Chionanthus chrysopetalus Cornejo ex Lombardi, 2017

Lombardi, Julio Antonio, 2017, Chionanthus chrysopetalus (Oleaceae), a New Species from Peru, Phytotaxa 311 (2), pp. 190-194 : 191

Chionanthus chrysopetalus Cornejo ex Lombardi , sp. nov. ( Fig. 1 , 2 ).

Chionanthus chrysopetalus resembles C. implicatus ( Rusby 1907: 314) Green (1994: 270) and C. compactus Swartz (1788: 13) by the elliptic leaves, but differs by the hispidulous indument (vs. puberulous in C. implicatus , and tomentose to puberulous in C. compactus ), and yellow corollas (vs. white in C. implicatus and C. compactus ).

Type:— PERU. Cusco, Camisea, Campamento Segakiato , 5 km down river from Community Segakiato , 11º48’36”S 72º53’02”W, 350 m, 2 October 1997 (fl), P. Acevedo-Rodríguez 10109 (holotype, F!; isotypes, K!, NY!, US) .

Trees or shrubs, 3–7 m tall; young branches hispidulous, old ones glabrescent, hairs unbranched, not glandular, reddish, drying yellow, with sparse diminutive and inconspicuous peltate scales. Leaves opposite, exstipulate; petioles (3.3–) 6–9 mm, pulvinate at base, canaliculated, hispidulous; blades papery, (2.4–) 4.9–20 × (1–) 2.5–6.6 cm, elliptic, apex caudate to acute, base attenuate, venation pinnate, with 9–14 pairs of secondary veins, abaxial side pilose, with midrib and secondary veins prominent and hispidulous, with 6–9 pairs of conspicuously pilose domatia on the axils of the secondary veins, tertiary veins slightly prominent, adaxial side glabrescent with midrib impressed and hispidulous, secondary veins slightly prominent to plane, and tertiary veins plane. Inflorescences paniculiform, axillary, 1.5–6.5 × 3–6 cm, with 25–45 flowers; peduncle 0.7–23 mm, hispidulous; axis and branches hispidulous; bracts 1.2–2.6(–6) × 0.5(–1.4) mm, linear, rarely elliptic, strigose; pedicels (0–) 0.7–1.5 mm, hispidulous. Flower buds hispidulous; calyx gamosepalous, tetramerous, triangular, 0.4–0.5 mm, 0.5–0.9 × 0.5–0.9 mm, hispidulous externally; corolla yellow, tetramerous, petals linear, (4.5–) 7.5–10 × 0.9–1.4 mm, joined in pairs by the filament bases, broadened at base, apex acute, margin revolute, glabrous; stamens 2, 1.1–1.4 mm long, glabrous, 2-sporangiate, 4-thecate, filaments 0.4–0.5 mm, connective conspicuous, drying brownish, obtuse, anthers 0.9–1.1 × 0.8–1 mm, spherical to ovoid, latrorse; ovary superior, 2-locular, flask-shaped, 0.5–0.7 × 0.5–0.6 mm, glabrous, with two axillary, apical and pendulous ovules in each locule, style slightly flattened, 0.3–0.5 mm long, stigma 0.1–0.2 × 0.2–0.3 mm, terminal, capitate to slightly 2- lobed. Fruits and seeds unknown.

Phenology: —This species was collected with flowers in August and October.

Distribution and habitat: ― Chionanthus chrysopetalus is known from two regions in Peru: Cusco and Ucayali. It grows in lowland, non-flooded moist and primary forests.

IUCN red list category: — Chionanthus chrysopetalus is here considered as Data Deficient [DD] under the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria ( IUCN Standards and Petitions Subcommittee 2017). There is no information about its population size or occurrence of this taxon within protected areas.

Taxonomic notes: — Chionanthus chrysopetalus is characterized by an hispidulous indument that covers all branches, petioles, midribs, and inflorescences. This indumentum is reddish when fresh and yellow when dry. It resembles C. implicatus (Rusby) P.S.Green and C. compactus Sw. in the elliptic leaves, but differs in the hispidulous indumentum (vs. puberulous in C. implicatus , and tomentose to puberulous in C. compactus ) and the yellow corollas (vs. white in C. implicatus and C. compactus ). It also shares inflorescences with similar lengths (ca. 1.5–6.5 cm) with C. implicatus .

Etymology: —The specific epithet “chrysopetalus ” refers to th yellow petals, an uncommon feature in Chionanthus .

Additional specimens examined: — PERU. Ucayali: Prov. Coronel Portillo, Distr. Calleria, cuenca del Río Utiquinia, cabecera de la quebrada Espejoyacu, afluente de la quebrada Manuela , 07º57.81 S 73º53.98 W, 800–850 m, 12 August 2003, Graham 2684 (NY!) ; Prov. Padre Abad, Distr. Padre Abad, cuenca del Río Aguaytia , carretera a la quebrada Alto San Pedro, W de la Aguaytia, 09º02’ S 75º32’ W, 300 m, 23 October 2004, Schunke-Vigo & Graham 16499 (NY!) .

Figures

FIGURE 1. Chionanthus chrysopetalus. Image of the holotype, close-up of the inflorescence with hispidulous indument (taken from Acevedo-Rodríguez 10109, F) (Photos by Julio Lombardi).

FIGURE 2. Chionanthus chrysopetalus. A. Flower. B. Stamen. C. Calyx with two sepals removed showing part of the gynoecium. Illustrated from Acevedo-Rodríguez 10109 (F).