title: A new species of Meryta (Araliaceae) from the Marquesas Archipelago, French Polynesia.
abstract: Meryta pastoralis F. Tronchet & Lowry, a new species from the island of Hiva Oa in the Marquesas archipelago, is described and illustrated. It differs from other Polynesian members of the genus by its fully free ovaries, a feature shared with one other species found in the region, Meryta choristantha (native to the Austral Islands), distinguished by its ovate to spatulate (vs. elliptic to obovate) leaf shape. A preliminary risk of extinction assessment indicates that Meryta pastoralis is Critically Endangered.
authors.affiliation: Département Systématique et Évolution (UMR 7205), Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, CP 39, 57 rue Cuvier, 75213 Paris CEDEX 05, France.
authors.forename: Frédéric
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tronchet
authors.forename: Porter P
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: Lowry Ii