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A new species of Protium (Burseraceae) from northwestern Ecuador Una nueva especie de Protium (Burseraceae) del noroeste de Ecuador Walter A. Palacios1

ORCID: 0000-0002-0350-0399

1Herbario Nacional del Ecuador (QCNE)-Instituto Nacional de Biodiversidad, Quito, Ecuador; walterpalacios326@yahoo.com Recibido: 25-11-2023

Aprobado: 6-02-2024

Publicado: 29-02-2024

Artículo de investigación

ABSTRACT

indumento denso, estriguloso y granu-

A new species of Protium (Burserace- lar por el envés, las flores con un dis-ae) from the base of the Andes of north- co 8-lobado y los frutos estrechamente western Ecuador is described and illus- ovado-elípticos y bivalvos. La especie trated. The new species is distinguished solo se ha encontrada en la parte no-by its leaves, with 1 or 3 rough leaflets roeste de Ecuador, entre 600 y 900 m de with dense, strigulose and granular in- altitud. Se han encontrado árboles con dumentum on the lower surface, the flores entre mayo y junio y, frutos entre 8-lobed disc of the flower and the close- noviembre y diciembre.

ly ovate-elliptic and bivalved fruits. Palabras clave: rugosum, estrigulosa, The species has only been found in the papilosa, frutos asimétricos.

northwestern part of Ecuador, between

600 and 900 m elevation. Trees with INTRODUCTION

flowers have been found between May

The genus Protium Burm. F.,

and June, and fruits between November with approximately 160 species, has and December.

pantropical distribution, though absent Key words: rugosum, strigulose, papil- from Africa (Santamaría-A & Lagomar-lose, asymmetric fruits.

sino 2017). The genus is characterized

by the pinnate, trifoliolate, or rarely RESUMEN

unifoliolate leaves, pulvinate petiolules, Se describe e ilustra una nueva especie flowers with 3–5 petals, capsular fruits de Protium (Burseraceae) de la base with 2–5 -¡valves and 1–5 pyrenes and de los Andes del noroeste de Ecuador. resin that is usually aromatic (Lagomar-La nueva especie se distingue por sus sino-A 3017, Gentry 1993, Pennington hojas, con 1 o 3 folíolos rugosos con et al 2004).

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Palacios: Protium, especie nueva

In Ecuador, 26 species have been re- Tree, up to 15 m high. Branchlets cy-corded (Daly 1999, Ulloa & Neill 2005, lindrical and glabrous, and with circular Ulloa et al in press, Neill & Ulloa 2011. or elliptic lenticels split in half. Buds Palacios 2016], although there are at densely strigulose, papillose. Leaves least 10 other species that have not been with 1 or 3 leaflets; petioles 2.5–3.3

correctly identified. This time, a new cm long, semiterete or flattened; later-species from northwestern Ecuador is al petiolules 0.7–1.2 mm long, strongly described.

thickened and flexed at apex; terminal MATERIALS AND METHODS

petiolules 2–2.7 mm long, semiterete to

broadly channeled, slightly curved on In this study, the herbarium specimens apex. Leaflets 10–15 cm long × 7–11

deposited in QCA, QAP and QCNE cm wide, elliptic or less frequently ob-were examined. The Tropicos® (http:// long; upper surface glabrous; under sur-www.tropicos.org 2020) and JSTOR face densely strigulose and granulose (http://plants.jstor.org, 2021) databases (becoming subglabrous in adult age); were consulted for publications on new base rounded; apex short-acuminate; species from the Neotropics in recent middle vein with apical part recurved years, nomenclature of species, and im- (apex of the lamina ruptured by default ages of types.

in dry herbarium specimens); secondary

veins 13–15 pairs, slightly divergent, RESULTS

bifurcated towards the edge to form a Protium rugosum W. Palacios, sp. nov. double arch, ± broquidodromous to-

(Figure 1, 2)

wards apex lamina, prominent on the

underside, sulcate on the upper side TYPE: ECUADOR. Imbabura: Cantón (determined a rough aspect of the lam-Ibarra, Parroquia Lita, sector Río Ver- ina); inter secondary veins present only de, bosque muy húmedo, 0°46’59’’N, between a few pairs of secondary veins, 78°26’38’’W, 900 m, June 2014, W. slightly diagonal to secondary ones; Palacios 17482 (holotype 243160 tertiary veins prominent, perpendicular QCNE!).

