Polylepis ochreata (Wedd.) Bitter, Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 45: 597-598. 1911.

Boza Espinoza, Tatiana Erika & Kessler, Michael, 2022, A monograph of the genus Polylepis (Rosaceae), PhytoKeys 203, pp. 1-274 : 1

publication ID

https://dx.doi.org/10.3897/phytokeys.203.83529

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/B089ACEC-D1DD-6BF5-CB26-39DD9155E640

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scientific name

Polylepis ochreata (Wedd.) Bitter, Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 45: 597-598. 1911.
status

 

12. Polylepis ochreata (Wedd.) Bitter, Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 45: 597-598. 1911.

Figs 37 View Figure 37 , 38 View Figure 38

Polylepis ochreata var. integra Bitter, Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 45: 598, fig. 4. 1911. Type. Ecuador. Imbabura: Volcan Mojanda, Mar. 1901, Sodiro s.n. (holotype: FI n.v.; isotype: GOET!).

Polylepis subintegra Benoist, Bull. Soc. Bot. France 81: 326. 1934. Type. Ecuador. Pichincha: W slopes of Cerro Pichincha, Taurichupa, 4000 m, 28 Nov 1930, Benoist 3356 (holotype: P!).

Basionym.

Acaena ochreata Wedd., Chlor. And. 2: 240. 1855.

Type.

Ecuador. Pichincha: W slopes of Cerro Pichincha, 3600 m, May 1856, Jameson 73 (lectotype, designated by Simpson 1979, pg. 28: P; isolectotypes: A!, G!, GH!, US!; photos at F!, MO!, US!) .

Description.

Trees 2-10 m tall. Leaves strongly congested at the branch tips, imparipinnate with 4-7 pairs of the lateral leaflets, obtrullate in outline, (3.9-)4.4-7.0 × 2.9-4.7 cm; rachises glabrous to densely sericeous, points of leaflet attachment with a tuft of long, straight whitish hairs; stipular sheaths apically acute, glabrous to sparsely sericeous (adult) or densely sericeous (juvenile) in the upper surface; leaflets narrowly elliptic in outline, second pair from the terminal leaflet the largest, one of this pair 1.6-3.0 × 0.5-0.7 cm; margin entire to slightly serrate with 4-6 teeth, coriaceous, apically emarginate, basally unequally cordate; upper leaflet surfaces glabrous; lower leaflet surfaces densely sericeous with whitish silky hairs 1.3-2.0 mm long in juvenile plants and 0.3-0.5 mm long in adult plants. Inflorescences pendant, 8.1-15.5(-17.4) cm long, bearing (21-)26-49 flowers; floral bracts 5.9-12.8 mm long, narrowly triangular, densely sericeous on the outer surface; rachises sericeous. Flowers 6.6-9.0 mm diam.; sepals 4, ovate, green, densely sericeous outside; stamens 9-13, anthers orbicular, with a dense tuft of straight white hairs on the upper half; styles fimbriate, 2.1-2.6 mm long. Fruits turbinate, with variable numbers and placement of flattened spines, densely sericeous; 4.7-7.5 × 6.1-7.9 mm including spines. Diploid, tetraploid and hexaploid.

Distribution habitat and ecology.

Polylepis ochreata is distributed in the Andes of Ecuador and in Nariño, southernmost Colombia (Fig. 41 View Figure 41 ). It occurs at 2950-4350 m elevation in humid montane forest habitats. In northernmost Ecuador, P. ochreata often co-occurs with P. longipilosa , with which it hybridizes ( Romoleroux 1996). These species have quite similar morphological characters which has complicated the taxonomic classification, mainly in the Province of Carchi, where they occur in sympatry. Polylepis ochreata occurs in mixed population with other woody species, such as Brachyotum ledifolium and Miconia latifolia ( Salgado 2008). Pollen viability of P. ochreata has been measured as 60% ( Caiza et al. 2018). In Colombia, the forest remnants of P. ochreata harbor the Polylepis specialist bird species Conirostrum binghami (= Oreomanes fraseri ) ( Valderrama and Verhelst 2007).

Conservation status.

The EOO is estimated at 7,525 km2 and AOO at 112 km2. The species is known from 16 locations. In Colombia, remnants of P. ochreata forests are under pressure by the expansion of potato cropland, so that the Cumbal population has been assessed as EN and Chile’s population as VU ( Rangel-Ch and Arellano 2007, as P. sericea ). In Ecuador, P. ochreata is protected within the El Angel Ecological Reserve in Carchi and Yanacocha Reserve in Pichincha, where it is also subject to reforestation activities. Nevertheless, based on its restricted and fragmented distribution and continuing population losses, we assess P. ochreata as Vulnerable (B1a+B2a, C1).

Notes.

