Habitat

Les maquis miniers (M)
 

Synonyme

Microsemma leratii Guillaumin

NOTES (from Z.S.Rogers) : 

Leaves of branches with shorter internodes in Lethedon le-ratii are more stiffer-coriaceous, shinier when dry, and tend to plicately fold, unlike the more chartaceous leaves of L. salicifolia (but note observed shoot dimorphism observed within individuals and populations with longer internodes - e.g., Guillaumin & Baumann 13168 (P! vs. A!, G!, NY!, Z!) [see herbarium sheet images on Tropicos]. The vegetative morphology of L. le-ratii is associated with nutrient-poor ultramafic/serpentine substrates and maquis vegetation.

Lethedon le-ratii, based on pistillate syntypes, is the new accepted name for L. ovata, based on staminate syntypes. Guillaumin published the two basionyms in Microsemma within the same publication, distinguishing them by the shape of their leaf blades (e.g., oblong in L. le-ratii vs. ovate or nearly discoid). The two syntypes of L. ovata, collected from the same general area and sympatric with known populations of L. le-ratii, had leaves that were about twice as wide as those of L. le-ratii (but leaves were still of similar lengths giving them a broader ovate appearance). Intermediate collections have been examined, and sometimes overlapping variation in these and other features can be observed in a single population, plant, on even a single branch - e.g., Green 1716 (A!, NOU!, P!, Z!), MacKee 4327 (K!), 4328 (P!), 4329 (A!, K!, P!) [see images on Tropicos]. Lethedon le-ratii, with its more common form and thus more widely applied name, is the name adopted here to minimize confusion.