Bidensmeyeri (Asteraceae, Coreopsideae): a new critically endangered species from Rapa, Austral Islands

Vicki A Funk; Kenneth R Wood

doi:10.3897/phytokeys.42.8408

Bidensmeyeri (Asteraceae, Coreopsideae): a new critically endangered species from Rapa, Austral Islands

PhytoKeys. 2014 Oct 13:(42):39-47. doi: 10.3897/phytokeys.42.8408. eCollection 2014.

Authors

Vicki A Funk¹, Kenneth R Wood²

Affiliations

¹ US National Herbarium, Department of Botany, Smithsonian Institution, PO Box 37012, Washington, DC 20013-7012, USA.
² National Tropical Botanical Garden, 3530 Papalina Road, Kalaheo, HI 96741, USA.

Abstract

Bidensmeyeri (Asteraceae/Compositae) is described and illustrated from Rapa, Austral Islands, (French Polynesia). This new species is presumed to be most closely related to Bidenssaint-johniana from nearby Marotiri Island. Bidensmeyeri may be distinguished from Bidenssaint-johniana based on the length of the peduncle (3 cm versus 10 cm), apex of the inner involucral bracts (glabrous vs. puberulent), smaller leaves (2.0-2.3 cm vs. 5-6 cm), and the general smaller size of the new species. Known from less than 50 individuals and restricted to one remote location, Bidensmeyeri falls into the IUCN Critically Endangered (CR) category. The new species is named in honor of Dr. Jean-Yves Meyer, Délégation à la Recherche, Polynésie Française.

Keywords: Asteraceae; Austral Islands; Bidens; Compositae; Coreopsideae; French Polynesia; IUCN Red List Category; Oceania; Rapa Iti.; conservation; endemic.