Kingdom Plantae Family Scrophulariaceae Scientific name Myoporum rimatarense Rank Species | Order Lamiales Genus Myoporum Higher classification Myoporum | |
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.
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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.
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.
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. The specific epithet rimatarense refers to the name of the island where the type specimen was collected by A.M.Stokes.
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.
Conservation
An extensive search in 2004 failed to find a single specimen and the species is now presumed extinct.