Rubus pendulus Rusby, Torreya 33:41. 1933.

Espinel-Ortiz, David A., Rodriguez, Carla J. & Romoleroux, Katya, 2023, Rediscovery of Rubus pendulus Rusby (Rosaceae) and a new record for the flora of Ecuador and Peru, PhytoKeys 227, pp. 109-122 : 109

Rubus pendulus Rusby, Torreya 33:41. 1933.

Figs 1 , 2 , 3

Type.

Colombia. Huila: Balsillas, at Balsillas river , edge of forest, 2000-2100 m, 03-05 Aug 1917, H.H. Rusby & F.W. Pennell 719 (holotype: NY (NY-424649)) .

Description.

Woody vine growing up to 10 m long, or scandent or climbing shrub, with all prickles from the base 1⁄3-2⁄3 sparsely villous-hirsute with red setose hairs, glabrous towards the apex, eglandular or with subsessile glands. Branches obtuse-angled, red to slightly brownish, with red setose hairs, and hirsute, 3.4-9.4 mm diam., eglandular or with some setose hairs ending in a gland, unarmed or with up to 5 prickles (per total area of 5 cm long of the branch), gradually narrowed from a broad base, curved at the apex, 1.1-4.1 × 1.2-7.4 mm. Stipules asymmetrically narrow, subulate, 4.7-9.7 × 0.4-1.8 mm, margin entire, chartaceous; adaxial surface sparsely hirsute on veins, with red subsessile glands on margin; abaxial surface with red setose hairs on veins and towards the margin, and hirsute, with red sessile and subsessile glands. Petioles 4.8-10.6 (-15.2) cm long, with red setose hairs, and hirsute, with 17-35 prickles, gradually narrowed from a broad base, curved at the apex, 0.9-2.8 × 0.6-2.8 mm; basal petiolules 3.0-6.5 mm long, unarmed or with up to 5 prickles, gradually narrowed from a broad base, curved at the apex, 0.7-1.1 × 0.3-1.1 mm; lateral petiolules 7.0-29.7 (-45.5) mm long, with 3-17 (-34) prickles, gradually narrowed from a broad base, curved at the apex, 0.6-2.0 × 0.4-1.6 mm; terminal petiolules 2.8-5.1 (-9.0) cm long, with 8-27 (-42) prickles, gradually narrowed from a broad base, curved at the apex, 0.6-2.8 × 0.4-3.1 mm. Leaves trifoliate to 5-foliate; leaflets ovate to elliptic, base subcordate or asymmetrically subcordate, apex acuminate, margin serrate or bidentate towards the apex, basal leaflets (2.6-) 5.3-7.7 × (1.1-) 2.5-4.0 cm, lateral leaflets 7.1-14.3 × 3.7-7.0 cm, terminal leaflet (6.7-) 10.4-15.1 × (3.8-) 4.8-7.3 cm, chartaceous, with 10-19 secondary veins, adaxial surface bullate, sparsely villous-hirsute on each bubble, and densely villous hirsute on the midvein and secondary veins, with red subsessile glands, unarmed, abaxial surface glabrous with red setose hairs, and villous only on the veins, with red subsessile glands on the veins, rarely unarmed or with 8-18 (32) prickles on the primary vein, gradually narrowed from a broad base, curved at the apex, 0.2-1.8 × 0.3-2.1 mm. Inflorescences compact, compound, terminal and axillary cymes, 6-53-flowered, 8.2-15.3 cm long, with simple or trifoliate leaves below; peduncles terete, red to slightly brownish, (5.7-) 8.1-20.3 (-48.7) mm long, villous with abundant red setose hairs, eglandular, unarmed or with up to 14 prickles, gradually narrowed from a broad base, curved at the apex, 1.4-2.2 × 0.4-1.6 mm; pedicels terete, red to slightly brownish, 2.4-7.5 (-9.1) mm long, villous with abundant red setose hairs, eglandular, with 6-20 prickles, gradually narrowed from a broad base or triangular, curved at the apex, 0.8-2.4 × 0.1-1.4 mm. Flowers 8.21-15.25 mm diam.; sepals 5, obovate to elliptic or slightly lanceolate, apex mucronulate, margin entire, 5.1-7.9 × 2.5-4.6 mm, greenish-red to red, adaxial surface concave, villous-sericeous, and tomentose towards the apex and the margin, with sessile and subsessile glands, unarmed, abaxial surface convex, tomentose, with subsessile glandular, unarmed; petals 5, narrowly obovate to elliptic, margin entire, 9.0-13.9 × 6.1-7.8 mm, fuchsia to pink, glabrous, eglandular, adaxial surface deeply concave, abaxial surface deeply convex, stamens with anthers glabrous, filaments pale pink, glabrous; pistils, stigmas glabrous, styles slightly hirtellous, ovaries densely villous. Fruits green to red when immature, and black at maturity, ovoid to globose, 7.8-15.4 × 6.6-11.0 mm (when dry); drupelets 66-115 per receptacle, 2.1-4.3 × 1.1-2.8 mm (when dry), sparsely villous.

