Nasa ramirezii (Weigend) Weigend, Revista Peru Biol. 13(1): 80 (2006).

Henning, Tilo, Acuna-Castillo, Rafael, Cornejo, Xavier, Gonzales, Paul, Segovia, Edgar, Wong Sato, Akira Armando & Weigend, Maximilian, 2023, When the absence of evidence is not the evidence of absence: Nasa (Loasaceae) rediscoveries from Peru and Ecuador, and the contribution of community science networks, PhytoKeys 229, pp. 1-19 : 1

Nasa ramirezii (Weigend) Weigend, Revista Peru Biol. 13(1): 80 (2006).

Fig. 2E, F

Loasa ramirezii Weigend, Sendtnera 3: 231 (1996). Type. Colombia. Nariño: Municipio Tangua, 5 km S of Tangua [vertiente al otro lado del valle sur de Tangua], 2600 m, M. Weigend & B.R. Ramírez 3280 (holotype: M! [M-0113266]; isotypes: COL!, PSO! [PSO0000004, PSO0000005]).

Type.

Based on Loasa ramirezii Weigend.

The rediscovery of Nasa ramirezii is here reported for Ecuador only. It was described in 1996 based on a collection made in the southern Colombian department Nariño by MW and cultivated plants thereof. From Ecuador, however, only a small number of very old specimens was known which all lack proper locality information. These four collections all go back to the 19th century and could only tentatively be assigned to this species, whose occurrence was only secured from a few small patches in southern Colombia so far. Until now, this taxon could only be assumed to occur in northern Ecuador, and given the widespread habitat destruction in this region, it was suspected that it might be extinct there. Two recent observations uploaded to iNaturalist revealed the first photographs of living plants from Ecuador and the first exact locality information. The taxon is apparently restricted to a small area in the province of Imbabura and has been repeatedly observed in the Conrayaro forest.

Two independent observations have been recorded from the same area by Ruth Ripley in March 2018 and Mony León in April 2023, respectively. The former shared the following detailed occurrence data with us: flowering plants of Nasa ramirezii were found on the path to the Cascada de Conrayare, in San Alfonso de Iruguincho, in Timbuyacu, to the southwest of Cerro de Añaburo at elevations between 2700-3000 m. This is located in San Miguel de Urcuquí County, Imbabura Province in NW Ecuador. The area is dominated by Andean forest and some common angiosperms include for example Barnadesia sp., Bomarea sp. ( Alstroemeriaceae ), Ericaceae , Geranium sp. ( Geraniaceae ), Melastomataceae , Oxalis sp., Peperomia sp., Phyllanthus sp. ( Phyllanthaceae ), Salvia sp. ( Lamiaceae ) and Siparuna sp. ( Siparunaceae ).

Additional specimens examined.

Colombia. Valle de Cauca: Popayan, Western slopes of the Sotara Volcanoe , 2400 m, Lehmann 6205 (K); Nariño: Tangua, Tapialquer, 2250-2500 m, B.R. Ramirez s.n. (PSO); 5km south of Tangua in a coffee plantation, 2600 m, M. Weigend 3280 & B.R. Ramirez (M, COL, PSO); Tajumbina, Mpio de la Cruz, 2630 m, Buenavides s.n. (PSO); Mpio Consaca, Mpio de Coriaco , 1820 m, Ramirez s.n. (PSO); Mpio de Consaca , Seccion de Coriaco , 1820 m, Guarin 407 (PSO) . Ecuador. Province unknown: "Andes of Quito", Jameson 79 (K); "Andes of Cuenca at 10,000 feet in woods, July 1840 " Jameson 289 (K); Without locality, Jameson s.n. anno 1840 (E); " Loasa sp. Nova de Huayaquil [Guayaquil]", Ruiz & Pavón s.n., leg. Tafalla (BM, G) .

Photographic records.

Ecuador. Imbabura: San Miguel de Urcuquí, Conrayaro forest, 0.427288S, 78.270863W, 14 Mar 2018, R. Ripley https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/12800711 (https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/3466042315); W 78.278315, 0.436863, 2 Apr 2023, M. León https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/153269256.

Figures

Figure 2. A-D Nasa humboldtiana E, F Nasa ramirezii G, H Nasa solaria A trifoliolate leaf of N. humboldtiana subsp. humboldtiana B flower of N. humboldtiana subsp. humboldtiana C flower of N. humboldtiana cf. subsp. obliqua from Chimborazo / Ecuador D flower of N. humboldtiana subsp. obliqua from Cajamarca / Peru E inflorescence of N. ramirezii with putative pollinator F flower of N. ramirezii G flower of N. solaria H habit of N. solaria. Photo credits: A-C X. Cornejo D T. Henning E, F: R. Ripley G, H P. Gonzales.