Leptecophylla tameiameiae var. marquesensis (F. Br.)

Styphelia tameiameiae var. marquesensis F. Brown

Styphelia tameiameiae var. marquesensis F. Brown, Flora, 218, 1935.

Styphelia tameiameiae var. tameiameiae sensu Sleumer, Blumea, 12:162, 1963.

Styphelia tameiameiae f. marquesensis (F. Brown) Grant, Fosberg, and Smith, Smithsonian Contr. Bot., 17:10–11, 1974.

Twigs densely short pubescent or puberulent; leaves oblong-elliptic 9–15 × 2–3 mm, leaf veins usually less forked than in var. tameiameiae, outer ones forked one or more times, inner 1–3 quite parallel, some slightly forked once, rarely more times, bracts more strongly ciliate; flowers with corolla-lobes triangular-lanceolate, glabrous within; noticeably hooked; fruits usually red (e.g., Decker 379, Brown 533), rarely white to rose (Decker 2014).

In most respects within the range of variation of the Hawaiian forms, but with consistently long narrow leaves, narrower glabrous, hooked corolla lobes. Sleumer (1963:162), however, could not find “any constant character to separate the Marquesas specimens from the Hawaiian forms.”

In spite of Brown’s rather confusing publication of this “form Marquesensis F. Brown, new variety,” it seems best cited as var. marquesensis F. Brown. Grant (Grant, Fosberg, and Smith, 1974:10) discussed this plant but found no distinguishing characters, so did not separate it from S. tameiameiae.

Found only on Nukuhiva, at high altitudes, locally common in scattered localities. Fruit reported (Brown 533) to be eaten by “cuckoo,” probably the “kuku,” or Marquesan fruit pigeon.

SPECIMENS SEEN.—Marquesas Islands: s.l. Henry 5 (P), Henry in 1919 (P).

Nukuhiva I.: Tovii, 900 m, Brown 533A (BISH, holotype), 533 (BISH, isotype), 533B (BISH, isotype), Quayle (cited as Quarles by Sleumer) 1237 (BISH), Hallé 2080 (US). Tovii, “hauts plateaux, rare,” Henry 41 (P); Toovii, below Mt. Ouumu, 3200 ft. [1000–1100 m], Decker 379 (US, BISH), Taupua’o’oa, 800 m, Decker 2014 (US, P, BISH, Fo), 5 km SW of Tapuaooa shelter, 850 m, Gillett 2191 (US, BISH). Tunoapahuhitone ridge, 3200 ft. [1000–1100 m], Hambuechen (Decker’s) 308 (US, BISH). Maauu, 3000 ft. [900–1000 m], PES 560 (NY (as A & M), LeB).

ETHNOBOTANY.—Marquesan names: puhatikiei (PES 560), ohopukei (F. Brown, 1935).