to the secondaries, oblique, forming a Diagnosis

broad net. Inflorescence axillary, 1(–2)

panicle per axes, 4–9 cm long; pedun-

Leaves with 1 or 3 leaflets, laminas with cle 0.5–2 cm long (or 2–4 ramifications rough aspect due to the nerves furrowed from the base); lateral branches 2–3.5

by the adaxial side, apex slightly cond- cm long; bracts and bracteole 2 mm uplicate; petioles 2.5–3.3 cm long; buds long, ovate-lanceolate. Flowers uni-and abaxial side of leaflets strigulose sexual (female seen); pedicels 1–1.1

and granulose; female flowers 4-mera mm long, sparsely granular, strigulose; with a well-defined 8-lobed disk; cap- calyx deeply 4-lobed (or sepals only sule bivalve, closely ovoid-elliptical, united at base), 0.9–1.1 mm long, lobes 2–2.6 cm long × 1.1–1.3 cm wide, with broadly ovate, sparsely granulose and 1(–2) pyrenes.

strigulose outside; petals 4, 2.6–2.9 mm

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long, oblong-lanceolate or lanceolate, flowers and glabrous disk in staminate reflexed at apex, sparsely granulose flowers (Daly 2007); however, the indu-and strigulose outside, glabrous inside; mentum is more related to the section disk 8-lobed, glabrous; staminodes 8, Papilloprotium (Daly & Fine 2011).

alternating with disk lobes, glabrous; On the other hand, only female flowers filaments 1 mm long, glabrous; anth- were observed, which hinders a better erodes 0.5 mm long, cordiform at base, location in the respective section.

glabrous; pistil 2.7–2.9 mm long, dense-

ly strigulose and granulose except the In the Neotropics, at the specific lev-4-lobed stigma; ovary broadly ovoid. el, there are no known species with the Fruit (immature seen) 2–2.6 × 1.1–1.3 combination of characters (leaves 1–3

cm, closely ovoid-elliptical, bivalve, leaflets, elliptic leaflets with strigulose acuminate, with minute lenticels; floral and granulose indumentum, tetram-whorls persistent in immature fruits; a er female flowers with a well-defined pyrene. Very odorous resin, this farinose 8-lobed glabrous disk, and asymmetric in herbarium collects on the fruits, flow- fruit with one pyrene) described for this ers, or old cuts. Common name: copal, new taxon. The leaves with 1 or 3 leaf-according to Pennington et al . 15910 lets with deep secondary veins by the (QCNE).

upper surface that give a rough aspect

are very distinctive characteristics of the Additional specimens examined new species. Few species of the genus (paratypes): ECUADOR. Imbabura: have leaves with this number of leaflets.

Ibarra, parroquia Lita, sector Río Verde, For example, Protium unifliolatum Engl.

December 2012, fl., G. Quemá 8 (Her- has unifoliolate leaves and inflorescenc-bario de la Universidad Técnica del Nor- es 2–3 cm long; P. icicariba March.

te!), December 2012, fl., fr., F. España 9 from eastern Brazil, has the same foliar (Herbario Universidad Técnica del Nor- structure as P. rugosum, but the leaflets te!); J. Cuasquer 8 (Herbario de la Uni- are closely obovate, smooth, and peti-versidad Técnica del Norte!). Pichincha. oles significantly longer, 8–10 cm. Also , Pedro Vicente Maldonado, Reserva Río P. pullei Swart of Surinam has leaves Silanche, 0º05’N, 79º03’W, premontane with 1–3 leaflets, but these are closely wet forest, 600–700 m, 4000–5000 mm ovate and acuminate, and inflorescenc-annual rainfall, Nov 1996, T. Penning- es are less than 3 cm long. The fruits of ton et al. 15910 (QCNE!).

P. rugosum are like P. veneralense Cu-Taxonomic relationship: There are atrec., but this species differs from 3–5

seven sections recognized to Protium pinnate leaves, and oblong leaflets.

