Tabernaemontana ochoterenae L.O. Alvarado & S. Islas, 2019

Alvarado-Cárdenas, Leonardo O., Lozada-Pérez, Lucio, Cadena, Joselin, Hernández, Sofia Islas-, Martínez-González, C. Ramiro, Cortez, Ericka B., González- Martínez, César A. & González-Ramírez, Ixchel S., 2019, The triad of knowledge: Systematic, diversity and conservation status of the Mexican species of Tabernaemontana (Apocynaceae; Rauvolfioideae: tribe Tabernaemontaneae), Phytotaxa 388 (1), pp. 1-46 : 32-35

14. Tabernaemontana ochoterenae L.O. Alvarado & S. Islas sp. nov. ( Fig. 1 , 2 , 3 , 10 , 11 ).

Type:— MEXICO. Jalisco: Mun. La Huerta, camino a los terrenos planos, pasando la huerta de mangos, acahual de selva mediana subperennifolia, 29 May 1982, E. J. Lott & S. H. Bullock 1082 (holotype MEXU!).

This species is morphologically similar to Tabernaemontana donnell-smithii , but T. ochoterenae differs in that leaves are usually pubescent but never with domatia, sepals are smaller than the corolla tube, stamens are inserted in the upper third of the flower, and the small fruits have a thin pericarp.

Treelets or shrubs 0.6–3 m tall. Petioles 0.2–1 cm long; blades 4–15.5 × 2.5–6 cm, membranaceous, elliptic to obovate, base acute, apex acuminate, margin entire, glabrous adaxially, pubescent to glabrescent abaxially. Inflorescence 3– 8(–10) flowers, peduncle 0.6–2 cm long; bracts 2–5.5 mm long, ovate, scarious to foliose; pedicels 0.4–1.5 cm long; sepals unequal, 2 series, external 4.7–9.4(–10.2) × 0.4–0.6 mm, internal 11.1–17.8 × 0.4–0.8 mm, ovate, oblong to obovate, obtuse, conspicuous venation; corolla hypocrateriform, yellow to yellowish, tube 1.8–2.8 × 0.5–0.6 cm, twisted around the anthers, staminal ridges present, suprastaminal corona of five wing-shaped lobes present, opposite the anthers, along the tube, limb lobes 1.4–2.4 × 0.6–1.1 cm, obovate; stamens inserted above of middle of the corolla tube, anthers 4–6 mm long, included, yellow; pistil 1.2–2.2 cm long, nectary present. Follicles 3.5–5 × 2.8–4 cm, obliquely ellipsoid, apiculate to caudate, with 2 lateral ridges, sometimes not evident, not lenticelate, brownish, warty, glabrous; seeds 0.9–1.1 cm long.

Etymology: —The species epithet honors our colleague and friend Dr. Helga Ochoterena Booth, researcher at the Instituto de Biología, UNAM. She has worked in another interesting group of the Gentianales , Rubiaceae , as well as in theoretical phylogenetic systematics.

Habitat and phenology: —Tropical deciduous and semideciduous forest, oak forest, xerophilous scrub, and secondary vegetation, with an altitudinal range from 10–1600 m a.s.l. Flowering and fruiting throughout the year.

Distribution:— Endemic to Mexico in the states of Colima, Guerrero, Jalisco, Michoacán, Morelos, Nayarit, Oaxaca and Sinaloa ( Fig. 6e ).

Conservation status: — Tabernaemontana ochoterenae is endemic to the Pacific Slope, occurring in tropical dry forest. The area estimated for its EOO is 337,284 km 2, and its AOO is 264 km 2, less than 20% and 1% of the national territory, respectively. It grows in a variety of elevation and environmental conditions. In addition, it flowers and fruits throughout the year, and its tolerance to cultivation and anthropic disturbances suggest that the species easily adapts to harsh conditions. We consider that the species is not under threat.

