Guatteria aliciae Maas & Erkens, 2019

Maas, Paul J. M., Westra, Lubbert Y. Th., Chatrou, Lars W., Verspagen, Nadja, Rainer, Heimo, Zamora, Nelson A. & Erkens, Roy H. J., 2019, Twelve new and exciting Annonaceae from the Neotropics, PhytoKeys 126, pp. 25-69 : 31-32

Guatteria aliciae Maas & Erkens sp. nov. Figs 6 , 7 , 8

Diagnosis.

Guatteria aliciae is similar to Guatteria tenera R.E.Fr. in terms of its very small and narrow leaves that are not verruculose, straight young twigs, and secondary veins that are impressed to raised on the upper side of the lamina, but it is distinct from that species by long-pedicellate flowers (20-45 vs. 10-20 mm long) and longer petioles (5-10 vs. 2-5 mm long) and almost smooth (to slightly pitted) seeds.

Type.

PANAMA, Veraguas: Parque Nacional Santa Fe , La Sabaneta, E 0501556 N0959877, 1000 m, 16 Jul 2009, Ibañez et al. 5799 (holotype: MO! [MO6619251]; isotype: L!) .

Description.

Tree 4-6 m tall; young twigs sparsely covered with appressed hairs, soon glabrous. Leaves: petioles 5-10 by 2 mm; lamina narrowly elliptic to narrowly oblong-elliptic, 8-12 by 3-4 cm (leaf index 2.6-3.6), chartaceous, not verruculose, dull, greyish above, brown below, glabrous above, sparsely to densely (large veins) covered with appressed hairs below, base acute to obtuse, or attenuate, apex acuminate (acumen 5-15 mm long), primary vein impressed above, secondary veins distinct, 10-12 on either side of primary vein, slightly raised above, smallest distance between loops and margin ca. 2 mm, tertiary veins indistinct, flat above, reticulate. Flowers solitary or rarely in 2-flowered inflorescences in axils of leaves or on leafless branchlets; flowering and fruiting pedicels 20-45 by 1 mm, sparsely to rather densely covered with appressed hairs, articulated at 0.2-0.3 from the base; bracts (4-)6-7, soon falling, the basal ones (one seen) broadly ovate, ca. 1 mm long, the 2 upper ones not seen; flower buds depressed ovoid; sepals free, broadly ovate-triangular, 5-6 by 5-6 mm, appressed, outer side rather densely covered with appressed hairs; petals green to yellowish green in vivo, oblong-elliptic, 10-15 by 4-6 mm, outer side densely covered with appressed hairs; stamens ca. 2 mm long, connective shield densely papillate. Monocarps ca. 20, green in vivo, black in sicco, ellipsoid, 9-10 by 4 mm, glabrous, apex apiculate (apiculum <0.5 mm long), wall ca. 0.2 mm thick, stipes red in vivo, 10-15 by 1 mm. Seed ellipsoid, ca. 10 by 4 mm, brown, surface smooth to slightly pitted, raphe raised.

Distribution.

Panama (Veraguas) (Fig. 9 ).

Habitat and ecology.

In low forest of 6-8 m tall, with the palm species Colpothrinax aphanopetala R.Evans. At an elevation of ca. 1000 m. Flowering and fruiting: July.

Notes.

Guatteria aliciae is named in honour of its collector Alicia Ibañez, who assisted us in all kinds of ways in 2006, during our visit to Panama. This species is only known from one locality in the Panamanian province of Veraguas.

Preliminary IUCN conservation status.

DD. This species is only known from one locality with three collections. Therefore AOO and EOO could not be calculated. Given that the species occurs in Santa Fé National Park we assume that currently there are no major threats. However, since the current population size and population trend of this species are unknown, it was assessed as Data Deficient.

Other specimens examined.

PANAMA. Veraguas: Parque Nacional Santa Fe , La Sabaneta, E 0501556 N0959877, 1000 m, 16 Jul 2009, Ibañez et al. 5770 (MO), 5813 (MO, 2 sheets) .

Figures

Figure 6. Guatteria aliciae Maas & Erkens. Flowering branch (Ibanez et al. 5799, holotype MO).

Figure 7. Guatteria aliciae Maas & Erkens. Fruiting branch, detail (Ibanez et al. 5813, MO).

Figure 8. Guatteria aliciae Maas & Erkens. A, B Flowering branch C flower seen from above D young fruit E flower seen from aside F flower seen from above (A-D Ibanez et al. 5799 E Ibanez et al. 5770 F Ibanez et al. 5813).

Figure 9. Distribution map of Guatteria aliciae, G. pseudorotundata, G. rubiginosa, and G. turrialbana.