Tabernaemontana litoralis Kunth

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 : 29-31

11. Tabernaemontana litoralis Kunth in Humboldt et al. (1818:228). ≡ Peschiera litoralis (Kunth) Miers (1878:45) .

≡ Stemmadenia litoralis (Kunth) Allorge (1985: 48) . ( Fig. 1–3 )

Type:— MEXICO. Campeche: Crescit in litore Mexicano, F. W. H. A. Humboldt & A. Bonpland s.n. (holotype P 00670907!, isotypes F, GH, US).

= Stemmadenia insignis Miers (1878:76) . Type:— MEXICO. Yucatan: Mérida, 18 Mar 1865, A. C. V. Schott 430 (holotype BM, isotypes F 0043831F!, F 0048362F!, US 00111884!).

= Stemmadenia bella Miers (1878:77) . Type:— MEXICO. Veracruz: Orizaba, M. Botteri 884 (holotype BM 000952807!, isotypes CGE, G 00169791!, K 000587857!, LISU, P 00646796!).

= Odontostigma galeottianum A. Rich. in De La Sagra (1850:87) . ≡ Stemmadenia galeottiana (A. Rich.) Miers (1878:76) . Type:— CUBA. La Habana: Jun, R. de la Sagra 12 (holotype P 00646797!).

= Echites bignoniiflorus Schlechtendal (1854: 372) . ≡ Stemmadenia bignoniiflora (Schltdl.) Miers (1878:77) . Lectotype (designated by Leeuwenberg 1994: 415):— MEXICO. Without locality, J.G. Schaffner 4 (G 00169792!, isolectotypes S 12-15356!, W 0049061!).

= Stemmadenia macrophylla Greenman (1900:310) . Type:— GUATEMALA Alta Verapaz: Pansamalá, Jan 1886, H. von Tuerckheim 981 (holotype GH 00063307!, isotypes G 00169787!, K 000587855!, MO, NY 00318301!], NY 00318302!, P 00646798!, US 00111886!).

= Stemmadenia greenmanii Woodson (1928:360) . Type:— COSTA RICA. Alajuela: colinas de Piedades, near San Ramon, 29 May 1901, A.M. Brenes 14275 (holotype GH 00063305!, isotypes BM, F 0048358F!, G 00169790!, K 000587852!, K 000587853!, US 00111883, W 1909-0006287).

Trees or shrubs 3–15 m tall. Petioles 0.5–2.5 cm long; blades (2.5–)7.5–24.5 × 3.5–9 cm, membranaceous, elliptic, base acute, apex acuminate, margin entire, glabrous on both sides, or pubescent to white pilose along the midvein abaxially. Inflorescence 1–6 flowers, peduncle 1.5–4.5 mm long; bracts 4–6 mm long, ovate, subfoliaceous; pedicels 0.6–1.5 cm long; sepals unequal, 2 series, 0.7–1.7 cm long, ovate to obovate, obtuse, inconspicuous venation; corolla infundibuliform, white with yellow throat, lower tube 0.9–1.6 × 0.4–0.6 cm, straight to slightly geniculate, twisted around the anthers, staminal ridges present, upper tube 2.8–4.9 × 1.1–1.7 cm, cylindrical, suprastaminal corona of five wing-shaped lobes present, opposite the anthers, along the tube, limb lobes (1.9–) 2.9–4 × (1.4–) 1.8–3 cm, obovate; stamens inserted on the apex at the lower tube, anthers 6–7 mm long, included, yellow; pistil 0.7–1.2 cm long, nectary present. Follicles 4–6 × 2.5–4 cm, obliquely ellipsoid, apiculate to acute, with 2 lateral ridges, usually not lenticellate, green-yellowish, orange-brownish, smooth to warty, glabrous; seeds 0.9–1.1 cm long.

Habitat and phenology: —Tropical deciduous forest, evergreen forest, zones of deciduous to oak forest, on river banks, and secondary vegetation, with an altitudinal range from 0–1100 m a.s.l. Flowering and fruiting throughout the year.

