Heteropsis ecuadorensis, Sodiro, Anales Univ. Centr.

Soares, M. Lourdes, Mayo, Simon J. & Gribel, Rogério, 2013, A Preliminary Taxonomic Revision of Heteropsis (Araceae), Systematic Botany (Basel, Switzerland) 38 (4), pp. 925-974 : 942-944

4. HETEROPSIS ECUADORENSIS Sodiro ,

Anales Univ. Centr. Ecuador 22 (162): 278. 1908.

— TYPE: ECUADOR. “Crescit in silv. subtropi. secus fl. Pilaton prov. Quitensis et in tropicalibus prov. Guayas propre El Naranjito ”, província de Quito , Rio Pilaton , L. Sodiro s.n. (syntype probably at QPLS); província de Guayas, El Naranjito, L. Sodiro s.n. (syntype probably at QPLS).

Heteropsis rimbachii K. Krause , Notizbl. Bot. Gart. Berlin-Dahlem 9: 269–270. 1925.

— TYPE: ECUADOR. “im Walde der Küstenebene am Rio Quimbo sehr häufig“ (very frequent in the coastal forest along the Rio Quimbo), Rimbach 77 (holotype: B! fl).

Scandent hemi-epiphyte; aerial roots ca. 5 mm diam, subcylindric, pale brown when dry, with dark brown annular markings; leafy shoot with internodes 2–9.5 cm long, 0.3–0.75 cm diam, slightly striate longitudinally when dry, rounded with one side somewhat sulcate to flattened, pale green when dry; lateral bud 1.5–3 mm long, apex pointed, introrse to straight. Petiole 4–6 mm long, ca. 1.5 mm wide, canaliculate, margin undulate at the apex; genuiculum ca. 4 mm long; leaf blade 9.5–16 cm long, 2.5–5.5 cm wide, oblong to oblanceolate, subcoriaceous, pale brown on both surfaces when dry, 0.13–0.38 mm thick, apex acuminate, base cuneate to obtuse, midrib somewhat sulcate adaxially, prominent abaxially, same color as blade, primary lateral veins and interprimary veins obscured adaxially, impressed abaxially, tertiary veins forming distinct reticulations near the margin, infra-marginal collective vein prominent, 0.75–1 mm distant from the margin, external marginal vein 1, near the collective vein. Inflorescence terminal and axillary, flowering shoot (2.2-) 3.5–13 cm long, internodes 2.5–3 cm long, 1.5–3 mm diam, pale brown, sulcate, buds present at the first to third internodes; peduncle 6–10 mm long, cylindric, generally twisted extrorsely at the apex; spathe ca. 4.0– 4.5 cm long, 2–3 cm wide, closed, oblong, apex acuminate, white-cream; spadix (2-) 4–5 cm long, 0.8–1 cm diam, subcylindric, apex acuminate, stipitate, white to cream, stipe 2–6 + 1.4–3 mm. Gynoecium 2–3 mm long, 2.5–3 mm diam, prismatic, apex 2.8–3.5 mm diam, stigma oblong to discoid. Infructescence 6–8 cm long, 3 cm diam; berry 10–18 + 8–12 mm, ovoid to globose, orange; seed 8–13 + 7–12 mm, ovoid, testa rugose. Figures 1A , 14 .

Common Names— The following common names have been recorded for this species: bejuco de montaña ( Peru), piquigua ( Ecuador).

Habitat and Distribution— Heteropsis ecuadorensis is known from Colombia, Ecuador and Peru, occuring between 50– 2,000 m alt.

Phenology— Flowering specimens have been collected in February, March, June and September, and fruiting material in January, and from April to June.

Conservation Status— Using guidance from the Geocat (2012) online tool, the preliminary conservation assessment of H. ecuadorensis is least concern (LC), based on 9 localities and a 50 km cell width (auto value cell size option fora of occupancy).

Etymology— The specific epithet refers to Ecuador where this species was first discovered.

Notes— In Sodiro’s original description of H. ecuadorensis , the author did not designate a holotype, citing two syntypes instead. Unfortunately, it has not been possible to examine these nor to ascertain whether they are still in existence. As it is possible that these specimens do still exist, probably at QPLS, we have not designated a neotype here.