Described by Bitter in 1911, this species was synonymized under P. sericea by Simpson (1979), a course of action followed by Romoleroux (1996). It was re-instated at species level by Boza Espinoza et al. (2019) based on its distinctive morphology characters, including having four or more leaflet pairs, glabrous to sparsely sericeous leaf rachises and leaflet margins, short (0.3-0.5 mm long), evenly distributed hairs on the lower leaflet surfaces and 21-43 flowers per inflorescence. Polylepis ochreata is most similar to P. albicans and P. argentea , with which it shares the elliptic leaflet shape and subcordate bases of the leaflets. However, the three species differ in number of lateral leaflet pairs, with P. ochreata having 4-7 pairs, P. albicans 3-4 and P. argentea 2. Polylepis ochreata has (21)26-49 flowers per inflorescence, whereas P. albicans has 18-21 and P. argentea 5-6(-9).

Boza Espinoza et al. (2019) considered that P. ochreata is the only member of the Polylepis sericea complex in Ecuador. However, K. Romoleroux recognized further variation in the country, resulting in the separation of both P. humboldtii and P. loxensis from P. ochreata by Boza Espinoza et al. (2020a).

Specimens examined.

Ecuador. Bolívar: Guaranda, Parroquia Salinas, recorrido entre los Arrayanes y Pambabuela, 01°22'06"S, 079°03'47"W, 3615 m, 10 Febrero 2005, Vargas López 4696 (AAU!, K, MO!, QCNE, US!). Carchi: Cumbal, 00°48'19"N, 077°53'03"W, 3500 m, Bensman 418 (MO!, WIS); Km 31 west of Tulcán on road to Maldonado, 00°52'N, 077°55'W, 3900 m, 21 June 1984, Todzia 2485 (MO!). La Libertad (Alizo), 00°45'N, 077°59'W, Asplund 17037 (S); Páramos de El Angel S of Volcán Chiles, 00°45'N, 077°58'W, 3850 m, 14 March 1985, Eriksen 59086 (AAU!, MO!). Maldonado, Volcán Los Chiles, along road 9 km W of Tufiño, 00°49'N, 077°57'W, 3500 m, 10 March 1992, Lægaard 101661 (AAU!, GOET, QCA!); Tufiño, Road Tulcán-Maldonado, near Volcán Chiles, 00°48'N, 077°56'W, 3850-4000 m, 16 August 1985, Lægaard 54966 (AAU!, MO!, QCA!); S slopes of volcán Chiles, 14-16 km W of Tufiño on road to Maldonado, 0-1 km S of the road, 00°47'N, 077°57'W, 3850-3900 m, 18 January 1988, Molau 2536 (AAU!, GB, MO!, QCA!); a 33 km de Tulcán, 00°48'N, 077°54'W, 3900 m, Romoleroux 173 (AAU!, QCA!); Carretera Tulcán-Tufiño-Maldonado, 00°47'N, 077°57'W, 3800-3900 m, 12 October 1986, Romoleroux 189 (AAU!, QCA!); Tulcán, 33.4 km W of Tulcán on road to Maldonado, Páramo de Chilos on Colombia border, 00°48'19"N, 077°53'03"W, 3900 m, 22 September 1979, Gentry 26342 (AAU!, MO!, QCA!). Cotopaxi: Toacaso, Quebrada Faldiguera, 00°41'S, 078°45'W, 3750 m, 16 February 1991, Jørgensen 93000 (AAU!, MO!, QCA!). Imbabura: Gonzalez Suarez, Laguna Mojanda, camino, forêt d’altitude, 00°08'N, 078°15'W, 2500 m, 01 February 1996, Billiet 6762 (BR, MO!). La Merced de Buenos Aires: at road Chauasqui-Merced de Buenos Aires, km 20, near pass, 00°33'N, 078°17'W, 3700-3850 m, 10 December 1984, Lægaard 53475 (AAU!, MO!, QCA!). Otavalo: forested path to Laguna Mojanda (La via antigua a Mojanda por el cementerio), 00°10'00"N, 078°15'00"W, 3800 m, 31 December 2000, Clark 5820 (QCA!, US). San Rafael, W slopes of Volcán Cayambe, 00°10'00"N, 078°15'00"W, 3700-3900 m, 27 July 1967, Sparre 17789 (AAU!, S). Napo: Nono, N-side of Volcán Pichincha above Hacienda Yanacocha, 00°07'S, 078°34'W, 3950-4050 m, 02 June 1985, Lægaard 54457 (AAU!, MO!, QCA!). Pichincha: along, Northern slopes of Cerro Corazón, 2-4 km W along on the road to Hacienda El