Symplocos pachycarpa Kelly & Almeda (2006: 318)

Kelly, Lawrence M., Almeda, Frank & Fritsch, Peter W., 2016, A taxonomic revision of Mexican and Central American Symplocos (Symplocaceae), Phytotaxa 264 (1), pp. 448-450 : 448-450

20. Symplocos pachycarpa Kelly & Almeda (2006: 318) . Type:— MEXICO. Oaxaca: Dist. Miahuatlán, 11 km SW of San Jerónimo Coatlán, toward San Gabriel Mixtepec, 1982 m, 16°12′29″N, 96°54′00″W, 13 January 2003, L. Kelly et al. 1309 (holotype NY!, isotypes CAS!, F!, GH!, MEXU!)

Trees 7–20 m tall; juvenile branchlets and vegetative buds densely sericeous to tomentose, trichomes 0.5–0.8 mm long, reddish brown. Petioles 5–9 mm long; leaf blades bicolorous, narrowly elliptic or elliptic to oblanceolate, 8–12 × 2.7–3.5(–3.8) cm, subcoriaceous, abaxially densely sericeous, adaxially glabrous, secondary veins not adaxially impressed, base acute, margins entire, apex acuminate. Inflorescences fascicles, 1.3–2.1 mm long, 10–16- flowered; peduncle absent; rachis 5–10 mm, densely sericeous to tomentose, trichomes 0.5–0.8 mm long; bracts persistent, broadly ovate to subrotund, 1.5–2 × 1.5–2 mm, sericeous, margins ciliate, bracteoles persistent, 3–5, broadly ovate to subrotund, 1–2 × 1–2 mm, sericeous, margins ciliate; pedicels absent. Hypanthium sericeous. Calyx lobes 5, ovate, (1.5–)2–3 × 1–1.2 mm, densely sericeous, margins densely sericeous. Corolla pink, 5-lobed, 8–11 mm long; tube 3–4 mm long; lobes adnate to filament tube for 3–5 mm, narrowly to broadly oblanceolate, sparsely sericeous distally. Stamens 3–4-seriate; filament tube 4–5 mm long; distinct portions of filaments 1–1.5 × ca. 0.75 mm. Disk villous; style 7–12 mm long, pilose on basal half; stigma irregularly 3-lobed. Fruits green maturing to dark bluish purple, broadly ellipsoid to subglobose, 6–8 × 3–5 mm, sparsely to densely pilose, apex rounded to base of erect or slightly infolded calyx lobes; disk convex, covered by calyx lobes; endocarp 3-locular, perimeter rounded.

Vernacular name —None.

Illustration — Kelly and Almeda (2006: 319).

Phenology —Flowering September, October, and December; fruiting January, May, and July.

Distribution and habitat — Mexico (Guerrero [Sierra Madre del Sur], Oaxaca [Sierra Norte, Sierra Madre del Sur, and Chimalapa region], and Veracruz), in cloud forests and Quercus - Pinus forests at (1400–) 1600–2020 m elev. Figure 26 .

Conservation status — This species is restricted to southern Mexico where it is known from 11 widely scattered populations in Guerrero and Oaxaca and one collection from the Pico de Orizaba area in Veracruz. It appears that none of these populations occur in a protected area. The single collection by Botteri from the Orizaba region was collected over 130 years ago. Although that area has been protected as Parque Nacional de Orizaba since 1936, we have no information as to whether this species still persists there. The EOO is 100,936 km ² and the AOO is 44 km ². In view of its highly fragmented geographic distribution, restricted elevational distribution, small AOO in unprotected sites with deforestation threats, and projected decline in area, extent, and quallity of habitat, we assign a classification of Endangered (EN): B2ab(iii) to this species .

