Lycianthes fredyclaudiae E. Dean, 2019

Dean, Ellen, Archila, Fredy, Poore, Jennifer, Kang, Hannah, Constante, Marco Antonio Anguiano-, Starbuck, Thomas & Rodriguez, Annamarie, 2019, Two new species of Lycianthes (Capsiceae, Solanaceae) from Mexico and Guatemala, Phytotaxa 409 (5), pp. 261-272 : 268-270

Lycianthes fredyclaudiae E. Dean , sp. nov. ( Figs. 2B , 5 )

Type: — GUATEMALA. Baja Verapaz: Niño Perdido, Cerro Verde, east of km 150 of Cobán Road , in high forest, [15.1607, -90.1651], elevation not recorded, 3 Dec 1976, C. L. Lundell 20419 (holotype: LL barcode 00490012; isotypes: CAS acc. # 722867, F acc. # 1912542, LL barcode 00490006, MEXU acc. # 419739, MO acc. # 3342033) .

Diagnosis. Shrub to weak vine, endemic to Guatemala. Similar to Lycianthes breedlovei , but differing in having the one long stamen filament 2–4 mm long (rather than 1–2 mm long in L. breedlovei ), coriaceous leaves, and an entire corolla without dark violet-purple lobes. Similar to L. chiapensis , but differing in being a weak shrub to low vine, rather than a strong liana, with thicker leaves and multangulate-stellate trichomes with rays that are rebranched.

Scandent shrub to weak vine, sometimes epiphytic, 2–3 m tall. Indument of orange, pale yellow, or tan, uniseriate, multicellular, stalked, spreading, multangulate-stellate trichomes with three to five primary trichome rays, these often bearing another set of two to three stellate rays, and these often further rebranched. Stems tan-green to purplegreen when young, terete in cross section, becoming dark brown and woody with age, the surface of the stems shiny and somewhat longitudinally wrinkled upon drying, moderately to densely pubescent with trichomes 0.25–1 mm long, glabrate with age; upper sympodial branching points mostly monochasial, with some dichasial branching points, the branching not widely divaricate, the adjoining sympodial units often forming straight, continuous branches, the upper sympodial units 1–10 cm long, 2–5 mm in diameter. Leaves of upper sympodia simple, usually paired and unequal in size, the larger ones with blades 3–8.5 × 1.5–4 cm, the smaller ones with blades 1–3.5 × 0.5–2.5 cm, the leaf pairs similar in shape, the blades ovate, elliptic, or obovate, the smaller leaf sometimes nearly round, coriaceous, sparsely to densely pubescent with spreading trichomes similar to the stem, sometimes nearly glabrous adaxially, usually densely pubescent on the abaxial side, especially along the veins, the primary veins 3–5 on each side of the midvein, the base cuneate to rounded, sometimes oblique, the margin entire, usually irregularly undulate, the apex obtuse, acute, or short acuminate, the leaf blade sessile or petiole 0.2–1.4 cm long. Flowers solitary or in groups of 2–8, axillary, the inflorescence axes moderately to densely pubescent with spreading trichomes 0.25–1 mm long; peduncles absent; pedicels 8–25 mm long and erect in flower, to 31 mm and erect in fruit; calyx 2–3.5 mm long, 3–4.5 mm in diameter, campanulate, the margin truncate, the 10 spreading linear appendages 0.5–2 mm long, emerging 0.25– 0.5 mm below calyx margin, moderately to densely puberulent with spreading trichomes 0.1–0.5 mm long; fruiting calyx enlarged, widely bowl-shaped to rotate, 2–3 mm long, 5–8 mm in diameter, the appendages not elongating; corolla oriented horizontally, 0.7–1.7 cm long, entire, with abundant white to lilac interpetalar tissue, the adaxial side of the corolla lobes white to pale lilac like the interpetalar tissue, generally with a few scattered trichomes, three of the lobes with a green spot at their base, the abaxial side of the lobes sometimes pale green, moderately to densely puberulent; stamens unequal, the four shorter filaments 0.5–2 mm long, the long filament 2–4 mm long, glabrous, the anthers 4–5 mm long, lanceolate, yellow to purple, usually with small, white, scattered trichomes on either the face of the anther or on the two lobes at the very bottom of the anther, poricidal at the tips, the pores ovate, dehiscing distally, not opening into longitudinal slits; pistil with glabrous ovary, the style 7–8 mm, linear, straight, glabrous, the stigma oblong, decurrent down the sides. Fruit a berry, 5–13 mm long, 4–12 mm diameter, globose to depressed globose, green to white when immature, yellow to orange when mature, sometimes with a few scattered trichomes, lacking sclerotic granules. Seeds 10–40 per fruit, 2.5–4 × 2–3.5 mm, flattened, thickened on edges, sometimes reniform with small notch on one side, circular to depressed ovate in outline, yellow-orange to orange-brown, surface reticulate, the cells with serpentine-shaped walls and deep lumina, the margin rougher in texture than the center.