Distribution: Mexico (Campeche, Chiapas, Colima, Hidalgo, Morelos, Nayarit, Oaxaca, Puebla, Tabasco, Tlaxcala, Veracruz, and Yucatan, Fig. 6g ), Central America and northern South America.

Conservation status: —This species is widely distributed from Mexico to South America. In Mexico, it grows in different vegetation types and elevations and in numerous protected areas. It is also cultivated in parks and house backyards and as living fences because of its tolerance to environmental perturbation. Its area comprises an EOO of 1,057,569 km 2 and AOO of 272 km 2. We conclude that T. litoralis is not under threat.

Additional specimens examined:— MEXICO. Campeche: Mun. Campeche, Sin localidad, Bonpland s.n. (Leeuwenberg) . Chiapas: Mun. Angel Albino Corzo, Above Finca Cuxtepec, 1380 m a.s.l., 24 Jun 1981, Breedlove 51199 ( MEXU) ; Mun. Escuintla, Mt. Ovado, Dec 1937, Matuda 2096 ( MEXU) ; Mun. Jaltenango, Reserva El Triunfo, polígono 1 Cañada Honda-El Tomatal , 1400 m a.s.l., 15 Jun 1990, Heath 1032 ( MEXU) ; Mun. La Independencia, 12 km from Laguna Tiskaw on road to Ixcán , 1250 m a.s.l., 19 Oct 1974, Breedlove 38992 ( MEXU) ; Mun. Mapastepec, Reserva El Triunfo, 1300 m a.s.l., May 1989, Heath 71 ( MEXU) ; Mun. Ocozocuautla, Cerros al E Ocote, 30 Sep 1950, Miranda 6333 ( MEXU) . Colima: Mun. Manzanillo, Near Manzanillo, Ferris 6239 ( Leeuwenberg 1994). Hidalgo: Mun. Huehuetla, Huehuetla, 19 May 1982, Hernández ( IEB) . Jalisco: Mun. Juchitlán, Las Higueras 5 km al sur de los Guajes , 1350 m a.s.l., 18 Nov 1997, Navarro 2070 ( MEXU) . Morelos: Mun. Puente de Ixtla, A 1 km al S de Tilzapotla, 1410 m a.s.l., 02 Jul 1998, Juárez 1037 ( HUMO) ; Mun. Tepoztlán, San Andrés de la Cal, 1550 m a.s.l., 14 Mar 2004, Flores 29 ( HUMO) ; Mun. Tlaquiltenango, 40 m al poniente de la presa, en el poblado de Ajuchitlán, 1164 m a.s.l., 26 Oct 2005, Jesús-Almonte 1565 ( HUMO) . Nayarit: Mun. Acaponeta, Near Acaponeta, Rose 14484 ( Leeuwenberg 1994). Oaxaca: Mun. Huautla de Jiménez, Aproximadamente 1.7 km del Puente de Fierro , por la terracería a Sta. María Chilchotla , 1233 m a.s.l., 12 May 2001, Munn-Estrada 1175 ( MEXU, XAL) ; Mun. San José Chiltepec, Chiltepec, camino a Valle Nacional , 23 Mar 1956, Miranda 8279 ( MEXU) ; Mun. San Miguel del Puerto, Cafetal Monte Carlo, 1321 m a.s.l., 01 May 2004, Pascual 1073 ( HUAP, MEXU, SERO) ; Mun. San Pedro Juchatengo, 12 km al Ne de El Vidrio, brecha a Sola de Vega , 1300 m a.s.l., 17 Aug 1988, Campos 2401 ( MEXU) ; Mun. San Pedro Teutila, Jardín botánico, a un costado del campamento de la C. F. E. El Faro, 659 m a.s.l., 08 Apr 2005, Cruz 2758 ( MEXU) ; Mun. Santa María Huatulco, Al noreste de playa de Cacaluta , 20 m a.s.l., 03 Nov 1992, Castillo 9331 ( MEXU, XAL) ; Mun. Valle Nacional, Arroyo Seco, camino a Laguna Escondida , 25 Apr 1993, Ibarra 3797 ( MEXU) .

