Palacios: Pradosia, especie nueva
A new species of Pradosia (Sapotaceae) of south Andean of Ecuador Una nueva especie de Pradosia (Sapotaceae) del sur andino 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: 18-diciembre-2023
Aprobado: 6-febrero-2024
Publicado: 29-02-2024
Artículo de investigación
ABSTRACT
te superior del tubo, filamentos de 3.4
A new species of Pradosia (Sapotace- a 3.6 mm de largo. La especie crece en ae) is described and illustrated. The new bosques semideciduos, en una pequeña species is characterized by its obovate zona de los Andes del sur de Loja, Ecua-leaves, with silvery malpighiaceous tri- dor, frontera con Perú. Localmente se le chomes on the lower surface; corolla conoce como luzumbe, y la pulpa gelati-5-lobed, tube 0.8–1 mm long, lobes 1.6– nosa de los frutos es comestible.
1.9 mm long, oblong, recurved; five sta- Palabras clave: aureae, tricomas malpi-mens fixed to the top of tube, filaments giáceos, estambres exertos, Loja.
3.4–3.6 mm long. The species grows in
semideciduous forests, in a small area INTRODUCTION
in the Andes of southern Loja, Ecuador, Pradosia Liais (1982) is a genus of me-border with Perú. Locally it is known as dium to large trees; leaves alternate, luzumbe, and the gelatinous pulp of the sub verticillate, verticillate, or opposite fruits is edible.
leaves; venation eucamptodromous or
Keywords: aureae, malpighiaceous tri- eucampto-broquidodromous (Terra-A chomes, exert stamens, Loja.
et al 2016); flowers on the twigs, less frequently axillary, 5-merous, bisex-RESUMEN
ual; corolla rotate or shortly tubular, Se describe e ilustra una nueva especie with lobes widely spreading; stamens de Pradosia (Sapotaceae). La nueva es- 5, fixed at top of corolla tube or on the pecie se caracteriza por sus hojas obo- base of lobes; filaments strongly nar-vadas, con tricomas plateados malpigiá- rowed bellow insertion of anther; ova-ceos por el envés; corola de 5 lóbulos, ry (4–)5 locular; fruit drupaceous; seed tubo de 0.8–1 mm de largo, lóbulos de solitary, with smooth and shinning testa 1.6–1.9 mm de largo, oblongos, recur- (Terra-A et al 2016, Pennington 1990]
vados; cinco estambres fijados a la par- and plano-convex cotyledons, an exerted radicle below the cotyledons, and
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the absence of endosperm (Terra-A et al Diagnosis 2016). Is distributed throughout Central
and South America (Pennington 1990, Pradosia aureae is like P. montana Terra-A et al 2016, Terra-A et al 2016,), Penn. Can be recognized by the silvery although with greater concentration in malpighiaceous trichomes on the under-the second region (Terra-A et al 2016).
side (vs. stalked 2-branched in the shape
of a capital Y pale brown trichomes), The genus is a monophyletic group the flowers sessile (vs. pedicels 2–3 cm (Terra-A et al 2015, but possibly nest- long), the corolla lobes recurved (vs.
ed within the large Neotropical genus corolla lobes spreading), the stamens Pouteria (Faria et al 2017); includes 24 of 3.3–3.5 mm long (vs. stamens of 2.5
species (Pennington 2017, Terra-A et al mm long) and an ellipsoid and glabrous 2013, Terra-A. et al., 2016, Terra et al fruit with apex acute (vs. broadly ellip-2018), of which only two are known for soid and densely short-pubescent fruit Ecuador.
with apex rounded), respectively.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Tree, up 18 m tall; bark smooth or in irregularly plates, inside pinkish with In this study, the herbarium specimens white latex pouring in slow drops.
deposited in QCA, MO and QCNE Twigs cylindrical, brown. Buds short were examined. The Tropicos® (2020) pubescent with dense malpighiaceous and Jstor (JSTOR 2020) databases were trichomes. Leaves spirally arranged or consulted for publications on new spe- sub opposite, 3–10 long × 2–5 cm wide, cies from the Neotropics in recent years, obovate or obovate-oblong, sub cori-nomenclature of species, and images of aceous, upper surface glabrous, lower types.
surface with dense silver malpighia-
For the delimitation of the new species, ceous trichomes; apex obtuse or short the criteria (ecology, species geograph- acuminate; base obtuse; venation eu-ical distribution, and morphology) used camptodromous; midrib sunken on the by (Terra-A et al 2016) were considered, upper surface (in drying specimens); except the phylogenetic relationships.
secondary veins 8–10 pairs, slightly
arcuate, flat on the upper surface, little
RESULTS
prominent on the lower surface; tertia-
Pradosia aureae W. Palacios, sp. nov. ries veins little visible, higher-order ve-
(Figure 1, 2)
nation areolate; petiole 0.6–1.2 cm long,
flat on the upper, cylindrical in inferior
TYPE: ECUADOR. Loja: Maca- half. Flowers ramiflorous or axillary, rá, Sabiango, Achima Chico, 4°20’S, sessile, in groups of (1–)2–5, 5-mer-79°50’W, 1230 m, fl, W. Palacios, O. ous, bisexual; sepals 1.1–1.3 mm long, Palacios y A. Cuenca 18289 (holotype glabrous, green, the two outer widely QCNE 243158!).
