Phytotaxa 79 (1): 37–44 (2013) www.mapress.com/ phytotaxa / Copyright © 2013 Magnolia Press
ISSN 1179-3155 (print edition)
Article
PHYTOTAXA ISSN 1179-3163 (online edition)
http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.79.1.3
A new anisophyllous species of Miconia (Melastomataceae: Miconieae) from the Coastal Cordillera in northern Venezuela FABIÁN A. MICHELANGELI1 & WINFRIED MEIER2,3 1
Institute of Systematic Botany, The New York Botanical Garden, Bronx NY 10458-5126, USA; e-mail:
[email protected] Fundación Instituto Botánico de Venezuela, Dirección de Investigación y Desarrollo, Herbario Nacional de Venezuela, Apartado 2156, Caracas 1010-A, Venezuela. 3 Present address: Institute of Silviculture, University of Freiburg, Tennenbacher Strasse 4, 79106 Freiburg, Germany; e-mail:
[email protected] 2
Abstract Miconia longidentata, a new species of Melastomataceae, Miconieae, from the Coastal Cordillera in northern Venezuela is described. This species is known from cloud and mid elevation forests in the Waraira Repano National Park (formerly known as Ávila National Park). Miconia longidentata is characterized by sessile to sub-sessile, dimorphic leaves, short axillary inflorescences, and four-merous flowers with long calyx teeth. By its character combination Miconia longidentata would have been described as Clidemia, but it is here described in Miconia due to ongoing taxonomic realignments in the Miconieae. The new species is compared to putative relatives, and a list of anisophyllous species traditionally placed in Clidemia is provided. A list of species of Melastomataceae endemic to the Coastal Cordillera in northern Venezuela is also included. Key Words: anisophylly, Ávila National Park, Clidemia, dimorphic leaves, Miconieae, Waraira-Repano National Park
Resumen Se describe Miconia longidentata, una especie nueva de Melastomataceae, Miconieae, proveniente de la Cordillera de la Costa en el norte de Venezuela. Esta especie nueva se conoce solo de bosques nublados y de elevación media en el Parque Nacional Waraira Repano (anteriormente conocido como Parque Nacional El Ávila). Miconia longidentata se caracteriza por la presencia de hojas sésiles a subsésiles, hojas dimórficas en cada nudo, inflorescencias cortas y axilares, y flores tetrámeras con largos dientes del cáliz. Dada su combinación de caracteres Miconia longidentata pudo haber sido descrita en Clidemia, pero debido a inminentes cambios en la taxonomía de la tribu es descrita en Miconia. Esta especie nueva es comparada con posibles especies relacionadas y se provee un lista de las especies anisófilas de Clidemia. También se incluye un listado de las especies de Melastomataceae endémicas a la Cordillera de la Costa en el Norte de Venezuela.
Introduction The Coastal Cordillera of Venezuela is a mosaic of cloud forest and low elevation rain forest dissected by drier valleys and rain shadow areas. It comprises not only the range along the coast from the states of Yaracuy to Sucre, and the mountains in the island of Margarita, but also some lower elevation mountains inland from the main range (Duno de Stefano et al. 2009). This complex landscape has allowed the formation of several isolated forests that house a high amount of endemic plants (Steyermark 1979). Within the Melastomataceae at least 30 species are endemic to the Coastal Cordillera (Appendix 1), and several others either extend into the eastern Andes or the island of Trinidad, representing more than 10% of the endemic species in the region Accepted by Eve Lucas: 15 Jan. 2013; published online in PDF: 5 Feb. 2013