Specimens examined.

Colombia. - Huila: Neiva, Vereda La Plata, Finca La Colonia (Antigua Carolina), 2000 m, 31 Oct 1996 (fl), F. Llanos & W.F. Gerardino 2797 (COL). - Magdalena: Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Finca Cecilia, Quebrada Indiana, ca 10°59.000'N, 73°58.000'W, ca 1750 m, 03 Sep 1972 (fl), J.H. Kirkbride 2082 (COL); Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Finca Los Arroyitos, ca 10°56.000'N, 73°58.000'W, ca 1800 m, 07 Oct 1972 (fl, fr), J.H. Kirkbride 2436 (COL, US (US-3733777)). - Santander: Between Piedecuesta and Las Vegas, 2000-2500 m, 19-24 Dec 1926 (fr), E.P. Killip & A.C. Smith 15567 (NY); Municipio Onzaga, Vereda Chaguacá, 2640 m, 30 Mar 1976 (fr), J.H. Torres, G. Lozano & S. Díaz 539 (COL). - Cundinamarca: Facatativá, Alto de Peña Negra, 2810-2820 m, 29 May 1941 (fl, fr), H. García-Barriga & R. Jaramillo 104033 (US (US-3733540)). - Bogotá-DC: 25 miles SW of Bogotá, 18 Mar 1952 (fr), G.M. Darrow s.n. (US (US-3733541)). - Cesar: Municipio Valledupar, Corregimiento de Puerto Bello, 1200-2000 m, 13 Jul 1983 (fl), Cuadros H. V. 1685 (COL). Ecuador. - Pichincha: San José de Mindo, Nono-Tandayapa road, route of the OCP Heavy Crude Oil Pipeline, Cerro Castillo and La Bola, 00°01.750'S, 78°40.984'W, 2600 m, 05 Oct 2001 (fl, fr), D. Fernández, E. Toapanta, M. Mites & C. Morales 606 (MO, QCNE (QCNE-159936)); Quito, Nanegalito, vía a San Tadeo, Área Protegida Privada Bellavista, 00°02.170'S, 78°42.067'W, 2297 m, 03 Dec 2021, D.A Espinel-Ortiz & H.G. Abad 300 (QCA (QCA-244065, QCA-7010819 to QCA-7010822 and QCA-7010828)); same locality as for preceding, 00°02.178'N, 78°42.227'W, 2297 m, 03 Dec 2021, D.A Espinel-Ortiz & H.G. Abad 301 (QCA (QCA-244068 and QCA-7010829 to QCA-7010831)); Quito, Nanegalito, vía al Área Protegida Privada Bellavista desde carretera E26, 00°00.077'N, 78°41.356'W, 2281 m, 07 Dec 2021, D.A Espinel-Ortiz & H.G. Abad 303 (QCA (QCA-244067 and QCA-7010825 to QCA-7010827)); same locality as for preceding, 00°02.178'S, 78°42.227'W, 2315 m, 20 Apr 2022, D.A Espinel-Ortiz & H.G. Abad 327 (QCA); same locality as for preceding, 00°02.274'S, 78°42.275'W, 2303 m, 20 Apr 2022, D.A Espinel-Ortiz & H.G. Abad 328 (QCA); same locality as for preceding, 00°02.281'S, 78°42.316'W, 2 m, 16 May 2022 (fl), D.A Espinel-Ortiz & H.G. Abad 382 (QCA); Quito, Nanegalito, El Golán, between El Alí and El Porvenir, 00°06.570'N, 78°35.150'W, 2444 m, 25 May 2021 (fl), C.E. Cerón & C.I. Reyes-Tello 88459 (QAP (QAP-106468 and QAP-106757)); Quito, Nanegalito, El Golán, between Edén Mágico and El Porvenir, 00°05.270'N, 78°33.230'W, 2402 m, 10 Jul 2021, C.E. Cerón, C.I. Reyes-Tello, D. Bacuilima & A. Acosta 88667 (QAP (QAP-106886)); Quito, Yunguilla, pasando la entrada a la comunidad El Golán, 00°06.485'N, 78°33.207'W, 2641 m, 08 Dec 2021, D. Espinel-Ortiz & H.G. Abad 304 (QCA (QCA-244066 and QCA-7010824). - Napo: National Park Los Llanganates, Salcedo-Tena road, km 60, "La Poderosa’’ ranch, descending to Mulatos river, 4 km, 00°57.000'S, 78°14.000'W, 2500-2870 m, 16 Mar 1995 (fl, fr), H. Vargas & D. Sandoval 451 (MO (MO-1610744), NY). - Loja: Ca. 5 km of Paso de Sabanilla, on road Yangana-Valladolid, 04°27.00'S, 79°10.000'W, 2500 m, 03 Sep 1985, S. Lægaard 55178 (AAU). - Morona Santiago: Sangay National Park, Guamote-Macas road, near Purshi-Zuña, 02°11.000'S, 78°20.000'W, 2400-2700 m, 07 Jun 1998, C.E. Cerón 36281 (QAP (QAP-91)). - Zamora Chinchipe: Nanguipa Cordillera, Cerro Colorado, about 8 km by air SSE of Nambija, 20 km ESE of Zamora, montane cloud forest, 04°07.483'S, 78°46.417'W, 2500 m, 18 Feb 2002 (fr), D. Neill, W. Quizhpe, J. Manzanares, A. Hirtz, T. DeLinks & C. Cole 13778 (MO, QCNE (QCNE-162651)); Parque Nacional Yacuri, San Andrés, colecciones en la vía Jimbura-Zumba, ca 500 m del río Isimanchi, 04°47.100'S, 79°22.668'W, 2653 m, 29 Apr 2015, Á.J. Pérez, N. Zapata, W. Santillán & R. Jiménez 8997 (QCA (QCA-233885)). Peru. - Cajamarca: Cutervo, San Andrés de Cutervo, Parque Nacional Cutervo, arriba de Sucedal pasando por Chorro Blanco, 06°11.353'S, 78°41.578'W, 2250 m, 03 Aug 1988 (fr), C. Díaz & H. Osores 2942 (F, MO).