(Daly 2007, Daly & Fine 2011). The Distribution: The species have been new species is partially located in the registered in two localities of northwest-Icica section (Aublet) Swart (published ern Ecuador at elevations between 400

as section by Swart (1942)), character- and 900 m: Lita, in Imbabura, and Pedro ized by: distal pulvinulus on the petiolu- Vicente Maldonado, in Pichincha. This les, thyrsoid inflorescences, pedicellate area is part of the Choco region, one of

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the wettest areas with the greatest biodi- Daly, D.C. & Fine, P.V.A. 2011. 2011.

versity on the planet.

A New Amazonian Section of Protium

Burseraceae including both Edaphic

Phenology: Specimens with flowers Specialist and Generalist Taxa. Studies have been collected in June and July, in Neotropical Burseraceae XVI. Sys-with fruits in July and November.

tematic Botany 364: 939–949. https://

State of conservation: The species has doi 10.1600/036364411X604958.

only been found in areas where forests Gentry, A.H. 1993. A field guide for the are cleared to establish agricultural sys- families and genera of woody plants tems; it should be noted that the species of Norwest South America Colombia, is threatened, however, it is expected to Ecuador and Perú with supplementary be located inside of the Cotacachi-Cay- notes of herbaceous taxa. Washington apas National Park, which maintains DC, Conservation International.

ecosystems like those of the collection

site and is located between the two lo- Global Plants on JSTO. 2021. https://

calities of records.

plants.jstor.org/; accessed: 01 May

2021.

Etymology: The specific name of the species refers to the rough aspect of its Neill, D.A. & Ulloa, 2011. C. Adiciones leaflets due to the prominent secondary a la Flora del Ecuador: Segundo Suple-veins.

mento, 2005–2010. Fundación Jatun

Sacha, Quito.

A C K N O W L E D G M E N T S

I thank the National Herbarium of Ec- Palacios, W.A. 2016. Árboles del Ecua-uador (National Institute of Biodiver- dor: familias y géneros. Universidad sity-INABIO) for providing facilities Técnica del Norte, Ibarra, Ecuador.

to work, and D. Brown (Universidad Pennington, T.A, Raynel, C. & Daza, A.

Técnica del Norte, Ibarra) for reviewing 2004. Illustrated Guide to three Trees of previous versions of this manuscript.

Perú. David Hunt, Sherborne.

LITERATURE CITED

Santamaría-A., D. & Lagomarsino, L.P.

Daly, D.C. 1999. Burseraceae. In: Jør- 2017. Two new species and a new com-gensen, P.M. & León-Yánez, S. Ed. Cat- bination in Protium, Burseraceae, from alogue of the Vascular Plants of Ecua- Costa Rica. PhytoKeys 76: 89–113.

dor. Monographs in Systematic Botany, Swart, J.J. 1942. A monograph of the Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, genus Protium and some allied genera pp. 52–54.

Burseraceae. Gouda: Dmkkerij Koch en

Daly, D.C. 2007. A new section of Pro- Knuttel.

tium from the Neotropics. Studies in Tropicos continuously updated. 2020.

neotropical Burseraceae XIII. Brittonia, Tropicos, botanical information system 591: 1–24.

at the Missouri Botanical Garden. Mis-

souri Botanical Garden, St. Louis,

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http://www.tropicos.org accessed: 15 Conflict of interest May 2020.

The author declares that he has no con-

Ulloa, C. & Neill, D.A. 2005. Cinco flicts of interest in relation to this publi-Años de Adiciones a la Flora del Ecua- cation.

dor 1999–2004. Funbotanica, Loja,

Ecuador.

Ulloa, C., Neill, D.A. & Asanza, M. in press. Adiciones a la Flora del Ecuador:

Tercer Suplemento, 2011–2015. Mis-

souri Botanical Garden, Universidad

Estatal Amazónica, Herbario Amazóni-

co ECUAMZ, Puyo, Pastaza, Ecuador.

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Figure 1. Protium rugosum W. Palacios. Illustration of a twig and flower details based on the type collection.

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Figure 2. Protium rugosum W. Palacios. Image of the holotype, Palacios 17482

(holotype 243160 QCNE)