Comments: — Lycianthes fredyclaudiae is a cloud forest species that is known only from the area south of Cobán, Guatemala, in the Department of Baja Verapaz. In the 1970s, this species was often collected in primary forest in the vicinity of Unión Barrios, but when this area was revisited by the first and second authors in 2017, most of the forest had been cleared, and it was difficult to find the species in the forest remnants.After two days of searching the area, including two reserves, two plants were located, one in a roadside thicket and the other in a forest remnant. Therefore, we assume that the species may now be a rare plant. As stated above, Lycianthes fredyclaudiae was previously misidentified as L. cuchumatanensis , a species with very different corolla, stamen, and trichome characters (summarized above under L. breedlovei ; Table 1). The habit and corolla characters of L. fredyclaudiae are intermediate between L. breedlovei and L. chiapensis var, sparsistellata ( Table 1), while it shares the trichome characters of L. breedlovei and L. hortulana .

Range and habitat: — Lycianthes fredyclaudiae is endemic to the Department of Baja Verapaz, Guatemala ( Fig. 4 ). It grows in cloud forest, deciduous forest, “tall forest,” and wet forest thickets (perhaps preferring undisturbed forest), sometimes along drainages or on slopes, from 1500–1800 m in elevation.

Conservation status: — Lycianthes fredyclaudiae is known to occur in two municipios in the state of Baja Verapaz; we examined a total of 17 collections made at approximately 11 different locations, some of which are within the Biotopo del Quetzal Reserve. The preferred habitat of this species is cloud forest, a habitat that has been declining in area in most areas of the world over the past few decades ( Cayuela et al. 2006). As many of the collections we examined were collected over 25 years ago, and the habitat for this species near Unión Barrios (where it was collected multiple times in the 1970s) has become extremely fragmented and reduced, it is likely that at least some of the populations of this species have been extirpated. Using GeoCAT ( Bachman et al. 2011) and based on the number of localities, the Extent of Occurrence (EOO) is 53.6 km 2. In contrast the size of the Area of Occupancy (AOO) is 44 km 2, based on cells of 2 km. A preliminary category of endangered (EN (B2 abii)) is proposed following the IUCN (2012) criteria.

Phenology: — Flowering specimens have been collected all months of the year except September to November and January to February; specimens with fruits have been collected all months of the year except April and May.

Etymology: — This species is named for eminent Guatemalan botanist Professor Fredy Archila and his wife Dr. Claudia Cortez. Without the organizational and field help of Professor Archila, we would not have located this species during our trip to Guatemala in 2017. Unfortunately, our late return from the field on the day we finally encountered the species resulted in Claudia being quite late to work. We hope that in naming this species for both Fredy and Claudia, we can partially repay this debt.

