Manihot takape sp. nov. (Euphorbiaceae), a new tuberous subshrub from the Paraguayan Chaco Elsam, Juana De Egea Pena-Chocarro, Maria del Carmen Mereles, Fatima Cespedes, Gloria PhytoKeys 2018 2018-07-02 103 1 12 D2586438-4EE9-554C-AF9B-463EF841C6C7 De Egea & Peña-Chocarro De Egea & Pena-Chocarro 2018 Magnoliopsida Euphorbiaceae Manihot CoL Plantae Manihot takape Malpighiales 1 2 Tracheophyta species takape sp. nov.   Type.   PARAGUAY.  Boqueron: Neuland, Parque Valle Natural, 22°34'21"S; 60°05'31"W, 19 Feb 2018, fr.,  J. De Egea, F. Mereles& S. Fernandez1793( holotype: FCQ; isotypes: BM, CTES, G).   Diagnosis. Subshrubs 0.5-0.8(-1) m tall, all parts glabrous; stems branched from base, suberect to decumbent; petiole attachment basal to occasionally narrowly peltate (less than 0.2 cm from lamina base), lamina unlobed or shallowly to deeply 3(-5)-lobed, several intermediate states found in the same plant; inflorescence a cluster of 2-6 subspicate racemes 14-33 cm long; flowers creamy-white, occasionally reddish, glabrous; pistillate flowers geminate, long pedicellate, sepals distinct, disc plicate; staminate flowers numerous, subsessile, sepals connate 1/4 their length, disc lobulate; capsules light green, unwinged, smooth when fresh, rough when dried.   Figure 1.  Manihot takape. AHabit ( Krapovickas & Cristobal44224) BPistillate flower with calyx open ( Krapovickas & Cristobal44224) CStaminate flower ( Aquino & Quarti 470) DStaminate flower with calyx split and open ( Aquino & Quarti 470) EDried capsule ( J. De Egea et al. 1793) FSeed, ventral side ( J. De Egea et al. 1793). Drawn by Laura Simon.   Figure 2.  Manihot takape. Herbarium specimen showing different leaf forms and a particularly long inflorescence ( Krapovickas & Cristobal44223). Image used with permission and provided by the Instituto de Botanicadel Nordeste (CTES).  Description. Subshrubs 0.5-0.8(-1) m tall. Roots slender with scattered subglobose to slightly elongated tubers, 5-10 cm diameter, ligneous outside, starchy, fibrous and creamy-white inside. Latex white. Stems branched from base, suberect to decumbent, leaning on adjacent vegetation, hollow, glabrous, green, occasionally reddish. Leaves alternate, widely spaced on stem, light green; stipules 0.2-0.3 cm long, narrowly lanceolate to filiform, margins entire, glabrous, caducous; petioles 1.5-8(-10) cm long, terete, glabrous, petiole attachment basal to occasionally narrowly peltate (less than 0.2 cm from lamina base); lamina membranaceous, smooth and glabrous on both sides, with a tuft of hairs on the adaxial side at the point of attachment of petiole, venation camptodromous; lamina unlobed to shallowly or deeply 3-lobed, sometimes with 2 additional smaller basal lobes, several intermediate states found in the same plant; sinus never reaching the lamina base, width of lamina between lamina base and sinus> 0.5 cm. Unlobed laminas 3-9(-11) x2.5-7(-10) cm, ovate to suborbicular, base obtuse, truncate or subcordate, rarely acute, margins entire or slightly sinuate, apex acuminate; leaves mostly unlobed, especially those near the inflorescence. Lobed leaves: medial lobes 4-7 x3-6 cm, elliptic, ovate or obovate, sometimes pandurate, apex acuminate, rarely obtuse. Inflorescence bisexual, terminal; a cluster of 2-6 racemes arising from a common base, all parts glabrous; racemes subspicate, 14-33 cm long; bracteoles and bractlets 2-3 mm long, 1 mm wide, setaceous, narrowly lanceolate, margins entire. Pistillate flowers 2, restricted to the base of the inflorescence, geminate, all parts glabrous; pedicels ca. 1-2 cm long; sepals 5, distinct, 1 cm long, creamy-white, occasionally with reddish pigmentation; disc lobed, 1 mm thick, creamy-white; ovary 3-carpellate, subglobose, styles very shortly connate, stigmas 3, profusely lobulate. Staminate flowers numerous, aggregated toward the apex of the inflorescence; pedicels 0.5 mm; buds ovoid-ellipsoid; sepals 5, connate 1/4 length, 1 cm long, creamy-white, occasionally with reddish pigmentation; disc lobed, 1 mm thick, creamy-white; stamens 8-10, filaments 3.5-5 mm long, subequal, anthers 4 mm long, oblong. Capsules 7.5-15 mm diameter, surface rough in dried specimens, to 20-23 mm diameter and smooth in fresh specimens, subglobose to slightly elongated, unwinged, apex rounded to depressed, dehiscence septicidal and loculicidal. Seeds 9-11 x7-8 mm, 4-5 mm depth, oblong-elliptic, light glaucous greenish-grey, smooth and slightly lustrous, with few 1-2 mm dark spots towards the sides; caruncle usually prominent, light brownish-grey, opaque, extending obliquely from apex to 4 mm on the ventral side.   