Pongo, 00°28'S, 078°36'W, 3100-3200 m, 13 May 1979, Holm-Nielsen 18007 (AAU!, MO!); Corazón, 00°31'53"S, 078°39'36"W, 3260 m, Sodiro s.n. (AAU!); Lloa, Volcán Atacazo, W slope, 17 km from San Juan, 00°20'S, 078°38'W, 2850 m, 25 August 1980, Holm-Nielsen 25115 (AAU!); 25148 (AAU!); Volcán Atacazo, SW slope, km 19 from San Juan, 00°21'S, 078°39'W, 2900 m, 25 August 1980, Holm-Nielsen 25169 (AAU!); West-side of Volcán Atacazo, along drinkwater canal, 00°20'S, 078°38'W, 3700-3750 m, 11 August 1984, Lægaard 52639 (AAU!, MO!, QCA!); 52641 (AAU!); along drinkwater-canal on W-side of Atacazo, ca. 5 km S of Campamento, 00°20'S, 078°38'W, 3700-3800 m, 24 October 1984, Lægaard 53256 (AAU!); along drinkwater-canal on W-side of Atacazo, ca. 5 km S of Camparmento, 00°20'S, 078°38'W, 3750 m, 28 October 1984, Lægaard 53259 (AAU!); 53260 (AAU!); along drinkwater-canal on W-side of Volcan Atacazo, 00°20'S, 078°38'W, 3200 m, 24 November 1985, Lægaard 55665 (AAU!, GOET, MO!, QCA!); Volcán Atacatzo, 00°20'S, 078°37'W, 3500 m, Mille 364 (US); carretera Quito-San Juan-San José de la Victoria, 00°17'53"S, 078°38'20"W, 2900-3400 m, 24 December 1987, Zak 3265 (AAU!, GB, MO!); Nono, Camino Yanacocha NW of Volcan Pichincha, 00°05'S, 078°33'W, 3200-3800 m, 03 October 1981, Balslev 2049 (AAU!, MO!, NY, QCA!); 28 November 1930, Benoist 3356 (P); Yanococha, faldas noroccidentales, 00°07'S, 078°35'W, 22 March 1987, Jaramillo Asanza 9573 (AAU!, NY, QCA!); 9588 (AAU!, QCA!); N-side of Volcán Pichincha above Hacienda Yanacocha, 00°07'S, 078°34'W, 3800 m, 04 June 1985, Lægaard 54458 (AAU!, MO!); 54459 (AAU!); 54462 (AAU!, QCA!); 54463; 54467 (AAU!, MO!); 54474; 54476; 54477 (AAU!, MO!, QCA!); Carretera Quito-Nanegalito-Santa Ana del Tablón, desvío Hda Yanacocha km 1-10 desde el desvío, 00°07'S, 078°34'W, 3500-3600 m, 06 December 1992, Romoleroux 1495A (AAU!); Yanacocha, 3617 m, 28 November 2008, Romoleroux 5342 (QCA!); Yanacocha, sector La Despensa, 00°07'52"S, 078°35'06"W, 3837 m, 14 Febrero 2009, Romoleroux 5413 (MO!, QCA!); Reserva Yanacocha, Trocha “Inca” 1-600 m, 00°06'44"S, 078°34'24"W, 3536 m, 11 June 2011, Ulloa Ulloa 2171 (MO!, QCA!); carretera Quito-Nono-Tandayapa, desviación a Yanacocha en la localidad de Guanto-Pugro, en la hacienda "Alto Perú”, estribaciones N.O. del Volcán Pichincha, 00°05'S, 078°35'W, 3200-3300 m, 17 November 1987, Zak 2946 (AAU!, GB, MO!); Quito, SW-slopes of volcan Atacazo, 00°20'S, 078°35'W, 3650 m, 11 October 1984, Brandbyge 42817 (AAU!, MO!, QCA!); SW-slopes of volcán Atacazo, 00°20'S, 078°35'W, 3700-3800 m, 28 October 1984, Brandbyge 42837 (AAU!, MO!, QCA!); Volcán Pichincha, N slopes, road to Hda. Yanacocha from pass on Quito-Nono road, km 7-11.2, 00°07'S, 078°33'W, 3600- 3500 m, 12 October 1991, Øllgaard 99187 (AAU!); Carretera a San Juan-Atacazo, km 1-12, 00°20'S, 078°35'W, 3700-4000 m, 02 September 1990, Romoleroux 1060 (AAU!, QCA!); Tocachi, 00°08'N, 078°16'W, 3260 m, Asplund 17103 (S); 00°08'N, 078°16'W, Benoist 4549 (S); NW side of Pichincha, 00°08'N, 078°16'W, Fagerlind s.n (S); 00°08'N, 078°16'W, Holmgren 664 (S); 00°08'N, 078°16'W, Jameson s.n (MO!); Páramo de Mojanda, at Laguna Negra and S-side of Laguna Grande, 00°08'N, 078°16'W, 3800 m, 14 May 1985, Lægaard 54316A (AAU!, QCA!); 00°08'N, 078°16'W, Romoleroux 1495 (AAU!, QCA!); 243 (QCA!); 245 (NY, QCA!); 305 (QCA!); 00°08'N, 078°16'W, 3700 m, Romoleroux 350 (QCA!).

Kingdom

Plantae

Phylum

Marchantiophyta

Class

Aves

Order

Rosales

Family

Rosaceae

Genus

Polylepis