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(Duno de Stefano et al. 2009). Among the endemic Melastomataceae, 27 have fleshy berries that are bird dispersed, 19 of which belong to the Miconieae, four to the Henrietteeae, and four to the Blakeeae. The remaining three species are all capsular-fruited Merianieae. Within the Coastal Cordillera, the Waraira Repano National Park (formerly known as El Ávila National Park), immediately north and east of the city of Caracas, constitutes one of the largest areas of undisturbed forest. Even though a flora for the park was published over 30 years ago (Steyermark & Huber 1978), collecting efforts by the second author and colleagues (especially Bruno Manara and Gilberto Morillo) have significantly increased the number of species known for the area (Meier 1998, 2011). As part of this research, a previously undescribed species of Melastomataceae has been collected a few times north and east of Caracas. This species was mentioned as ‘Clidemia sp. 1’ by Meier (1998). Clidemia Don (1823: 306) has been traditionally defined as the members of the Miconieae with lateral inflorescences and petals with a rounded apex (Cogniaux 1891, Judd 1989), characters found in the species described here. However, the genus has been shown to be clearly polyphyletic, as most groups within the Miconieae (Michelangeli et al. 2004, 2008, Martin et al. 2008, Goldenberg et al. 2008). Recent descriptions of taxa that could be assigned to Clidemia have varied from placing them within the traditional taxonomy (i.e. Kriebel & Almeda 2009), or by describing them in a broader Miconia Ruiz & Pavon (1794: 60) (i.e. Ionta et al. 2012). We have chosen to describe this new species in Miconia until a new taxonomic framework is developed for the tribe Miconieae because most species of Clidemia are likely to be transferred into Miconia (see Ionta et al. 2012). Even if the tribe Miconieae is divided into several genera, Miconia longidentata would not fall within the group that contains the lectotype of the genus, Clidemia neglecta Don (1823: 307), which is characterized by inflorescences that are pseudo-lateral and not truly axillary. [Clidemia neglecta was chosen as the lectotype of Clidemia by Britton and Wilson (1825), but it is considered a heterotypic synonym of Clidemia capitellata (Bonpl. in Humboldt & Bonpland 1806: 5) Don (1823: 306).] The discovery of this new species, and other species described recently [Rhodostemonodaphne avilensis Madriñán (2004: 50), Klarobelia subglobosa Chatrou (2005: 36), Geonoma operculata Henderson (2011: 108), and Dendrophthora mirandensis Kuijt (2011: 443)] so close to the city of Caracas, and within a relatively well collected national park, stresses the need for a thorough study of the cloud and mid elevation forests of the Coastal Cordillera of Venezuela.
Species Description Miconia longidentata Michelang. & W. Meier, sp. nov. (Fig. 1) A species of Miconia with anisophyllous and sessile leaves differing from Clidemia farinasii by its longer calyx teeth (3.3–4.2 vs. 2.6–2.8 mm) and shorter inflorescence peduncle (< 3 mm vs. 20–30 mm), and from Clidemia flexuosa by its longer calyx teeth (3.3–4.2 vs. 0.5–0.6 mm), hypanthium shape (terete vs. 8-costate) and stem pubescence (glabrous vs. glandular setose). Type:—VENEZUELA. Límite entre estados Vargas/Miranda: Cordillera de la Costa, vertiente norte, al sur del pueblo Chuspa, en bosque a lo largo del Rio Chuspa, 10˚ 33’ N 66˚ 19’ W, 330–360 m, 19–22 February 1993, fl, fr, W. Meier 3432 (holotype VEN!; isotypes B!, US!).
Shrub, up to 2 m tall. Young stems terete to slightly flattened in the younger internodes, glabrous, internodes longitudinal ridges absent, nodal line absent. Leaves anisophyllous; large leaves petiole < 4 mm long, glabrous; blade 8.5–12.5(–16) × 2.2–3.5(–5.5) cm, narrowly ovate to lanceolate, membranaceous to chartaceous, apex gradually acuminate to acute, base cordate with a sinus 2–2.5(–4.0) mm long, margin sparsely denticulate, teeth appressed and up to 0.8 mm long; glabrous on both surfaces; secondary veins 1 pair plus 1 pair of faint marginals, basally nerved, tertiary veins percurrent, quaternary veins reticulate, areoles 1.6–2.2 mm wide, veins flat on the adaxial surface and raised on the abaxial surface. Smaller leaves of each pair 20–50(–80)% the size of the larger leaf, varying even in the same branch, with the smaller leaf alternating
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MICHELANGELI & MEIER
FIGURE 1. Miconia longidentata. A. Flowering branch with detail of leaf margin. B. Detail of node and inflorescence. C. Flower bud. D. Flower immediately before anthesis. E. Stamen, ventral and lateral view. F. Fruit, lateral and apical view. Drawn by Bobbi Angel from Meier 3432 (US).
