Cremastosperma westrae Pirie

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

33. Cremastosperma westrae Pirie Figs 37 , 43 , Map 3

Cremastosperma westrae Pirie, Blumea 50: 58, f. 9. 2005.

Type.

PANAMA, Panamá: road from El Llano to Carti-Tupile, 12 miles above Pan-American Highway, 200-500 m a.s.l., 13 Mar 1973, Liesner, R.L. 682 (holotype: MO [MO-047498]).

Description.

Tree or shrub 4-8 m tall; young twigs and petioles sparsely to densely covered with appressed brown hairs ca. 0.1 mm long. Leaves: petioles 6-20 by 3-6 mm; lamina narrowly elliptic to slightly obovate or narrowly so, (15 –)30– 50 by (8 –)12– 20 cm (index 1.6-3), chartaceous to coriaceous, dark to olive green or brown above, lighter below, glabrous above, sparsely covered with appressed whitish hairs 0.1 mm long on veins below, base acute to rounded, apex acuminate (acumen 10-20 mm long), primary vein 2-5 mm wide at widest point, secondary veins 8-12, no intersecondary veins, distance between from 5-10 mm at the base to 40-60 mm closer to the apex, angles with primary vein from 50-80° at the base to 45-60° closer to the apex, not branching, forming more or less distinct loops in apical half, smallest distance between loops and margin 2-5 mm, tertiary veins mostly percurrent. Inflorescence of single, solitary flowers, on leafy or leafless twigs; peduncles, 2-3 by 2-3 mm (in fruit); pedicels 6-17 by 2-3 mm (in fruit), peduncles and pedicels rather densely to densely covered with erect whitish hairs 0.1 mm long; single lower bract, soon falling off; upper bract attached in the basal half of the pedicel, depressed ovate, ca. 1.5 by 2 mm, rounded, outer side densely covered with appressed brown hairs 0.2 mm long; closed flower buds depressed ovoid, flowers yellow in vivo, black with yellow indument in sicco; sepals free or fused for basal 0.5 mm, deltate, appressed, 2.5-3 by 2.5-3 mm, rounded, often persistent, densely covered (outside, sparsely inside) with appressed brown hairs 0.2 mm long; outer petals elliptic to slightly ovate, ca. 9 by 5 mm, rather densely to densely covered (outside, sparsely inside) with appressed brown hairs ca. 0.2 mm long, inner petals elliptic, ca. 8 by 4 mm, rather densely to densely (towards the apex outside, sparsely inside and at base) covered with appressed brown hairs 0.2 mm long; androecium ca. 6 mm diam., stamens ca. 1.3 mm long, connective appendage ca. 0.7 mm wide; gynoecium ca. 1 mm diam., carpels sparsely covered with erect brown hairs <0.1 mm long. Monocarps 6-10, ellipsoid, slightly asymmetrical, 18-22 by 10-12 mm, green, maturing to yellow, orange, red or black in vivo, reddish- to blackish-brown in sicco, with a small excentric apicule; stipes 4-14 by 1-2 mm; fruiting receptacle depressed ovoid, 3-6 mm diam.; monocarps and stipes sparsely to rather densely covered with erect whitish hairs <0.1 mm long or glabrous, receptacle densely covered with erect whitish hairs <0.1 mm long. Seeds ellipsoid, reddish-brown, surface wrinkled and slightly pitted, ca. 16 by 10 mm, raphe slightly sunken, encircling seed longitudinally.

Distribution.

Panama ( Darién, Panamá, San Blas).

Habitat and ecology.

Primary seasonal evergreen forest on red clay. At elevations of 50-600 m. Flowering: March; fruiting: January, March, July, November and December.

Notes.

Cremastosperma westrae is most similar to C. novogranatense : it differs in having longer stipes, smaller sepals and less dense, shorter hairs on the petals. The shape of the fruits of C. pacificum bears a resemblance to those of C. westrae . A clear distinction can be made due to the presence of indument on flowers and fruits in C. westrae : those of C. pacificum are glabrous.

Preliminary conservation status.

Cremastosperma westrae is known from just six localities and although these are similar, both in restricted extent and lack of protection to those of C. panamense , it is apparently considerably rarer. Endangered [EN] (Table 1 ).

Selected specimens examined.

PANAMA. Darien: Camp Summit, adjacent Darién-San Blas border, 1000-1200 m a.s.l., 18 Dec 1967, Oliver et al. 3681 (MO). San Blas: Cordillera de San Blas, 9°13'N, 78°16'W, 50 m a.s.l., 8 Nov 1991, H. Herrera et al. 1122 (U); Trail along Continental Divide, 9°20'N, 78°56'W, 400 m a.s.l., 23 Jul 1986, McDonagh et al. 291 (MO); Continental Divide trail W of El Llano-Cartí road, 9°19'N, 78°55'W, 350 m a.s.l., 9 Jan 1985, De Nevers & H. Herrera 4475 (U); Aila Tiwar, Río Acla, 8°48'N, 77°40'W, 25-100 m a.s.l., 23 Mar 1979, Sugden 613 (MO).

Figures

Map 3. Distribution of Cremastosperma awaense Pirie, C. dolichocarpum Pirie, C. magdalenae Pirie, C. napoense Pirie, C. pacificum R. E. Fr. and C. westrae Pirie

Figure 37. a Cremastosperma panamense Maas. Fruiting specimen (photo: Robin Foster) b-e C. pendulum (Ruiz & Pav.) R. E. Fr. b habit c flower bud (Pirie et al. 33; photos MDP) d flowering and fruiting branch e flower (Vasquez et al. 34206, photos Rodolfo Vasquez) f, g C. westrae Pirie fruiting specimen (photos Robin Foster) h-j C. yamayakatense Pirie h habit, fruiting specimen (Pirie et al. 57) i flower bud (Pirie et al. 58) j mature fruit (Pirie et al. 60; photos MDP).

Figure 43. Cremastosperma westrae Pirie. a fruit and leaf (acuminate apex) b flower and leaf (apex broken off) (a de Nevers 4475 b Liesner 682).