Distribution.

Rubus pendulus is distributed in the Northern and Central Andes (Fig. 4 ). In Colombia, it is known from seven collections in Bogotá DC and the Departments of Cesar, Cundinamarca, Huila, Magdalena and Santander. In Ecuador it was found in the provinces of Loja, Morona Santiago, Napo, Pichincha and Zamora Chinchipe. Lastly, from Peru it is known from one collection in Cajamarca. This species inhabits the Andean cordillera from 2000 to 2900 m a.s.l.; however, there were two specimens from Magdalena which showed a lower distribution from ca 1700 to 1800 m.

Ecology.

This species occurs in montane cloud forests dominated by trees and shrubs and in nearby disturbed areas. Rubus pendulus can be found living in sympatry with Rubus adenotrichos Schltdl., R. boliviensis Focke, R. longistipularis , R. porphyromallos and R. urticifolius . Flowering and fruiting collections dated from February, March, May and October.

Conservation status.

Rubus pendulus is known from at least 18 localities, impacted by human activities, including regression to agriculture and road openings. Following the IUCN (2022) guidelines, based on the geographic distribution and altered land use at the localities, this species should be categorized as least concern (LC).

Figures

Figure 1. Rubus pendulus Rusby A inflorescence B habit and leaves C branch D 5 - foliolate leaf E leaf adaxial surface F leaf abaxial surface G pedicel H flower I sepal adaxial surface J sepal abaxial surface K fruit (K based on Fernandez et al. 606 (QCNE) B based on Espinel-Ortiz et al. 301 (QCA) C-F based on Espinel-Ortiz et al. 304 (QCA), A, G-J based on Espinel-Ortiz et al. 382 (QCA )). Illustrations by Carla Rodriguez.

Figure 2. Rubus pendulus Rusby A habit B trifoliate leaf adaxial surface C bullate leaf adaxial surface D flowers. Photos by David A. Espinel-Ortiz.

Figure 3. Rubus pendulus Rusby. Collection Fernandez et al. 606 (QCNE) with flowers and fruits.

Figure 4. Distribution map of Rubus pendulus (black circle) in Colombia, Ecuador and Peru.