Additional specimens examined:— MEXICO. Colima: Mun. Ixtlahuacán, 5.2 Km en línea recta al S de Zinacamitlán, camino a las Conchas , 240 m a.s.l., 16 Aug 2002, Ibarra 6007 ( MEXU) ; Mun. Manzanillo, 25 km al SE de Manzanillo , carretera a Armería, 27 Nov 1981, Lott 854 ( MEXU) . Guerrero: Mun. Acapulco, Parque nacional El Veladero, 200 m a.s.l., 06 Mar 1985, Noriega 494 ( MEXU) ; Mun. Arcelia, Aprox. 19 Km al NE de Arcelia y a 3 km al E de Los Brasiles, carretera Cd. Altamirano-Iguala, 1008 m a.s.l., 05 Jun 2011, Soto 18831 ( MEXU) ; Mun. Azueta, Aprox. 2 Km al N de Vallecito de Zaragoza, camino a Real de Guadalupe , 556 m a.s.l., 25 Jul 2011, Soto 18958 ( MEXU) ; Mun. Coyuca de Catalán, 19 km al SO de la desviación Placeres del Oro y a 0.5 km al NE de Zeina, 770 m a.s.l., 19 Aug 2009, Soto 16569 ( MEXU) ; Mun. José Azueta, Cerca de 800 m al SO del caserío La Vainilla, 300 m a.s.l., 25 Apr 1990, Gallardo 445 ( FCME, MEXU) ; Mun. Juan Escudero, Tierra Colorada, 17 Jul 1966, Kruse 1116 ( MEXU) ; Mun. La Unión , Predio Termoeléctrica Petacalco, 30 m a.s.l., 4 Jul 2002, Lira 1506 ( MEXU) ; Mun. Malinaltepec, Malinaltepec, 1500 m a.s.l., 24 Jun 1991, Wagenbreth 686 ( MEXU) ; Mun. Mochitlán, Rincón de la Vía, barranca del Potrerillo, 770 m a.s.l., 05 Oct 1964, Kruse 1135 ( FCME) ; Mun. Petatlán, A 11 km al NW de Petatlán , camino a El Camalote, 180 m a.s.l., 23 Oct 1983, Martínez 5127 ( MEXU) ; Mun. Tecpan de Galeana, Poblado de Tecpan , 760 m a.s.l., 01 Nov 1991, Diego 6311 ( FCME, MEXU) ; Mun. Zirándaro, A 3 km al E de Guayameo, camino Guayameo-Los Placeres del Oro , 800 m a.s.l., 14 Jul 1982, Martínez 1367 ( MEXU) . Jalisco: Mun. La Huerta , En la marca de 800 m en el sendero de la Calandria, dentro de la Estación de Biología Chamela, 110 m a.s.l., 26 Sep 1997, Domínguez 560 ( MEXU) ; Mun. San Sebastián, camino entre Las Palmas de Arriba y San Sebastián , 670 m a.s.l., 03 Apr 1988, Espejo 3211 ( IEB, MEXU) . Michoacán: Mun. Aquila, 5 km carretera La Placita-Tecomán, 120 m a.s.l., 01 Sep 1979, Guerrero 313 ( IEB, MEXU, XAL) ; Mun. Churumuco, Ejido Llano de Ojo de Agua , 542 m a.s.l., 04 Jul 2013, Hernández 39 ( CIECO, MEXU) ; Mun. Coahuayana, 2 km al Noreste del poblado Ojo de Agua , 10 m a.s.l., 24 Aug 1979, Guerrero 45 ( IEB, MEXU, XAL) ; Mun. La Huacana , Sierra de las cruces, ca. 6.5 km al oeste de Los ranchos, alrededor de Los Cueramos, 825 m a.s.l., 01 May 2004, Steinmann 4276 ( IEB, MEXU) ; Mun. Lázaro Cárdenas, Aprox. 8 km al N de Playa Azul y 2 km al N de La Mira , 124 m a.s.l., 21 Jun 2012, Soto 20172 ( MEXU) .

