Couepia janzenii D. Santam. & Lagom., 2015

Santamaria-Aguilar, Daniel & Lagomarsino, Laura. P., 2015, Synopsis of Couepia (Chrysobalanaceae) in Costa Rica, with a description of two new species, Phytotaxa 233 (1), pp. 69-79 : 73-75

2. Couepia janzenii D. Santam. & Lagom. , sp. nov. ( Fig. 3 )

Type: — COSTA RICA. Limón: Cordillera Volcánica Central, lower edge of reserve, along Braulio Carrillo highway, on steep hills rising immediately from Río Sucio floodplain ; Finca of Mora family, 10°02.5’N, 84°00.5’W, 250 m, 27 April 1989 (fl), B. Hammel, C. Gómez & I. Chacón 17328 (holotype: CR!; isotypes: GH!, K, MO!) .

Tree (7–) 13–40 × (0.35–) 0.70–1 m; external bark sometimes described as reddish, gray or reddish-gray, falling off in sheets; internal bark sometimes described as reddish. Twigs cylindrical, glabrous, blackish, generally lenticellate, lenticels small and whitish; sap not seen. Stipules not seen. Leaves with petioles 0.4–1.2 cm long, eglandular, rugose, pubescent, rounded below, flat or sulcate above; lamina (9.0–) 10.8–24.7 (–28.3) × (3.8–) 4.0– 10.6 cm, elliptic to lanceolate, acute to rounded at base, acuminate or cuspidate at apex, the acumen 0.3–1.0 cm long, glabrous above (except on the midrib), densely arachnoid below (less dense on the midrib and lateral veins), trichomes brown or brownish-white when dried, generally with small flat glands along the midrib; midrib inconspicuously elevated above, prominent and rounded below; lateral veins 13–15 per side, flat or weakly impressed above, weakly elevated below; tertiary veins inconspicuous above, indistinct below. Inflorescences 8.0– 15 cm long, terminal and axillary, paniculate; rachis rounded and striate, branches more or less flattened, covered with brown or reddish brown trichomes; bracts membranaceous, ovate or triangular, diminutively pubescent outside; bracteoles 1.0–2.0 mm long, subulate, densely pubescent outside, caducous. Flowers with pedicels 3.7–6.0 mm long, densely pubescent, articulated; receptacle 5.0– 6.3 mm long, subcylindrical, densely pubescent outside and longitudinally striate, the trichomes ferruginous, glabrous inside, except with hairs around throat; calyx lobes 4.0–6.0 × 2.3–3.0 (–4.3) mm, oblong-lanceolate or suborbicular, acute to rounded at apex, densely pubescent on both surfaces, eglandular, persistent; petals 3.0–4.0 × 1.2–2.5 mm, color unknown, similar in shape to calyx lobes, apex obtuse to rounded, densely pubescent on both surfaces, caducous; stamens 17–26, inserted in a nearly complete circle, glabrous; ovary densely pubescent; style densely pubescent in the proximal half (sometimes close to the apex), trichomes 0.5–1 mm long, pale brown, distally glabrous. Fruits 2.2–3.9 × 0.8–1.8 cm (in herbarium material), elliptic to ovoid, green or yellowish-green outside; epicarp smooth, glabrous or sparsely pubescent (densely in young fruits); mesocarp and endocarp not seen.

Distribution and Habitat:–– Couepia janzenii occurs in Costa Rica and Panama. It has been collected in wet forests of the Caribbean slope in the provinces of Heredia and Limón in Costa Rica and Panamá and Coclé in Panama. It is reported from primary forest, edge forest and pasture land at (10–) 100–1500 m elevation.

Etymology:— This species is dedicated to Daniel H. Janzen (1939–), the eminent ecologist, authority on Lepidoptera , and professor at the University of Pennsylvania, for his many important contributions to the study of natural history and practice of conservation. We are grateful for his efforts in Costa Rica, including the integration of Costa Rican biologists and parataxonomists into his research program and the development of the Área de Conservación de Guanacaste. Furthermore, the Instituto Nacional de Biodiversidad, where the first author had his initial experiences with museum collections, never would have come into existence without Janzen’s support.