Additional specimens examined (paratypes): — GUATEMALA. Baja Verapaz: Along hwy 3 to Cobán, 15 km by rd. S-SW of Puruhlá, [15.1752, -90.2449], 1800 m, 16 Jul 1976, G. J. Breckon 2148 ( DAV acc. # 87441, F acc. # 1855278, MO acc. # 2697733) ; Unión Barrios , [15.1820, -90.1943], 28 Feb 1972, E. Contreras 11080 ( CAS acc. # 722691, F acc. # 1909859, LL barcodes 00490011 & 00490005, MO acc. # 3230286) ; Unión Barrios , [15.1820, -90.1943], 12 Mar 1972, E. Contreras, 11260 ( CAS acc. # 722684, F acc. # 1909823, LL barcodes 00490015 & 00490004, MO acc. # 3727506) ; En aldea Unión Barrios , Km 150 de la carretera que conduce a Cobán A. V. en el lado oeste de la aldea en la parte media de un cerro, [15.1825, -90.2147], 7 Nov 1973, E. Contreras 11601 ( MEXU acc. # 1053933 & 1045858, TEX barcode 00490014) ; On Highway CA 14 to Cobán, 3 miles south of Purulhá , [15.2156, - 90.2134], 1500 m, 16 Jul 1977, T. B. Croat 41222 ( MO acc. # 2586563) ; Mpio. Purulhá, along Hwy CA 14 between El Progreso and Cobán, 3 mi S of Purulhá , 17 mi N of junction with Hwy 17 to Salamá and San Jeronimo vic. km marker 160, 15.2172, -90.2108, 1620–1720 m, 26 Jan 1987, T. B. Croat 63719 ( DAV acc. # 229050, MO acc. # 3695482, MO acc. # 6866837) ; Along Cobán-Guatamala Highway 14 between Unión Barrios and Niños Perdidos. west side of the road, 15.15616, -90.1841, 1558 m, 9 Aug 2017, E. Dean 9506 ( DAV acc. # 226626) ; Along Guatemala Highway 14 just south of highway marker 158 and La Ram Tzul nature reserve , west side of the road, 15.20637, -90.20648, 1610 m, 11 Aug 2017, E. Dean 9508 ( BIGU, DAV acc. # 226622) ; Unión Barrios, in high forest, top of hill, east of Km 154, [15.1903, -90.17608], 7 Jun 1975, C. L. Lundell 19388 ( CAS acc. # 722889, F acc. # 1911926, LL barcodes 00490009 & 00490008, MEXU acc. # 419295, MO acc. # 3342079) ; Niño Perdido, on Cerro Verde, [15.1607, -90.1651], 12 Jun 1977, C. L. Lundell 21085 ( CAS acc. # 722950, F acc. # 1909870, LL barcodes 00490010 & 00490007, MEXU acc. # 419566, MO acc. # 3342053) ; A 4 km al S de Purulhá , camino Guatemala-Cobán, cerca Biotopo, [15.2114, -90.2063], 1660 m, 15 Jun 1985, E. M. Martinez S. 13132 ( MEXU acc. # 411556, NY) ; Biotopo del Quetzal , [15.2138, -90.2189], 1630 m, 22 Jul 1988, E. M. Martinez. S. 23082 ( DAV acc. # 229051, MEXU acc. # 605522, MO acc. # 4243642, MO acc. # 6866804, NY) ; Mpio. Purulhá, Biotopo del Quetzal , [15.2138, -90.2189], 1590 m, 5 Sep 1988, E. M. Martinez. S. 23514 ( MEXU acc. # 604800, MO acc. # 3695675, MO acc. # 4239439) ; Mountain of Purulhá between La Unión and Purulhá, [15.2103, -90.2073], 1600 m, 1 Oct 1972, A. Molina R. 27743 ( F acc. # 1824038, MEXU acc. # 1055273 & 1054029, TEX barcode 00490013) ; Sierra de las Minas, about 5 km south of Purulhá [15.1885, -90.2353], 1600 m, 2 Jan 1973, L. O. Williams 41952 ( F acc. # 1721570, NY) ; Sierra de la Minas, 3 km. southeast of Purulhá , [15.2146, -90.2188], 1800 m, 2 Jan 1974, L. O. Williams 43119 ( F acc. # 1784700) ; About three miles north of Chilascó in mountains east of Salamá and San Gerónimo, [15.1624, -90.09657], 23 May 1971, R. L. Wilbur 14788 ( DUKE acc. # 216950) .

Figures

FIGURE 2. A. Flower of Lycianthes breedlovei. Photo taken by James Gaither of accession at the UC Berkeley Botanical Garden. Used with permission of UC Berkeley Botanical Garden. B. Flower of Lycianthes fredyclaudiae. Photo taken by the first author. Scale bars equal 1 cm.

FIGURE 4. Distribution of Lycianthes breedlovei and Lycianthes fredyclaudiae.

FIGURE 5. Scan of the holotype of Lycianthes fredyclaudiae. Image used with permission of the herbarium at the University of Texas, Austin.