Myoporum rimatarense

Myoporum rimatarense is a plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Rimatara Island in French Polynesia. It is only known from the type specimen collected in 1921 and 1934 and is presumed extinct.

Myoporum rimatarense
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Lamiales
Family: Scrophulariaceae
Genus: Myoporum
Species:
M. rimatarense
Binomial name
Myoporum rimatarense

Description

Myoporum rimatarense is a small tree growing to a height of 6 metres (20 ft). The leaves are arranged alternately and are 66–80 millimetres (2.6–3.1 in) long, 22–35 millimetres (0.9–1 in) wide, the same colour on both surfaces and with a mid-vein visible on the lower surface.[2]

The flowers are borne singly or in groups of up to 4 in the axils of leaves on stalks 6–8.5 millimetres (0.2–0.3 in) long and have 5 pointed sepals. The size, shape and colour of the petals and stamens is not known. The fruit is a more or less spherical drupe.[2]

Taxonomy

Myoporum rimatarense was first formally described in 1935 by Forest B. H. Brown and the description was published in Bernice P. Bishop Museum Bulletin.[1] The specific epithet rimatarense refers to the name of the island where the type specimen was collected by A.M.Stokes.[2]

Distribution and habitat

Myoporum rimatarense was only found on Rimatara Island. The type specimen was collected on a sandy beach near the village of Amaru.[2]

Conservation

An extensive search in 2004 failed to find a single specimen and the species is now presumed extinct.[2][3][4]

References
  1. "Myoporum rimatarense". APNI. Retrieved 1 December 2015.
  2. Chinnock, R.J. (Bob) (2007). Eremophila and allied genera : a monograph of the plant family Myoporaceae (1st ed.). Dural, NSW: Rosenberg. pp. 140–141. ISBN 9781877058165.
  3. Meyer, Jean-Yves; Butaud, Jean-François; Florence, Jacques. "Rapport de Mission de l'Expedition Scientifique a Rimatara (Australes) du 23 Octobre au 8 Novembre 2004" (PDF). Retrieved 1 December 2015.
  4. Webster, Grady L. "The Polynesian Species of Myoporum". University of Hawai'i Press. Retrieved 1 December 2015.
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