ovate, the third more or less interme-diate and ovate, and the two internal closely ovate; corolla lobed, short tube
Palacios: Pradosia, especie nueva
0,8–1 mm long, lobes 1.6–1.9 mm long, Terra-A. et al. (2016), P. aureae is in the oblong, recurved, green, apex obtuse; group of species with upper leaf surface stamens 5, fixed to the top of tube, fil- with a sunken midvein, lower leaf sur-aments 3.3–3.5 mm long, erect, flat, face densely tomentulose, and corolla strongly narrowed bellow insertion of <5 mm long, close to P. montana; how-anther, cream; anthers 1 mm long, gla- ever, there is no coincidence in the type brous. Ovary 5-locular, narrowly ovoid, of indumentum of the leaves and fruits.
with brown malpighiaceous trichomes;
style and stigma glabrous. Fruit (young Distribution seen) drupaceous, narrowly ellipsoidal, This species has been registered in the glabrous, smooth. Vernacular name: lu- inter-Andean flanks of the south of Loja zumbe.
(Ecuador), on the border with Peru,
Additional specimens examined
between 1100 and 1400 m, in semide-
ciduous forests. It grows together with
ECUADOR. Loja: Macará, Sabiango, Juglans neotropica Diels, Cupania ci-4°20’09S 79°50°23W, 78°40’W, you- nerea Poepp., Triplaris cumingiana ng ft., Palacios 18208 (MO!, QCNE!). Fisch. & C.A. Mey., Quararibea calda-Tambo Negro, Curichanga-Algodonal, siana Fern. Alonso y Erythrina velutina 1100 m, 4°20’S, 79°51’W, IX-1994, st., Willd.
den Eynden 131 (LOJA!, QCNE!).
Field characteristics
Taxonomic relationship
It is a tree that reaches 20 m in height and In disposition, shape and size of the 60 cm in DBH, with a wide crown, with leaves, P. aureae, is like P. montana branches that project to the ground in Penn. (Pennington 1990), but it differs open places. The bark in young trees is in the indumentum of the leaves, size of smooth and with vertical streaks, while the flowers (specially of the stamens), in adult trees it is presented in rectangu-and shape and indumentum of the fruits. lar and exfoliating plates; the inner bark The first has lower surface leaves with is pink with vertical white stripes, and it malpighiaceous trichomes, exerted spills drops of white latex. The species filaments of 3.3–3.5 mm long, slight- loses all or part of its foliage in the dry ly ellipsoid, and glabrous fruits (only season, and flowering occurs immedi-young see); while the second is densely ately after the foliation is over.
short brown-pubescent (trichomes two-
branched, shape of a capital Y) on low- Phenology er surface, has filaments ca. 2 mm long The flowering period has been recorded and fruit broadly ellipsoid, with apex principally between October and De-rounded, smooth or slightly verruculose cember.
near the apex, densely-pubescent (Pen-
nington 1990).
State of conservation
According to the key for the genus of The species has been recorded only in
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a small area. The forests there are very IUCN Standards and Petitions Subcom-fragmented by agriculture and livestock, mittee. 2017. Guidelines for Using the so the populations of this and other spe- IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria.
cies (e.g., Amyris karlitae W. Palacios) Version 13. Prepared by the Standards (Palacios 2015), only recorded on the and Petitions Subcommitee.
site, are in great danger. According to the known area of occupation, it is de- Liais, E. 1872. Climats Geologies, Fau-termined that P. aureae is in the Critical- ne et Geographie Botanique du Bresil ly Endangered category CR B2ab (ii, iv) 614.
(UICN 2012).
Palacios, W. A. 2015. A new species of
Etymology
Amyris (Rutaceae) from southern Ecuador. Phytotaxa 220 1.: 098–100.
The name of the new species refers of
Aurea Cuenca, my mother, who partici- Pennington, T.D. 1990. Sapotaceae.
pated in the collection of the type spec- Flora Neotropica, 52. The New York imen and offered information on the Botanical Garden. New York.
consumption of the fruits.
Pennington, T.D. 2007. Sapotaceae.
Local uses
Flora of Ecuador 152. Göteborg: De-
partment of Plant and Environmental
The gelatinous and sweet pulp that sur- Sciences, Goteborg University.
rounds the seed is edible. The fruits be-
come violet when ripe.
Terra-A., M.H.; de Faria, A.D. & Vi-centini, A. 2012. A new species of
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Pradosia Sapotaceae from Central Agradezco al Herbario Nacional del Amazonia. Brittonia 64: 139–142. doi.
Ecuador por todas las facilidades pres- org/10.1007/s12228-011-9220-2.
tadas para este estudio y a los revisores Terra-A, M.H.; de Faria, A.D.; Alves-A.
anónimos del trabajo.
A. & Alves, M. 2013. Pradosia restin-LITERATURE CITED
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Palacios: Pradosia, especie nueva
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Figure 1. Pradosia aureae W. Palacios: A. twig; B. flower; C. young fruit. Draw-ing from the type collection Palacios et al. 18289
302
Palacios: Pradosia, especie nueva
Figure. 2. Pradosia aureae W. Palacios: A. Bark; B. Twigs (bar = 2 cm); C. lower surface of dry specimen (taken with Canon EOS 60D 50 mm macro); D. Inflores-cence (bar = 0.5 cm); E. Young fruits (bar = 1 cm). Images from type collection Palacios et al., 18289.