Phenology:— This species has been collected in flower in April and in fruit in April, May, and August.

Vernacular name:— This species is possibly known as “Sudor de buey” (ox sweat, in English) (N. Zamora 404).

Notes:— Couepia janzenii is distinctive among its congeners for its densely arachnoid pubescent leaf undersides; the leaves with 13–15 pairs of lateral veins which are lightly surcate and slightly impressed on the upper surface and prominent on the lower surface; the paniculate inflorescences that are both terminal and axillary; the elliptic to ovoid fruits that are sparsely pubescent when immature; and dense, brown or whitish-brown pubescence covering the inflorescence, receptacle, and calyx lobes.

Couepia janzenii has been confused with C. polyandra , from which it can be separated by the latter’s whitisharachnoid pubescence on the underside of the leaf, the denser pubescence on the pedicels and inflorescences, and the two small glands generally found on the pedicels. Furthermore, C. polyandra has glabrous petals and larger fruits ([3.2–] 4.0–5.5 × [1.4–] 2.0– 2.4 cm). Couepia osaensis Aguilar & D. Santam. and C. scottmorii Prance (1989: 68) are the only other Central American species with pubescent petals. Couepia osaensis is distinguished from C. janzenii by the leaves that are abaxially tomentose to glabrescent and the larger fruits (5.5 × 2.4 cm) that are completely glabrous when immature. Couepia scottmorii differs in its racemose inflorescences and small leaves (2.5–5.0 × 1.6–3.0 cm). Couepia janzenii can also be compared to C. venosa Prance (1972: 251) from Brazil for its small leaves with numerous lateral veins, terminal paniculate inflorescences, and ferruginous-tomentose external receptacle surface, although the latter species has a subcampanulate receptacle (vs. subcylindrical) and 37–50 stamens.

Additional Specimens Examined:–– COSTA RICA. Heredia: Cantón de Sarapiquí. Horquetas, 28 November 1983 (ster.), N. Zamora 404 ( CR!) ; Cantón de Sarapiquí. Parque Nacional Braulio Carrillo. Estación Magsasay, 10°24’10”N, 84°03’30”W, 150 m, 04 April 1991 (fr), R. Aguilar 130 (CR-2 sheets!, F!, INB!, K, MO!) ; Puerto Viejo. Finca La Selva, Sábalo-Esquina trail, between lines 1400–1600, 10°26’N, 84°01’W, 24 August 1973 (fr), G. S. Hartshorn 1287 ( CR 2 -sheets!, F!; photocopy, LSCR!) ; Finca La Selva, the OTS field station on the río Puerto Viejo just E of its junction with the río Sarapiquí , on top ridge just SW of plot III, 100 m, 13 July 1981 (ster.), B. Hammel 10982 ( LSCR!) ; Finca La Selva, the OTS field station on the río Puerto Viejo just E of its junction with the río Sarapiquí , in plot III tip of ridge 1650 m S, by 300 m E, 100 m, 23 July 1981 (ster.), B. Hammel 11038 ( LSCR!) .

Limón: Cantón de Pococí. Llanura de Tortuguero. Cariari, Palmitas, El Triángulo, Las Brisas. Finca Guillermo Acosta, 10°29’00”N, 83°43’00”W, 10 m, 05 May 1996 (fr), Q. Jiménez et al. 2095 (CR!, F!, INB!, K, MO!). PANAMA.

Coclé: Around Rivera Sawmill, 7 km north of El Cope, road to summit, 700–850 m, 02 October 1997 (im. fr), J. P. Folsom et al. 5672 (MO!). Panamá. Altos de Pacora, 09°14’N, 79°21’O, 02 April 1997 (fl), C. Galdames et al. 3779 (MO!).

Figures

FIGURE 3. Couepia janzenii D. Santam. & Lagom. A. Branch with inflorescence. B. Indument on abaxial leaf surface. C. Flower bud. D. Flower. E. Petals. F. Immature fruit. G. Mature fruit. Drawing by J. Jiménez.A–E. From the holotype. F. From R. Aguilar 130. G. From Q. Jiménez et al. 2095.