sides on the branch, broadly ovate (in the more reduced leaves) to broadly lanceolate. Inflorescences axillary in younger internodes, mostly paired on both sides of the node, rarely only on one side, a 1–3 flowered cyme, on a peduncle 2–3 mm long; peduncles terete, glabrous; bracteoles ca 0.6 mm long, lanceolate, persistent. Flower pedicel 0.7 mm long. Hypanthium (from the base to the calyx tube base) 2.3–2.5 mm long, cylindrical, 1.2–1.3 mm wide at the torus, external indumentum with a mix of short pinoid hairs and glandular setae up to 0.6 mm long, internal surface smooth, androecial fringe absent. Calyx open in bud, the tube 1.1 mm long at anthesis, the lobes ca. 0.5 mm long, narrowly triangular; calyx teeth subulate, 3.5–4.2 × ca. 0.15 mm,
A NEW ANISOPHYLLOUS SPECIES OF MICONIA
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glabrous, upright in bud and spreading at anthesis. Petals 4, 4.9–5.1 × 2.1–2.2 mm, obovate, white at anthesis, glabrous, apex round, base obtuse, margin entire. Stamens diplostemonous, isomorphic, around the style at anthesis; filament 3.4–3.5 mm long, glabrous, anthers with 2 locules, thecae 2.6–3 × 0.3 mm, straight, opening by 1 dorsally oriented minute pore, connective glabrous, 0.15 mm extended below the thecae, with a dorsal descending tooth, up to 0.15 mm long. Ovary 4-locular, 60% inferior, the free portion conical, the apex with 8 teeth < 0.1 mm long around the union with the style, but otherwise lacking a collar; style 6–6.5 mm long, straight, glabrous; stigma punctiform, ca. 0.3 mm wide. Berries 4.5–4.8 × 2.4–2.8 mm, globose, narrowing towards the apex, black, glandular trichomes mostly persistent when mature, calyx and teeth persistent in fruit. Seeds 0.6–0.7 mm long, pyramidal, raphe covering 33% of the apex of the seed, without tertiary sculpturation, testa golden brown. Habitat and Distribution:—Miconia longidentata is known from mid and low elevation forests in the central portion of the Coastal Cordillera in northern Venezuela, on both the northern and southern slopes above 350 m. Conservation Status:—The four specimens known of Miconia longidentata are effectively clustered in two different areas. The area above 350 m bracketed by these two populations delimits a potential extent of occurrence (EEO) of approximately 120 km2. Most of these EEO falls within the Waraira Repano National Park, but parts of the eastern population are outside the park limits. Given the distribution and population sizes, we provisionally assign Miconia longidentata a IUCN (2001) conservation status of Endangered, as defined by the IUCN guidelines (IUCN 2011). Etymology:—This new species is named after its long and persistent calyx teeth. Additional specimens examined (paratypes):—VENEZUELA. Miranda: Parque Nacional El Avila, Cordillera de la Costa, vertiente sur, al nornoreste de Salmerón, entre Fila Las Perdices y Rio Brazo Grande, 10˚ 32’ N 66˚ 22’ W, 490 m, 16–19 April 1993, fr, W. Meier 3646 (US, VEN). Vargas [Distrito Federal on the label]: P. N. El Avila, vertiente norte, arriba de Naiguata, quebrada del rio Camuri Grande, 10˚ 34’ N 66˚ 42.5 W, 1135 m, 20–22 May 1992, fr, W. Meier 2325 (US, VEN); P. N. El Avila, Cordillera de la Costa, vertiente norte, al sur del pueblo Chuspa, bajada de la fila Las Perdices al Rio Chuspa, 10˚ 32’ N 66˚ 20’ W, 900–1000 m, 19–22 February 1993, fl bud, W. Meier 3389 (US, VEN).
Discussion Miconia longidentata is morphologically similar to two species of Clidemia with anisophyllous leaves found in the Coastal Cordillera in Venezuela: Clidemia farinasii Wurdack (1964a: 211) and C. flexuosa (Triana 1871: 141) Cogniaux (1891: 1103). However it differs from both species on vegetative and reproductive characters, notably on inflorescence size, stem, hypanthium and leaf pubescence, and the size of the calyx teeth (see table 1). TABLE 1. Distinguishing characteristics of species of the Clidemia flexuosa group in the Coastal Cordillera of Venezuela.
Inflorescence peduncle length (mm) Inflorescence type Hypanthium pubescence Merosity Calyx teeth length (mm)
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Miconia longidentata
Clidemia farinasii
Clidemia flexuosa
