Eschweilera brevipetiolata S.A. Mori & Cornejo, 2023

Cornejo, Xavier, 2023, Eschweilera brevipetiolata and E. silverstonei: Two new species of Lecythidaceae from western Colombia, Phytotaxa 585 (4), pp. 287-292 : 288-290

Eschweilera brevipetiolata S.A. Mori & Cornejo , sp. nov. ( Fig. 1 )

This new species of Eschweilera is similar to E. integricalyx S.A. Mori but differs by the cauliflorous (vs. ramiflorous) inflorescences, longer pedicels, 1–1.3 cm (vs. ca. 0.5 cm long), calyces with triangular and well-defined sepals (vs. calyces nearly entire), leaves sessile to subsessile, the petioles absent to ca. 1 cm long (vs. petioles 1.5–2.5 cm long), and shorter height of the trees, 6 to 16 m tall (vs. canopy trees).

Type: — COLOMBIA. Valle del Cauca: Bajo Calima; Consesión Pulpapel / Buenaventura , carretera al Dindo , 3°55’ N 77°00’ W, ca. 100 m, 25 Sep 1986 (fl), M. Monsalve 1169 (holotype: CUVC-25917!; isotypes: MO-3701257!, MO-3701347!, NY-00853327!) .

Tree to 16 m tall, the trunk and bark unknown. Stems glabrous, sparsely lenticellate, cracked or shallowly fissured when dry. Leaves: sessile to very shortly petiolate, the petioles shallowly channeled adaxially, rounded abaxially, hemispherical in cross section, up to ca. 10 mm long, 7–8 mm diam., with many unicellular, papillose, light brown trichomes; blades oblanceolate to oblanceolate-elliptic, 50–75 × 18–30 cm, chartaceous, with abundant reddishbrown punctations abaxially, the base obtuse to rounded or truncate, the margins entire, the apex acuminate; venation eucamptodromous towards base, brochidodromous towards apex, without conspicuous marginal veins, the midrib prominent to flat toward base adaxially, markedly prominent abaxially, densely papillose at least on the lower half of its length, the secondary veins in 20–33 pairs, slightly prominent adaxially, salient abaxially, the marginal vein conspicuous, the tertiary veins reticulate. Inflorescences cauliflorous unbranched to 1-branched, the rachis 1.5–7 cm long, rather thin, ± straight to suberect, glabrous or glabrescent, lenticellate with age; pedicels 10–14 × ca. 1.5–2 mm, truncate to articulation, glabrous or glabrescent, drying blackish. Flowers ca. 3.5 cm diam.; hypanthium glabrous, sparsely lenticellate; calyx with 6 lobes, the lobes triangular to deltoid, 2–3 × 3–4 mm, ascendant at anthesis, smooth (dry) abaxially, the bases valvate, arising from fused calyx rim; petals ± oblong, 2–2.5 × ca. 1 cm, pink; androecial hood with four coils, ca. 1.5 cm wide, pink; vestigial stamens on outside of coils; staminal ring with ca. 300 stamens, the filaments ca. 1.5 mm long, clavate, the anthers 0.5–0.7 mm long; ovary 2-locular, with ca. 10 ovules per locule, the summit widely obconical, the style not distinguished from ovary summit. Fruits depressed globose, ca. 5 × 4 cm, the calyx lobes persistent in young fruits, woody, the calycine ring not conspicuous, the supra-calycine zone erect, the infra-calycine zone rounded to pedicel, the operculum convex, somewhat prolonged to umbonate at apex, the pericarp 2–3 mm thick, brown when dry. Seeds usually wedge-shaped in cross section, the outer surface hemispherical, the two sides flat, ca. 4 × 3 cm, the veins visible, plain, the seed coat smooth, the arils unknown.

Discussion: — Eschweilera brevipetiolata resembles E. integricalyx S.A. Mori , another species endemic to the Choco in Colombia, but it differs from the latter by the cauliflorous (vs. ramiflorous) arrangement of inflorescences, pedicels 1–1.3 cm long (vs. ca. 0.5 cm long), calyces with triangular and well-defined sepals (vs. calyces nearly entire), leaves sessile to subsessile, the petioles absent to ca. 1 cm long (vs. petioles 1.5–2.5 cm long), and shorter height of the trees, 6 to 16 m tall (vs. canopy trees). Due to the large blades, Eschweilera brevipetiolata may resemble E. sclerophylla Cuatrec. (1951: 92) , another species endemic to western Colombia, but the latter species differs from it by the petiolate (1–1.3 cm long vs. sessile or nearly sessile) leaves, axillary or terminal (vs. cauliflorous) inflorescences, large and yellow (vs. smaller and pink) flowers, and truncate (vs. tapered) hypanthia.

Etymology: —The epithet refers to the very short petiole that vegetatively characterizes this taxonomic novelty.

Common names: —Guasco (Monsalve 1349).

Habitat and distribution: —An understory to medium-sized tree of mature, wet to pluvial forest in non-flooded areas characterized by palms, such as Oenocarpus bataua Mart. (1823: 23) and Socratea exorrhiza (Mart.) H. Wendl. (1860: 103) . It is known only from western Colombia in the Bajo Calima area, department of Valle del Cauca, from 50–100 m elevation.

Phenology: — Flowers have been collected in late September, and may be present until early October, and fruits have been collected in Mar, Apr, Jul, Ago, and Nov.

Conservation status: — Eschweilera brevipetiolata occurs in the Bajo Calima area and is represented by a small population with several mature individuals. It is suggested that this new species be assigned the IUCN conservation status of near threatened (NT) ( IUCN, 2022).

Paratypes: — COLOMBIA. Valle del Cauca: Bajo Calima Concession, ca. 16 km NW Buenaventura, at end of Gasolina Rd. Juanchaco área, BV-82, wet tropical forest on 20–45° slopes, yellow clay over alluvial, 77°10’W 3°50’N, 50 m, 28 May 1987 (st), D. Faber-Langendoen et al. 712 ( CUVC!), 727 ( NY!); 77°02’W 3°55’N, 50 m, 11 Jul 1984 (st), A. Gentry et al. 47914 ( CUVC!, NY!); carretera Hans , 100 m, 2 Oct 1987 (fl), M. Monsalve 1910 ( CUVC!); carretera La Gasolina , 100 m, 26 Nov 1986 (fr), M. Monsalve 1349 ( CUVC!). Dindo area , 76°58’W 3°59’N, 50 m, 20 Jul 1984 (fr), A. Gentry & M. Monsalve 48417 ( CUVC!, NY!); 77°02’W 3°59’N, 50 m, 26 Mar 1986 (fr), A. Gentry et al. 53640 ( CUVC!, NY!).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Eschweilera brevipetiolata. A, Cauliflorous inflorescence and detached flower and flower buds, all on a leaf blade of the same individual; B, Lateral view of a longitudinal section of an androecial hood showing four coils; C, Close-up of a nearly sessile base of a leaf blade; D, Calyx and ovary summit emerging at center; E, Folded leaf blade from an herbarium specimen; F, Immature fruit on a leaf blade of the same individual; G, Seed on a piece of fruit (A, B, D, based on Monsalve 1169, the type; C, F based on Monsalve 1349; E, based on Don Faber-Langendoen 712; G, based on Gentry 53640). Photos A, C–G, by Xavier Cornejo; B, by Scott A. Mori.