Figure 3.  Manihot takape(J. De Egea et al. 1793). AHabit BUprooted plant CRoots in cross-section D-ELeaves - note the variability in leaf forms FImmature fruit.  Distribution and ecology. This species has been collected in dry areas of the Paraguayan Chaco, more specifically within the Departments of Boqueronand Presidente Hayes(Fig. 4). These areas are characterised by sandy and loose soils (regosols) resulting from silted palaeo-riverbeds of the Pilcomayo river delta. The species is frequent in open wooded savannahs, locally called espartillares, dominated by the grass  Elionurus muticus(Spreng.) Kuntze (espartillo) and scattered with tree species such as  Schinopsis cornutaLoes. ( Anacardiaceae),  Astronium fraxinifoliumSchott ( Anacardiaceae),  Jacaranda mimosifoliaD.Don ( Bignoniaceae) and  Tabebuia aureaBenth. & Hook.f. ex S.Moore ( Bignoniaceae). Based on the data available so far, the restricted distribution of  Manihot takapecould represent an endemism of the dry Chaco. However, more surveys and collections will be needed to confirm the extension of the species distribution range.   Figure 4.Map of Paraguay showing the known records of  Manihot takape.  Phenology. The species has been collected with flowers and fruits from November to February and with fruits only from January to February.   Etymology. The specific epithet stems from the vernacular name takape (Guarani language). This word is used for a particular habitat characterised by a wooded savannah or open woodland ( Bertoni 1940). The word is also applied to small woody plants (i.e. subshrubs). This is based on the word taka(twig or branch) and the suffix 'pe'(short or dwarf). Both meanings fit the newly described species of  Manihot.  Conservation status. A preliminary conservation assessment with the GeoCat Tool indicates that  M. takapecan be initially considered as Endangered, with an extent of occurrence of 1,887 km2 and an area of occupancy of 28 km2 (based on an UICN default cell width of 2 km). Furthermore, with only 5 locations known to this date and considering the high deforestation and land use changes in the Paraguayan Chaco (  Arevaloset al. 2018, Cardozo et al. 2013, Huang et al. 2009, Mereles and Rodas 2014, Yanosky 2013), the preliminary UICN category proposed for this species is Endangered B1ab(iii)+2ab(iii). It is worth mentioning that the type locality, known as Parque Valle Naturalin Neuland, Boqueron, is a private reserve of approximately 0.5 km2 that harbours a small population of the new species. The current conservation status of the remaining four locations is unknown. Further field observations and collections are strongly recommended to achieve a more conclusive conservation assessment.  Additional specimens examined.    PARAGUAY.  Boqueron: Colonia Fernheim, Colonia22 (Neuwiese), 22°21'S, 60°01'W, 9 Nov 1987,  P. Arenas3313(FCQ); Neuland, Parque Valle Natural, 22°34'S; 60°06'W, 18 Jan 1993,  L. Perez, S. Bertoni, M. Quintana, B. Benitez, G. Marin& G. Rubira2736(CTES); Parque Valle Natural,  25 kmS de Filadelfia, 22°34'S; 60°05'W, 7 Dec 1992,  A. Krapovickas& C.L. Cristobal44223(CTES); Parque Valle Natural,  25 kmS de Filadelfia, 22°34'S; 60°05'W, 7 Dec 1992,  A. Krapovickas& C.L. Cristobal44224(CTES, F), Parque Valle Natural,  12 kmS de Filadelfia 22°34'S; 60°05'W, 28 Feb 1991,  R. Vanni, A. Radovancich& A. Schinini2455(CTES).   Presidente Hayes: Colonia Menno, Paz del Chaco, 23°25'S; 58°54'W, 15 Nov 1987,  P. Arenas3336(FCQ); Estancia Yrenda, 22°48'S; 59°33'W, 15 Feb 1993,  L. Perez, S. Bertoni, T. Florentin& A. Bogado3042(CTES); Estancia Yrenda, 22°48'S; 59°33'W, 15 Feb 1993,  L. Perez, S. Bertoni, T. Florentin& A. Bogado3043(CTES); Tte. 1°Irala Fernandez, proximoal centro urbano, 22°48'01"S; 59°37'05"W, 19 Feb 2012,  O. Aquino& A. Quarti470(FCQ). 2018-02-19 J. De Egea, F. Mereles, S. Fernandez PARAGUAY -22.5725 Parque Valle Natural 21 -60.09194 Neuland 1 Boqueron holotype 1987-11-09 1993-01-18 1987-11-09 P. Arenas, L. Perez, S. Bertoni, M. Quintana, B. Benitez, G. Marin, G. Rubira, A. Krapovickas, C. L. Cristobal, R. Vanni, A. Radovancich, A. Schinini PARAGUAY -22.566668 Colonia 1259 -60.083332 Colonia Fernheim 1 Boqueron 1987-11-15 2012-02-19 1987-11-15 P. Arenas, L. Perez, S. Bertoni, T. Florentin, A. Bogado, O. Aquino, A. Quarti Paraguay -22.800278 Paz del Chaco 21 -59.618053 Colonia Menno 1 Presidente Hayes