Morinda carnosa Venturina, Suarez & Alejandro, 2017

Morinda carnosa Venturina, Suarez & Alejandro View in CoL , sp. nov. ( Fig.1 View FIGURE 1 )

Type: — PHILIPPINES. Province of Palawan: Municipality of Coron; Sitio Malbato, Mt. Talon (12° 0 ′ 0 ″ N, 120° 12 ′ 0 ″ E), April 2013, Suarez et al.13222 (holotype: PNH! GoogleMaps isotype: USTH! 012286-012294 GoogleMaps ).

This species is easily distinguished from other species of the genus by having petals being carnose and thick, corolla lobes not recurved, corolla pubescent with prominent striations on each lobe, calyx puberulent and fruit sparsely scabrid.

Tree, 5–10 m, numerously branched; branches 2–6 cm thick, terete, puberulent. Stipules deciduous, triangular, 2–3 mm long from base to tip, 3 mm wide, apex acuminate to cuspidate, base truncate to rounded, glabrous. Petioles 1–2 cm long, glabrous. Leaves opposite, isophyllous, blades elliptic to ovate, chartaceous, 6.5–13.5 x 3–8 cm, glabrous, adaxial and abaxial surface areolate-colliculate, margins entire to undulate, apex acuminate, base attenuate, midrib prominent; secondary veins 5–7 on each side of the midrib, venation anastomosing. Inflorescences leaf-opposed, capitate, multiple flowers, axillary, solitary; peduncle slender, 1.5–5.5 cm long; flowers actinomorphic, bisexual, white petals, 4–6-petalous, prominent striations on petals, 2.5–4 cm long; calyx cupuliform, 2 mm long, 2 mm wide individually, puberulent; corolla lobes white when fresh, black when dried, 10–12 mm long, not recurved, carnose, lanceolate, colliculate abaxially and pubescent adaxially; corolla tube cylindral, pubescent, 10–13 mm long; stamen basifixed, alternate with corolla lobes, included in the corolla throat; anthers white to yellowish, 4–6-merous depending on the number of petals present, 5 mm long, puberulent, wholly to partially exserted; style filiform, colliculate 5–10 mm long, stigma bilobed, colliculate, 5–8 mm long, exserted; ovary bilocular. Fruit multiple, globose to subglobose, green, brown when dried, sparsely scabrid, 1–3 cm long, 1–1.5 cm wide, pedicel 2–4 cm long; seeds numerous 3–6 mm long, 5 mm wide, ovoid.

Distribution & habitat: —Endemic to the Philippines. Collected from Mt. Talon, Coron Palawan, thriving in dry and fertile soil among thickets of grasses and low shrubs.

Etymology:— This species is named based on the morphological character of its corolla lobes being fleshy and thick with striations prominently seen.

Phenology:— Flowering and fruiting specimens collected from March–May.

Discussion: This species closely resembles Morinda coreia in the morphology and indumentum of vegetative parts but is different and can easily be distinguished from other Malesian Morinda species by having petals being carnose and thick, corolla lobes not recurved, corolla pubescent with prominent striations on each lobe, calyx puberulent and fruit sparsely scabrid. Table 1 View TABLE 1 shows main differences that separate M. carnosa from M. coreia .

Conservation status:— Examinations of several undetermined herbarium specimens of Philippine and Malesian Morindeae from different herbaria revealed that there were no other previous collections of M.carnosa other than the sheets examined in this study. Furthermore, less than 10 mature individuals were observed in the area and not being widely distributed. We consider Morinda carnosa to be critically endangered [CR C2a(i)], based on the categories of the IUCN (2001). Habitats of M.carnosa are threatened by anthropogenic activities such as tourism, rise of commercial infrastructures, logging, slash and burn methods, and agricultural expansion in Palawan and may significantly decrease the population of M.carnosa .

Additional specimens studied (paratypes): — PHILIPPINES. Island of Visayas: Provjnce of Antique, Municipality of Tibiao, Baranggay Sta. Ana, Mt. Madja-as , April 2014, Arriola, Plan, and Alejandro 012295-012303 ( USTH!) .