Discussion — Symplocos pachycarpa is morphologically most similar to S. citrea . Both species have fasciculate or racemose inflorescences, densely sericeous sepals, petal lobes with sparse apical pubescence, basally pubescent styles, and pubescent ovaries and fruits. Symplocos citrea is most common on the Pacific slope of the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt, from Nayarit and Jalisco as far east as the State of Mexico and Distrito Federal. It is also present, but less common, in the Sierra Madre del Sur of Guerrero and Oaxaca. The following couplet distinguishes S. pachycarpa from S. citrea :

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Leaves narrowly elliptic or elliptic to oblanceolate, entire, the abaxial surface densely sericeous; fruits broadly ellipsoid to subglobose, 0.6–0.8 cm long; inflorescence bracts and bracteoles persistent ......................................................... S. pachycarpa

Leaves elliptic or oblong to lanceolate or obovate, serrulate, the abaxial surface appressed pilose, densely spreading pilose along midvein; fruits narrowly cylindric to slightly obovoid (rarely fusiform), 1.3–1.6(–2) cm long; inflorescence bracts and bracteoles deciduous ............................................................................................................................................. S. citrea

Additional specimens examined — MEXICO. Guerrero: between Puerto el Gallo and Atoyac , 1830 m, [17°27′00″N, 100°10′53″W], 20 October 1984, Breedlove & Almeda 61963 (BM!, CAS!, DUKE!, F!, GH!, IEB!, INB!, MEXU!, MICH!, MO!, NY!) ; below Puerto el Gallo along the rd to Atoyac , 1980 m, [17°25′39″N, 100°11′42″W], 10 October 1986, Breedlove & Almeda 65146 (BM!, CAS!, DUKE!, F!, GH!, IEB!, INB!, MEXU!, MICH!, MO!, NY!, TEX!) . Oaxaca: Dist. Villa Alta, Km 622 Camino Piedra Larga a Miahuatlán , 24 September 1982, Cedillo T. 1831 (CAS!, MEXU!, MO!) ; Dist. Juchitán, Mpio. San Miguel Chimalapa, Cerro de la División , ca. 5 km al E de Benito Juárez, ca. 39 km en línea recta al NNE de San Pedro Tapantepec , 1400–1600 m, 16°43′N, 94°05′W, 1 May 1986, Maya J. 3265 (CAS!, MEXU!) ; Dist. Ixtlán, Macuiltianguis, a 2 km abajo del Rancho “La Primavera” rumbo al Río “Faisan,” 1600 m, [17°32′10″N, 96°33′32″W], Pérez C. C 93 ( MEXU!) ; Dist. Mixe, Mpio. Totontepec, Rumbo Villa Alta , 16 km al O de Totontepec, [17°20′20″N, 96°09′09″W], 14 September 1986, Ramírez G. & Ramírez C. 550 (CAS!, MEXU!, NY!) ; Dist. Miahuatlán, Mpio. San Jerónimo Coatlán, 10 km de San Jerónimo Coatlán , camino a San Pedro Juchatengo, [16°12′52″N, 96°55′18″W], 17 January 1992, Salas M. 291 ( MEXU!) ; El Mirador de Amatepec, 5 km al NE de Totontepec, hacia Choapán , 1860 m, [17°16′38″N, 96°01′03″W], 14 December 1985, Torres C. et al. 7964 (CAS!, MEXU!, NY!) ; 6.7 km al SE de la desviación a Oaxaca por Mixes , la desviación esta 3.5 km al S de San Andrés Yaa, 2020 m, [17°17′35″N, 96°07′14″W], 7 December 1982, Torres C. & Cedillo T. 2064 (F!, GH!, MEXU!, MO!) ; Mpio. Santa María Chimalapa , Cerro El

A TAXONOMIC REVISION OF SYMPLOCOS

Phytotaxa 264 (1) © 2016 Magnolia Press • 69 Quetzal (Cerro de la Mesa), ca. 3.5 km en línea recta al N del Cerro Guayabitos, ca. 44 km en línea recta al N de San Pedro Tapanatepec, cerca del límite con Mpio. San Miguel Chimalapa, 1950 m, 16°46′N, 94°11′30″N, 22 July 1985, Wendt et al. 5071 (CAS!, MEXU!, MO!). Oaxaca or Veracruz : [Volcán Pico de] Orizaba , [19°01′50″N, 97°16′05″W], Botteri 1187 ( US!). Veracruz : montosis San Colicá , Mohr 1501 ( US!) .

Figures

FIGURE 26. Geographic distribution of Symplocos pachycarpa and S. tacanensis.