Cremastosperma alticola Pirie & Chatrou, 2018

Pirie, Michael D., Chatrou, Lars W. & Maas, Paul J. M., 2018, A taxonomic revision of the Neotropical genus Cremastosperma (Annonaceae), including five new species, PhytoKeys 112, pp. 1-141 : 1

1. Cremastosperma alticola Pirie & Chatrou sp. nov. Fig. 8 ; Map 2

Diagnosis.

Most similar to C. pedunculatum , from which it differs by the branching inflorescence, shorter pedicels and shorter stipes and the absence of indument on the pedicels. Differs from the only two other Cremastosperma species with branching inflorescences by the absence of indument on flowers and fruits and shape of the monocarps (compared to generally hairy C. cauliflorum with globose to transversely broadly ellipsoid monocarps) and stipes shorter than monocarps (much longer than monocarps in C. napoense ).

Type.

ECUADOR. Zamora-Chinchipe: Palanda, Región de la Cordillera del Cóndor, sector sur, Parroquia San Francisco de Vergel, Cuenca alta del Río Vergel, Pica Sangola, 16 Mar 2005, Quizhpe, W. et al. 1088 (holotype: MO! [MO-2985962]; isotypes: MO! [MO-2985963], LOJA, U! [U 0249915]).

Description.

Tree 6-20 m tall; young twigs and petioles glabrous to sparsely covered with appressed golden brown hairs 0.1-0.2 mm long. Leaves: petioles 5-9 by 1.5-2 mm; lamina elliptic to obovate, 17-27 by 6-7.5 cm (leaf index 2.7-2.9), chartaceous, patchy blackish-brown with darker primary vein, glabrous, base acute to obtuse, apex acuminate (acumen ca. 6 mm long), primary vein raised over entire of leaf length, ca. 2 mm wide at widest point, secondary veins 9-10, intersecondary veins 3-4, distance between from 5-10 mm at the base to 15-25 mm closer to the apex, angles with primary vein from 30-40° at the base to 40-50° closer to the apex, not branching, forming indistinct loops, smallest distance between loops and margin 2-3 mm, tertiary veins somewhat reticulate. Inflorescence of 1-2 flowers, branching, clustered in groups of up to 2, on leafy and leafless twigs; transition between short axillary shoot and pedicel unclear, combined structure 26-33 by ca. 1.5 mm at the base, ca. 4 mm at the apex (in fruit; only young buds seen), short axillary shoot and pedicels glabrous; 1 lower bract, broadly elliptic, ca. 2 by 1.5 mm, rounded, only present in early bud, glabrous, ciliate; upper bract directly subtending flower in bud, midway along pedicel in fruit, shallowly triamgular, ca. 2 by 3 mm, rounded, glabrous, ciliate; closed flower buds depressed ovoid, blackish-brown in sicco, sepals and petals glabrous and ciliate; mature flowers not seen, flowers reported as greenish-yellow in vivo. Monocarps 6-17, ellipsoid, symmetrical, 19-30 by 15-25 mm, no obvious apicule, black in vivo, blackish-brown in sicco; stipes 10-14 by 1.5 mm at the base increasing to ca. 4 mm at the apex; fruiting receptacle ellipsoid to transverse elipsoid, 6-12 mm diam.; monocarps, stipes and receptacle glabrous. Seeds ellipsoid, reddish-brown, pitted to grooved, 15-16 by 10-11 mm, raphe sunken, encircling seed longitudinally, ruminations spiniform.

Distribution.

Ecuador (Zamora-Chinchipe), Peru (Cajamarca)

Habitat and ecology.

In dense and secondary forest. At elevations of 1700 and 2200 m. Flowering: March; fruiting: March and June.

Notes.

Branching inflorescences are unusual in the genus, previously described in only two species: C. cauliflorum and C. napoense .

Etymology.

The epithet " alticola " refers to the high elevations at which the species has been found, which is unusual for the genus (and also the family in general).

Preliminary conservation status.

Neither of the only two known collections of C. alticola was collected in protected areas and one was reported to be found in close proximity to human habitation. Given this low area of occupancy and the likely ongoing decline in area, extent and/or quality of the habitat, we classify the species as Endangered [EN] (Table 1 ).

Other specimen examined.

Peru. Cajamarca: San Ignacio, Distr. San José de Lourdes, Perea & Flores 2540 (AMAZ, HUT, L, MO, MOL, USM, WAG),

Figures

Map 2. Distribution of Cremastosperma alticola Pirie & Chatrou, C. antioquense Pirie, C. chococola Pirie, C. dolichopodum Pirie & Maas, C. longipes Pirie, C. novogranatense R. E. Fr., C. osicola Pirie & Chatrou, C. panamense Maas and C. stenophyllum Pirie

Figure 8. Cremastosperma alticola Pirie & Chatrou. Fruiting specimen (Quizhpe et al. 1088).