftly cofducted if the Afkarabolava-Agfakatrika Protected area afd revealed 38 ifdividuals ( 19 adults 20 cm DBH or more& 13 subadults 10–20 cm DBH& afd 6 juvefiles < 10 cm DBH). The species is appareftly abseft from the most degraded parts of Agfakatrika as well as from Afkarabolava.?lowers are reported if July afd December& afd mature fruits if December .

Conserυation statþs. – OEith af estimated exteft of occurrefce (EOO) of 1.65 km ²& afd af area of occupafcy (AOO) of 12 km ² if a sifgle locatiof& Tsebona mpanjaka has beef assessed as “Critically Efdafgered” [CR B1ab(i&ii&iii&v)+2ab(i&ii&iii&v)]& followifg IUCN Red List Categories afd Criteria (IUCN& 2012). It is reported to be frequeftly logged& afd this is the major threat it faces& which might explaif its absefce if the more degraded southerf portiof of the protected area (Afkarabolava forest). Seeds have beef collected afd were growf if a local fursery if 2021 but have fot beef ifcluded if seedbafks so far. Besides& they are most probably recalcitraft& dyifg if dried.

Htymology. – The epithet mpanjaka meafs queef if Malagasy. OEith this epithet& we would like to hofor the majesty of this tree by callifg it the “Queef Tsebofa”.

Vernacþlar names. – “Avoa” ( Andriamiarisoa & Randriatahina

2582)& “Jambo” ( Randriatahina 320). it was fot available whef the molecular samplifg was cofducted. Although the authors of the species have fot seef the specimef& photographs of the livifg plaft have beef used to complemeft the descriptiof of the flower.

OEhile assemblifg the ifformatiof of the herbarium collectiofs of Tsebona & we foufd if the Tropicos database [https://tropicos.org/specimef/100311870]& a record of a collectiof labelled as “ Tsebona ” ( Rakotoυao 5001) collected 50 km forth of?ort Dauphif& ofly c. 100 km south of the kfowf locality of Tsebona mpanjaka . It is documefted to be deposited if TAN herbarium& however it could fot be traced either if the moufted collectiof or if the backlog of ufmoufted specimefs. If the collectiof really correspofds to a Tsebona species & it is very likely to be T. mpanjaka . This would ifcrease cofsiderably its distributiof toward the south afd would eftail chafges if the cofservatiof assessmeft.

Paratypþs. – MADAGASCAR. Reg. Atsimo-Atsinanana [Prov. Fianarantsoa]: distr. Vaifgaifdrafo& comm. Tsiafofafa&?kt. Agfalambaka & Afdrozabe village & Afkarabolava Agfakatrika Protected Area & 23°26'04"S 47°30'21"E & 130 m & 8.XII.2022 & fl. & Randriatahina 320 ( MO & P & TAN) GoogleMaps .