taxonID	type	description	language	source
03E8878FEE2FFFCAFF4CEDF7FA2781A8.taxon	materials_examined	— TYPE: PUERTO RICO. Municipality of Utuado: Río Abajo Forest Reserve, near electric power station along road (Hwy 621) beyond the ranger station, 18 20 ' N, 66 43 ' W, 315 m, 10 January 2011, A. Bornstein, H. Schubert, and F. Axelrod 1250 (holotype: UPRRP; isotypes: MO, SEMO).	en	Bornstein, Allan J., Smith, James F., Tepe, Eric J. (2014): Two New Species of Piper from the Greater Antilles. Systematic Botany (Basel, Switzerland) 39 (1): 10-16, DOI: 10.1600/036364414X678206, URL: https://doi.org/10.1600/036364414x678206
03E8878FEE2FFFCAFF4CEDF7FA2781A8.taxon	description	Medium-sized, multi-branched shrub, ca. 1.5 – 3.0 m tall, stems with thickened nodes and diam up to 4 – 5 cm on welldeveloped specimens; leafy internodes 1.5 – 5.3 cm long (mean = 3.15 cm, median = 3.20 cm; N = 54), pubescent with multicellular hairs up to 0.75 mm long. Prophylls 0.90 – 2.45 cm long (mean = 1.84 cm, median = 2.00 cm; N = 8), apex angle acute, apex shape straight, glabrous except for pubescent along midvein region abaxially with multicellular hairs up to 0.75 mm long, caducous and usually drying dark brown to black. Leaves with petioles 0.20 – 1.20 cm long (mean = 0.49 cm, median = 0.45 cm; N = 41), pubescent with multicellular hairs up to 0.75 mm long, vaginate near the base and with a stipule-like structure present at flowering nodes, 1.0 – 2.5 mm long, densely ciliate; lamina 10.8 – 19.2 cm long (mean = 15.52 cm, median = 15.60 cm; N = 35) and 3.5 – 7.3 cm wide (mean = 5.78 cm, median = 5.95 cm; N = 38), elliptic to oblong-elliptic, medially symmetrical, apex angle acute, apex shape straight to often acuminate, base symmetrical to most commonly slightly asymmetrical, the two sides inserted 0.0 – 0.6 mm apart (mean = 0.32 mm, median = 0.35 mm; N = 41), base angle acute, base shape convex to rounded, venation pinnate with 4 – 5 pairs of secondary veins arising along lower 2 / 3 of midvein, the central vein and two uppermost secondary veins extending to tip of apex, drying thin-chartaceous and with numerous pellucid dots visible below (at least upon drying), smooth to slightly scabrous adaxially, but moderately pubescent along midvein and secondaries with multicellular hairs, pubescent abaxially, especially along the primary and secondary veins, with multicellular hairs up to 0.75 mm long. Spikes erect at all stages and free of the leaf base, yellowish at anthesis, becoming green in fruit, sometimes with sterile tip to 2.5 mm long; peduncles 0.9 – 2.0 cm long (mean = 1.31 mm, median = 1.30 mm; N = 22), pubescent with multicellular hairs 0.5 – 0.6 mm long; rachis 4.35 – 6.60 cm long (mean = 5.71 cm, median = 5.78 cm; N = 22) and 3.0 – 6.0 mm wide (mean = 4.21 mm, median = 4.0 mm; N = 21) in fruit, glabrous; floral bracts 0.3 – 0.8 mm wide (mean = 0.51 mm, median = 0.50 mm; N = 55), roundedtriangular in general outline, glabrous centrally but densely fimbriate along entire margin; flowers densely grouped along rachis, forming distinct bands around the spike, sessile; stamens 3, anthers 0.250 – 0.425 mm long (mean = 0.30 mm, median = 0.30 mm; N = 50), with lateral dehiscence. Fruits narrowly obovoid, round to somewhat angular in apical view, flattened laterally, 1.2 – 1.7 mm long (mean = 1.594 mm, median = 1.60 mm; N = 20) and 0.65 – 1.10 mm wide (mean = 0.892 mm, median = 0.90 mm; N = 25), glabrous or sparsely pubescent near apex, stigmas 2 or 3, elongate, recurved, borne on a style ca. 0.5 mm long within a central depression. Figure 2.	en	Bornstein, Allan J., Smith, James F., Tepe, Eric J. (2014): Two New Species of Piper from the Greater Antilles. Systematic Botany (Basel, Switzerland) 39 (1): 10-16, DOI: 10.1600/036364414X678206, URL: https://doi.org/10.1600/036364414x678206