Nayarit: Mun. Nayarit, Arroyo de los Bueyes, 60 m a.s.l, 03 Aug 1991, Benitez 3255 ( MEXU) ; Mun. Pochotitlán, A 10 km al NE de Francisco I. Madero camino a Pochotitlán, 19 Jun 1987, Téllez 10436 ( IEB, MEXU) ; Mun. San Blas, 600 m al NE de Jalcocotan, carretera Tepic-Miramar, 10 Jun 1994, Flores-Franco 3527 ( MEXU) ; Mun Tepic, 3 km al SW de Tecuitata, camino Tecuitata-El Cora, 300 m a.s.l., 15 Sep 1990, Flores-Franco 2321 ( MEXU). Oaxaca: Mun. Putla de Guerrero, Cuadrilla de Álvarez , 850 m a.s.l, 13 May 1981, García 343 ( MEXU). Sinaloa: Mun. Rosario, A 25 km al NE de Chilillos , 200 m a.s.l., 26 Jul 1983, Martínez 4065 ( MEXU) .

Common names and uses: —“yao gudi” (Guerrero). In the state of Guerrero, the leaves of this species are consumed boiled.

Notes:— Tabernaemontana ochoterenae is similar to T. donnell-smithii that many specimens went unnoticed and described as the later. The new species is recognized by its sepals that are shorter than the corolla tube and do not cover the position of the stamens, the androecium is inserted above the middle of the tube, and the fruits are small and apiculate to caudate with a thin pericarp. The leaves are usually pubescent but never with domatia ( Fig. 10 ). Tabernaemontana donnell-smithii showed sepals almost as long as the corolla tube and mainly cover the position of the stamens, androecium inserted close to the middle of the tube, and the fruits large with a thick pericarp.Additionally, the leaves may be glabrous or with domatia formed by tomentose trichomes in the axils of the secondary veins ( Fig. 10 ). Moreover, T. donnell-smithii is distributed in the states of Chiapas, Oaxaca, Puebla, Tabasco, Veracruz and the Yucatan Peninsula. The new species is distributed only in the states of the Pacific Slope: Colima, Guerrero, Jalisco, Michoacán, Nayarit, Oaxaca, and Sinaloa ( Fig. 6e ).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Selected species of Tabernaemontana in Mexico. a Flowers of T. alba. b Flowers of T.arborea. c Fruit of T. arborea. d Flower of T. citrifolia. e–f. Flower of T. donnell–smithii. g Fruit of T. donnell–smithii. h Flowers of T. divaricata. i Flower of T. glabra. j Fruit of T. glabra. k Flowers of T. hannae. l Flowers of T. ochoterenae. m Flower of T. litoralis. n Fruit of T. litoralis. o Flowers of T. tomentosa. Photographs of Francisco Morales (d), and César González (l).

FIGURE 2. Comparison of flowers of selected species of Tabernaemontana in Mexico. a T. alba. b T. arborea. c T. stenoptera. d T. venusta. e T. chamelensis. f T. citrifolia. g T. amygdalifolia. h T. hannae. i T. oaxacana. j T. donnell–smithii. k T. ochoterenae. l T. eubracteata. m T. riverae. n T. glabra. o T. tomentosa. p T. litoralis.

FIGURE 3. Comparison of fruits of selected species of Tabernaemontana in Mexico. a T. alba. b T. amygdalifolia. c T. arborea. d T. chamelensis. e T. citrifolia (open fruit). f T. donnell–smithii. e T. glabra. h T. eubracteata. i T. hannae. j T. litoralis. k T. mixtecana. l T. oaxacana. m T. ochoterenae. n T. riverae (open fruits). o T. tomentosa.

FIGURE 6. Distribution maps of Tabernaemontana species in Mexico. a T. alba and T. chamelensis. b T. amygdalifolia and T. riverae. c T. arborea, T. eubracteata, and T. oaxacana. d T. citrifolia and T. hannae. e T. donnell–smithii and T. ochoterenae. f T. glabra and T. venusta. g T. litoralis and T. mixtecana. h T. stenoptera and T. tomentosa.

FIGURE 10. Comparison of flowers and fruits of Tabernaemontana donnell–smithii (a–f) and T. ochoterenae (g–l).

FIGURE 11. Holotype of Tabernaemontana ochoterenae.