Gaulettia canescens (Gleason) Sothers & Prance, 2014

Sothers, Cynthia, Prance, Ghillean T., Buerki, Sven, Kok, Rogier De & Chase, Mark W., 2014, Taxonomic novelties in Neotropical Chrysobalanaceae: towards a monophyletic Couepia, Phytotaxa 172 (2), pp. 176-200 : 183

Gaulettia canescens (Gleason) Sothers & Prance , comb. nov.

Basionym: Parinari canescens Gleason (1931: 370) , as Parinarium . Couepia canescens (Gleason) Prance (1974b: 119) . Type:— VENEZUELA. Amazonas: Cerro Duida, Aguita Slope, August 1928 – April 1929, Tate 870 (holotype NY!, isotype K!).

Tree to 10 m tall. Leaves oblong to oblong-lanceolate, coriaceous, 2–6.5 × 1.5–3.2 cm, densely brown-lanate pubescent beneath, the pubescence obscuring prominent venation with parallel secondary veins. Inflorescences racemes 1.5–3 cm long. Receptacle campanulate, 3–4 mm long. Stamens 12–16, unilateral with a few short staminodes opposite them. Fruit globose with a glabrous and verrucose epicarp.

Illustration:— Prance (1998: 209).

Distribution and habitat: —Endemic to the Guayana Highland of Venezuela and Guyana. In lower montane to montane slope forests from (800–) 1000–1700 m elevation. Fig. 3 .

Conservation status: — Gaulettia canescens is here assessed as vulnerable, VU D1 ( IUCN 2001), since it occurs in higher-elevation habitats with restricted distribution.

Selected specimens examined: — GUYANA. Demerara-Mahaica: track to St. Cuthbert’s Mission , 22 June 1990, McDowell et al. 1741 ( NY!) . VENEZUELA. Bolívar: SE facing bluffs of NW Chimantá-tepui, 21 May 1953, Steyermark 75526 ( NY!) . Amazonas: Sierra Parima, 18–23 May 1972, Steyermark 105936 ( NY!, VEN!) .

Figures

FIGURE 3. Distribution of G. canescens.