03E8878FEE2FFFCAFF4CEDF7FA2781A8.taxon	materials_examined	Additional Specimens Examined — PUERTO RICO. Arecibo: Bosque Río Arriba, along 1 km stretch at S end of pilot road for Rt. 10, 18 20.33 ' N, 66 40.67 ' W, 250 – 275 m, 1 June 1994, F. Axelrod & B. Waide 7816 (UPRRP); Bosque Río Arriba, in sinkhole 1 km along S end of pilot road for Rt. 10, 18 20.33 ' N, 66 40.67 ' W, ca. 225 m, 1 June 1994, F. Axelrod & B. Waide 7818 (UPRRP); Bosque Río Arriba, Río Abajo Forest Reserve, on slopes of sinkhole about 2 km N of S end of pilot road for proposed Rt. 10, 18 20.86 ' N, 66 41.00 ' W, 275 m, 22 July 1994, F. Axelrod & L. Pérez 8062 (UPRRP); Bosque Sabana Hoyos, Finca Las Abras, forested abra between mogotes, 18 20.19 ' N, 66 33.13 ' W, ca. 300 m, 21 September 2002, J. C. Trejo-Torres et al. 1788 (UPRRP). Isabela: Bosque Arenales Altos, sinkhole near and W of road 112 at km 9, ca. 18 25.129 ' N, 67 02.093 ' W, 150 m, 19 July 2006, J. C. Trejo et al. 3065 (UPRRP). Utuado: Bosque Santa Rosa, Río Abajo Forest Reserve, along Las Perdices Trail, ca. 350 m, 11 August 1993, F. Axelrod 6807 (UPRRP); Río Abajo Forest Reserve, ca. 100 m past electric power station along old logging road S of road 621, ca. 2.5 km beyond the María Soto campground, 18 20 ' N, 66 43 ' W, 315 m, 10 January 2013, A. Bornstein, C. Wisniewski, and D. Wood 1288 (MO, NY, SEMO, UPRRP); Río Abajo Forest Reserve, S of road 621, fourth mogote if coming from reserve office, June 1999, J. C. Trejo-Torres & A. Alicea 1394 (UPRRP); Orcovis: Hwy 143 at Verada La Torre, Toro Negro Recreation Area, growing along stream below pool area, 18 10 ' N, 66 29 ' W, 890 m, 14 January 2011, A. Bornstein & H. Schubert 1267 (MO, NY, SEMO, UPRRP).	en	Bornstein, Allan J., Smith, James F., Tepe, Eric J. (2014): Two New Species of Piper from the Greater Antilles. Systematic Botany (Basel, Switzerland) 39 (1): 10-16, DOI: 10.1600/036364414X678206, URL: https://doi.org/10.1600/036364414x678206
03E8878FEE2FFFCAFF4CEDF7FA2781A8.taxon	discussion	Notes — Piper abajoense occurs in the northern limestone hills (mogotes) and central mountains of Puerto Rico. It grows in partially shaded sites along forest edges or in cleared, disturbed areas between 200 – 900 m elevation. Plants were in both flower and fruit in January, and late flower into full fruit from June to September; they are likely to flower and fruit throughout the year. The epithet abajoense is in reference to the main location where it has been collected (Río Abajo Forest Reserve), a wonderful nature preserve where all of the Piper species in Puerto Rico are known to co-occur. Piper abajoense belongs to clade Radula (see Fig. 1), which is a monophyletic group of species distinguished by the presence of pinnately veined leaves, typically erect inflorescences with the flowers, fruits, and bracts forming distinct bands around the spikes, bracts often fimbriate-margined and lacking an umbo, lack of basal callosities at the junction of the lamina and petiole, and fruits triangular or rounded. In Puerto Rico this species most closely resembles Piper hispidum Sw., but can be distinguished by the ± glabrous fruits (vs. apically densely puberulent), stylose (vs. estylose) ovary and young fruits, laterally (vs. apically) dehiscent anthers, and shorter inflorescences (<8 cm vs. 10 + cm). The following key can be used to identify P. abajoense and the other 10 species of Piper known from Puerto Rico.	en	Bornstein, Allan J., Smith, James F., Tepe, Eric J. (2014): Two New Species of Piper from the Greater Antilles. Systematic Botany (Basel, Switzerland) 39 (1): 10-16, DOI: 10.1600/036364414X678206, URL: https://doi.org/10.1600/036364414x678206