Puebla: Mun. Cuetzalan del Progreso, Acaxiloco, Ventura 1106 ( MEXU) ; Mun. Hueytamalco, Campo experimental las Margaritas, Instituto nacional de Investigaciones Forestales Agrícolas y Agropecuarias, 490 m a.s.l., 16 Jun 2007, Ibarra 5340 ( IEB, MEXU) ; Mun. Jonotla, Camino viejo de Jonotla-Tuzamapan, en Huahutla Grande, 695 m a.s.l., 29 May 2014, Camaño 5293 ( HUAP) ; Mun. Zihuateutla, 3 km. Por el camino a Telolotla, 850 m a.s.l., 23 Apr 1998, Contreras 4718 ( HUAP). Sinaloa: Mun. Cosalá, Cerro Pelón, 12 km al NNW de Cosalá, 490 m a.s.l., 15 Oct 1992, Trejo 2657 ( MEXU). Tabasco: Mun. Teapa , Teapa , Linden 330 ( Leeuwenberg 1994). Tlaxcala: Mun. San Damián Texoloc , Near Texoloc , Pringle 8103 ( MEXU). Veracruz: Mun. Alvarado , Dunes on road to Alvarado , 25–40 km from Paso del Toro , 04 May 1958, Schubert 1844 ( MEXU) ; Mun. Catemaco, 15 km al NE de Catemaco, a Tebanca, 347 m a.s.l., 18 May 2010, Campos 6763 ( MEXU) ; Mun. Jilotepec, La Concepción, cerca del Espinal, 950 m a.s.l., 15 May 1975, Ventura 11346 ( MEXU) ; Mun. Las Choapas, Rancho El Roble a 2 km de las Choapas, 50 m a.s.l., 28 Sep 1973, Orozco 295 ( MEXU) ; Mun. Misantla, Región de Misantla. Entre Misantla y Yecuatla, 15 Jun 1963, Gómez 950 ( MEXU) ; Mun. San Andres Tuxtla, Ejido Lázaro Cárdenas, Estación Biológica Los Tuxtlas, 02 Aug 1986, Barajas 269 ( MEXU) ; Mun. Tenochtitlán, 2 km en línea recta al SE de Tenochtitlán , faldas del cerro Gigante o Cipresal, 1200 m a.s.l., 06 Nov 2000, Rincón 2164 ( MEXU) ; Mun. Xico, Texolo 3 km al S de Xico, 15 May 1971, Dorantes 75 ( MEXU) .

Yucatan: Mun. Mérida, Mérida-Valladolid, 21 Oct 1955, Enríquez 230 (MEXU).

Common names and uses: —“tepechicle” (Morelos); “árbol de unduacán”, “cojón de toro”, “huevo de gato”, “lechería”, “yoyo” (Veracruz); “laul” (Yucatan).

Notes: — Tabernaemontana litoralis is easily recognized by its showy white infundibuliform corolla. However, in a phylogenetic analysis by Simões et al. (2010), the samples included under the name S. litoralis and S. macrophylla Greenman (1900: 310) (regarded as conspecific by Morales and Méndez, 2005) were nested in two different and well-supported clades, suggesting two distinct molecular entities. Studies of the type specimens and various collections over the wide distribution showed that the only clear differences between these two species are the size of the sepals and the locality. The specimens corresponding to T. litoralis have inner sepals 1–1.5 cm long and are distributed in Mexico and Central America. In contrast, the specimens corresponding to Stemmadenia macrophylla have sepals of 4–7 mm long and are distributed from Guatemala to Costa Rica. Better sampling is needed to provide a more complete evaluation of these two species.

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.