Krause described H. rimbachii based on the collection Rimbach 77 from Ecuador. The author states in the original description that this species is frequent in lowland coastal forests of the Rio Quimbo and is notable by its usually oblanceolate leaves and the numerous and long aerial roots emerging from the stem. In these characters, H. ecuadorensis resembles H. flexuosa (Kunth) G. S. Bunting but H. ecuadorensis differs from this species in the slender, pointed, introrse axillary buds and especially by the much more slender stem and spadix.

Heteropsis ecuadorensis is distinguished when sterile by the oblanceolate leaf, the pointed introrse buds, and when fertile by the length of the spathe and spadix (4–5 cm). Although in spadix size it can be confused with H. longispathacea Engl. , it differs from this species by the acuminate apex of the spathe; in H. longispathacea the spathe is cuspidate and 7– 8 cm long.

Additional Specimens Examined— COLOMBIA. Departamento Chocó: Município de Nuquí , 5 32 ' N 77 15 ' W, Feb– Mar 1994, Galeano et al. 5281 (MO ster) ; Município de Riosucio , 11 Sep 1987, Cardenas 421 (MO ster) ; Município de Turbo , 25 Dec 1983, Brand & Escobar 743 (MO fl) ; San Juan de Urabá-Chigorodó, 28 Mar 1986, Renteria et al. 4881 ( MO fl).

ECUADOR. s.d., Rimbach 834 (photo MO ster); 14 May 1997, Vargas et al. 1373 ( MO fr) ; s. d., Delinks & Robles 68 ( MO ster). Esmeraldas: 4 May 2000, Neill & QCNE 12785 ( MO ster) ; 00 59 ' N 79 01 ' W, 24 Aug 1991, Pedersen & Bergmann 97662 ( K, MO ster); 12 Apr 1943, Elbert & Little Jr. 6243 ( K fr) ; 0 37 ' N 79 54 ' W, 16 Mar 1992, Croat 73074 ( MO fl, fr). Guayas: Reserva Ecológica Manglares , 2 24 ' S 79 35 ' W, 28 Feb 1992, Ceron 18363 (MO ster) ; 24 May 1980, Harling & Andersson 19388 ( MO fl). Los Rios: 1 Sep 1976, Croat 38682 ( MO ster) ; Pichilingue, 15 Jun 1945, McClure 21350 ( MO fr). Pichincha: Rio Palenque , 21 Feb 1974, Gentry 10099 ( K fl) ; Centro Científico 00 30 ' S, 79 22 ' W, 2 Jun 1990, Rubio & Alverson 390 (MO fr) ; entre Rio Mocachi e Palenque , 24 Jan 1981, Gentry 30720 (K fr) ; 24 Jan. 1981, Gentry 24728A (MO fr); 25 Mar. 1980, Gentry & Dodson 28471 (MO ster); 15 Aug 1978, Dodson et al. 7076 (MO fl). Manabi: Rio Mongolla , 00 09 ' S 79 51 ' W, 12 Apr 1997, Clark et al. ( MO fr). Province Napo, 28 May 1988, Coelho 298 ( MO fl) ; 00 57 ' S 76 13 ' W, 9 – 13 Jan 1988, Palacios 2407 ( MO fl). Pastaza: Rio Curaray , 1 30 ' S 76 32 ' W, 3 Sep 1985, Palacios & Neill 787 ( MO fr) ; Papagayos 00 20 ' N 79 28 ' W, 6 – 8 Sep 1996, Clark 2745 (MO fr) .

PERU. Departamento Loreto: Rio Javari , 14 Apr 1964, Vigo 6391 ( K fr) .

Figures

FIG. 1. Geographical distribution of species of Heteropsis. A. H. boliviana, H. croatii, H. duckeana, and H. ecuadorensis. B. H. flexuosa, H. linearis, H. longispathacea, and H. macrophylla. Drawn by Francisca D. A. Matos.

FIG. 14. Heteropsis ecuadorensis. A. Habit. B. Venation on right abaxial surface of leaf blade. (A and B prepared from Coelho 298 (MO)). Drawn by Felipe França.