03E8878FEE28FFC8FF55EDD0FA7D82AD.taxon	materials_examined	— TYPE: DOMINICAN REPUBLIC. Province of Azua: Sierra Martín García, 11.2 km from Hwy. 44, ca. 8 km W of El Cruce de Quince, S of Tábara Abajo, Los Manantiales, 18 23 ' 01 '' N, 70 59 ' 09 '' W, 810 m, 10 January 2012, A. Bornstein, E. Tepe, and T. Clase 1283 (holotype: JBSD; isotypes: MO, MU, SEMO).	en	Bornstein, Allan J., Smith, James F., Tepe, Eric J. (2014): Two New Species of Piper from the Greater Antilles. Systematic Botany (Basel, Switzerland) 39 (1): 10-16, DOI: 10.1600/036364414X678206, URL: https://doi.org/10.1600/036364414x678206
03E8878FEE28FFC8FF55EDD0FA7D82AD.taxon	description	Medium-sized, multi-branched shrub, ca. 1.7 – 3.0 m tall, stems with thickened nodes; leafy internodes 0.8 – 4.6 cm long (mean = 1.82 cm, median = 1.75 cm; N = 40), smooth, dark brown to black, and glabrous to puberulent when young, becoming striate to canaliculate, pale gray-brown, and bearing numerous warty lenticels with age. Immature prophylls 0.90 – 1.50 mm long (mean = 1.26 mm, median = 1.35 mm; N = 9), apex angle acute, apex shape convex, rounded, glabrous, drying dark brown to black. Leaves with petioles 1.30 – 4.50 mm long (mean = 2.47 mm, median = 2.40 mm; N = 40), glabrous to puberulent, vaginate at the base and lacking a stipule-like structure at all nodes; lamina 3.5 – 5.9 cm long (mean = 4.75 cm, median = 4.90 cm; N = 39) and 1.9 – 4.4 cm wide (mean = 2.74 cm, median = 2.60 cm; N = 39), elliptic, broadly elliptic, or oblong-elliptic, occasionally obovate, medially symmetrical, apex angle acute to obtuse, apex shape straight, rounded, or acuminate, base symmetrical with two black, gland-like callosities present, one on each side of the petiole, base angle acute, base shape convex to rounded, venation palmate with 3 major veins organized in basal, acrodromous pattern, coriaceous and with numerous pellucid dots visible abaxially upon drying, smooth on both surfaces, glabrous, dark green adaxially, pale green abaxially. Racemes erect at all stages and free of the leaf base, white at anthesis and in fruit; peduncles 0.30 – 0.95 cm long (mean = 0.55 cm, median = 0.55 cm; N = 40), glabrous to sparsely puberulent; rachis 1.20 – 4.85 cm long (mean = 2.87 cm, median = 2.75 cm; N = 40) and 0.4 – 0.8 (1.2) mm wide (mean = 0.60 mm, median = 0.60 mm; N = 40) when dry, puberulent; floral bracts 0.200 – 0.475 mm wide (mean = 0.31 mm, median = 0.30 mm; N = 40), cucullate in general outline, glabrous; flowers loosely organized (widely spaced) along rachis, not forming distinct bands around the axis, pedicellate, the pedicels gradually broadening to the apex, 1.3 – 4.2 mm long (mean = 2.66 mm, median = 2.60 mm; N = 40), puberulent; stamens 5 – 7, borne at top of pedicel immediately below ovary, anthers laterally dehiscent (measurements not available due to very limited material). Fruits white at maturity, ovoid to globose, 2.0 – 3.2 mm long (mean = 2.68 mm, median = 2.70 mm; N = 20) and 2.1 – 3.8 mm wide (mean = 3.14 mm, median = 3.20 mm; N = 20), glabrous to sparsely puberulent, stigmas 2 – 4, broad, sessile. Figure 3.	en	Bornstein, Allan J., Smith, James F., Tepe, Eric J. (2014): Two New Species of Piper from the Greater Antilles. Systematic Botany (Basel, Switzerland) 39 (1): 10-16, DOI: 10.1600/036364414X678206, URL: https://doi.org/10.1600/036364414x678206
