Abstract : Virotia azurea H.C. Hopkins & Pillon (Proteaceae), the seventh species in the endemic genus Virotia L.A.S. Johnson & B.G. Briggs from New Caledonia is described and illustrated. A distribution map and preliminary conservation assessment are provided. This new species occurs principally on non-ultramafic substrates in a restricted area of central Grande Terre. It has relatively long narrow leaves, often with distally undulate-sinuate or bluntly toothed margins and a pointed apex, plus blue flowers and laterally flattened, markedly beaked fruits containing seeds with blue to mauve cotyledons. Its characters are compared with those of other species of Virotia and a key to species is provided. A handful of specimens previously identified as Virotia francii (Guillaumin) P.H. Weston &A.R. Mast are determinated mostly as Virotia leptophylla (Guillaumin) L.A.S. Johnson & B.G. Briggs and other species; the former is now confined to ultramafic substrates in southern Grande Terre and the latter is more widespread, principally occurring on non-ultramafic substrates though occasionally found on ultramafic ones in the south of the island as well.
https://hal.inrae.fr/hal-03128105 Contributor : Suzette AstrucConnect in order to contact the contributor Submitted on : Tuesday, February 2, 2021 - 8:55:29 AM Last modification on : Friday, May 20, 2022 - 9:04:07 AM Long-term archiving on: : Monday, May 3, 2021 - 6:13:48 PM
Helen C.F. Hopkins, yohan Pillon. Virotia azurea (Proteaceae: Macadamieae), a striking new species endemic to New Caledonia and notes on V. francii and V. leptophylla. Candollea, 2020, 75 (1), pp.89-98. ⟨10.15553/c2020v751a9⟩. ⟨hal-03128105⟩