Dalbergia maritima

IDENTIFICATION KEY TO THE SUBSPECIES OF DALBERGIA MARITIMA View in CoL

1. Leaves glabrous on all surfaces;inflorescence axes and gynoecium glabrous; littoral forests on sand, at 0–30 m elevation... D. maritima subsp. maritima View in CoL

1. Leaves with sparse to dense indumentum on all surfaces, glabrescent on upper surface of leaflets; inflorescence axes shortly villose to tomentose, gynoecium pubescent; low-elevation evergreen humid forest on laterite, at 80–450 m elevation..................... D. maritima subsp. pubescens View in CoL

Dalbergia maritima subsp. maritima View in CoL —

Vernacular Names and Uses —Bois de rose (Rakotovao & Razakamalala 7467, 7474), Hazomainty (Rakotovao & Razakamalala 7482), Volombodipony (Louvel 79), Volombodipony a petites feuilles (Louvel 200), Volombodipony lahy (Louvel 200).

The heartwood of this subspecies is burgundy in color (Rakotovao & Razakamalala 7467), and with time becomes blackish and similar to ebony (Louvel 200). It is considered to be a high-quality rosewood ( Normand 1988; Richter et al. 2014).

Habitat, Distribution, and Phenology — Dalbergia maritima subsp. maritima occurs in littoral forests on sand, at 0–30 m elevation. It is restricted to east-central Madagascar (Atsinanana Region), occurring in the littoral forests of Andranampy and Vohibola, and recorded from coastal areas between Ambila-Lemaitso and Tampina ( Fig. 3D View FIG ). Dalbergia maritima subsp. maritima has been collected in flower from December to March. Mature fruits (not seen) have been observed in June (fide Rakotovao & Razakamalala 7469).

Conservation Status — Dalbergia maritima subsp. maritima is known from 15 positively identified collection records that represent 2 extant occurrences and 2 occurrences that appear to have been extirpated. Its former extent of occurrence (EOO) was at least 43 km 2 and its former area of occupancy (AOO) was at least 24 km 2 (based on a 4 km 2 grid), whereas its current documented geographic range has the form of an EOO of 18 km 2 and an AOO of 16 km 2, and comprises two subpopulations. The subspecies occurs in forest ecosystems ( Madagascar Catalogue 2021). Forest cover decline between 1953 and 2017 was estimated from the forest cover time series of Vieilledent et al. (2018a, 2018b) to be 47% in the altitudinal range of 0–30 m and within the minimum convex polygon encompassing all known collections of this subspecies. Therefore, D. maritima subsp. maritima is inferred to have undergone and to be undergoing continuing decline in EOO, AOO, quality of habitat, number of subpopulations, and number of mature individuals. This subspecies occurs at two locations with respect to the most serious plausible threat, which is selective logging for trade in its high-quality heartwood, as inferred from older collections with exploitable diameter and tree stumps observed during recent field work in east-central Madagascar. The occurrence within the Vohibola forest (where a local association provides some level of protection) represents the first location. The subpopulation from the Andranampy forest represents the second location. For these reasons, D. maritima subsp. maritima is assigned a preliminary IUCN conservation status of Endangered: EN B1ab(i,ii,iii, iv,v)12ab(i,ii,iii,iv,v).

Notes — Two specimens with glabrous leaves from the SAVA Region (Service Forestier 2591 and Service Forestier 27751), which were associated with D. maritima by Bosser and Rabevohitra (2002), are here excluded from D. maritima subsp. maritima , since they belong to a different species (Crameri 2020) corresponding to the undescribed SAVA material ( Fig. 3D View FIG ).

Additional Specimens Examined — Madagascar. — ATSINANANA [Toamasina]: Ambila-Lemaitso , 6 Feb 1951 (fl), Service Forestier 2860 (P, TAN) ; same locality, 1 Jan 1952 (st), Service Forestier 5-R-233 (P) ; Andranampy forest ( Vavony ), 2 Jun 2019 (st), Rakotovao & Razakamalala 7467 ( DBEV, MO, P, TAN, ZT) ; same locality, same date (st), Rakotovao & Razakamalala 7468 ( DBEV, MO, P, TAN, ZT) ; same locality, same date (fr), Rakotovao & Razakamalala 7469 ( DBEV, MO, P, TAN, ZT) ; Tampina , Mar 1924 (fl), Louvel 200 (P) ; Vohibola forest ( Andranokoditra ), 4 Jun 2019 (st), Rakotovao & Razakamalala 7474 ( DBEV, MO, P, TAN, ZT) ; same locality, same date (st) ,

Rakotovao & Razakamalala 7478 (DBEV, MO, P, TAN, ZT); same locality, same date (st), Rakotovao & Razakamalala 7479 ( DBEV, MO, P, TAN, ZT) ; same locality, same date (st), Rakotovao & Razakamalala 7482 ( DBEV, MO, P, TAN, ZT) ; same locality, same date (st), Razakamalala & Rakotovao 8444 ( DBEV, MO, P, TAN, ZT) ; same locality, same date (st), Razakamalala & Rakotovao 8448 ( DBEV, MO, P, TAN, ZT) ; same locality, same date (st), Razakamalala & Rakotovao 8454 ( DBEV, MO, P, TAN, ZT) ; same locality, 15 Dec 1982 (bud, fl), Service Forestier 32479 (P, TEF) .