03E8878FEE28FFC8FF55EDD0FA7D82AD.taxon	materials_examined	Additional Specimens Examined — DOMINICAN REPUBLIC. Azua: Sierra Martín Garciá, Distrito municipal Tábara Abajo, en un lugar denominado Los Manantiales, 203866 N, 290281 E, 760 m, 19 Feb 2008, B. Peguero & T. Clase 4267 and 4268 (JBSD, SEMO).	en	Bornstein, Allan J., Smith, James F., Tepe, Eric J. (2014): Two New Species of Piper from the Greater Antilles. Systematic Botany (Basel, Switzerland) 39 (1): 10-16, DOI: 10.1600/036364414X678206, URL: https://doi.org/10.1600/036364414x678206
03E8878FEE28FFC8FF55EDD0FA7D82AD.taxon	discussion	Notes — Piper claseanum is apparently endemic to the southcentral mountain range known as Sierra Martín García in the province of Azua in the Dominican Republic. It grows in shaded sites on steep, rocky hillsides from 700 – 850 m elevation. Plants were in late flower or mature fruit in January, so it is likely to be in full flower in November and December, with fruits persisting into February or March; additional collecting at these times would be necessary for confirmation, and similar efforts in other months would be helpful to determine if year-round flowering and fruiting occurs. The epithet claseanum is in honor of Teodoro Clase, long-time student of the flora of the Dominican Republic and one of the initial individuals to recognize this new species. Piper claseanum belongs to clade Enckea, which includes a group of species with palmately veined leaves and the usual presence of two basal callosities at the petiole / lamina junction, erect inflorescences with the flowers, fruits, and associated bracts usually loosely organized around the inflorescence and not forming distinct bands, bracts sessile or short-pedicellate, cucullate in overall shape, and the fruits globose, ovoid, or flask-shaped. This species is most closely related to Piper samanense Urban based on molecular data (Fig. 1), and in vegetative condition appears similar due to the relatively small, leathery leaves with three primary veins and the numerous pellucid dots evident upon drying. They also share the unusual white fruit color, which appears to be a synapomorphy for these taxa. The two species can be easily distinguished because P. samanense has more densely packed flowers along the densely white-pubescent (vs. puberulent) rachis, the pedicels are shorter and broader, and only develop if the fruit matures (= pseudo-pedicellate), the fruits are more densely puberulent to pubescent, and the stigma lobes are quite narrow. It is also interesting to note that the endemic species of Enckea from the Greater Antilles form a clade that is sister to the largely continental taxa (only the widespread Piper amalago L. and P. reticulatum L. occur in the Antilles). Further sampling of the enckeoid species endemic to Cuba [e. g. Piper lindenianum C. DC., P. mananthum C. Wright, P. perditum Trel., and P. sphaerocarpum (Griseb.) C. DC. ex C. Wright] and Haiti (P. sinuatispicum Trel. and P. perpallidum Ekman, Urb. & Trel.) would be necessary to confirm if this pattern holds. The following key can be used to identify P. claseanum and other palmate-veined species from the Dominican Republic.	en	Bornstein, Allan J., Smith, James F., Tepe, Eric J. (2014): Two New Species of Piper from the Greater Antilles. Systematic Botany (Basel, Switzerland) 39 (1): 10-16, DOI: 10.1600/036364414X678206, URL: https://doi.org/10.1600/036364414x678206
