Coccoloba hirsuta Standl., Publ. Field Mus. Nat. Hist., Bot. Ser.

Ancona, Juan José, Ortiz-Díaz, Juan Javier, Gutiérrez-Alonso, Eduardo & Ledesma, Patricia Hernández, 2025, A taxonomic revision of Coccoloba sect. Paniculatae (Polygonaceae, Eriogonoideae), Phytotaxa 704 (2), pp. 106-152 : 120-122

4. Coccoloba hirsuta Standl., Publ. Field Mus. Nat. Hist., Bot. Ser. 4 (8): 303. 1929. ( Figs. 7A–F ).

Type:— HONDURAS. Atlántida: Lancetilla Valley near Tela, alt. about 400 m, 20 January 1928, Standley 54802 (holotype F!, isotype US!).

Epitype (here designated):— Honduras: Atlántida: Lancetilla Valley near Tela, alt. 20 to 600 m, 06 December 1927 – 20 March 1928, Standley 53555 ( US!, barcode US 0326638).

= Coccoloba hirtella Lundell, Wrightia 2(3): 117. 1961.

Type:— BELIZE. District of Toledo: near San Antonio, in high ride near base of hill, 19 November 1945, Gentle 5427 (holotype LL!).

Description:—Trees hermaphrodites, functionally unisexual, 10–20 m tall; branch densely hirtellous when young with yellow or dark brown trichomes. Ochrea 1–2 cm long, densely hirtellous with dark brown hairs, breaking irregularly. Leaves simple, alternate; petioles 2–3.5 cm long, 3–8 mm diameter, striate, densely hirtellous with brown trichomes, arising at the bases of the ochrea; leaf blades 15–25.5 (–28.3) long, 9–13 cm wide, oblong–elliptical to obovateelliptic, chartaceous, rough, adaxial surface sparsely puberulent to hirtellous with brown trichomes mainly on veins, abaxial surface densely hirtellous, margin entire or revolute, apex obtuse slightly acuminate, base cordate; venation brochidodromous, reticulate, prominent, primary veins 8–11 pairs, prominent. Inflorescence spiciform, arranged in a large sympodial panicle, branches>5, rarely 3 branches, main axis reduced, 2–5 cm long, striate, pulverulent; spiciform portion 10–18 cm long, rachis 1.5–3 mm diameter, striate, pulverulent; bracteole absent; ochreola 0.5 mm long, cylindrical, membranous, pulverulent, rounded at the apex; pedicel in flower 0.5 mm long, pedicel in fruit 0.5–1.5 mm. Flowers not seen. Fruit acrosarcum 9.8–10.3 mm long, 8.8–9.1 mm diameter, globose to ovoid, glabrous, apex acute to obtuse, base rounded; hypanthium accrescent, succulent, almost completely enclosing achene, tepals accrescent, papyraceous, appressed at the apex conical of the achene; achene 6–8mm long, 5.9–6.45 mm diameter, globose to ovoid, base rounded, apex cuspidate, conical, prominent, brown, smooth, glossy.

Etymology: —The specific epithet of this species refers to the hirsutulous indumentation of the leaf, petiole and ochrea.

Phenology: — Coccoloba hirsuta flowers in August and produces fruits from November to December.

Distribution and ecology: — This species is distributed in Guatemala and Belize ( Fig. 7G ), in high and low deciduous forests, in an elevation range of 30– 350 m.

Provisional conservation status:—Given the extremely narrow geographic distribution (AOO= 20 km 2) and the small number of occurrences (five). In addition, three of the occurrences are located in areas highly fragmented by urban growth and agriculture; while the remaining two occurrences are located within the “Jardin Botánico de Lancetilla” conservation area. Therefore, under the IUCN Red List criteria ( IUCN Standards and Petitions Committee 2024), we propose a preliminary IUCN Red List Assessment of Vulnerable [VU D2]. Any future documentation of negative population trends, increased threats, or lapses in appropriate fire management that would degrade habit quality would likely change the assessment toward Endangered under the B criteria.

Discussion:— Coccoloba hirsuta was described from juvenile leaves, which has caused much confusion in taxonomic placement, it was placed as a synonym of C. belizensis by Howard (1959a). He stated that juvenile leaves of C. belizensis are hirtellous, with yellowish trichomes. However, the examination of more specimens in this work allowed us to recognize that juvenile leaves of C. belizensis are ovate to elliptic, glabrous and corrugated, while the leaves of the holotype of C. hirsuta are oblong-elliptical to obovate-elliptic, hirtellous, with yellowish trichomes, thus ruling out in the present work the name C. hirsuta as a synonym of C. belizensis . On the other hand, we also observed juvenile specimens of C. hirtella and they are morphologically more similar to the holotype of C. hirsuta , the yellowish hirtellous trichomes observed on juvenile leaves of C. hirtella and on the holotype of C. hirsuta are still present even on mature leaves. In this work, under the principle of priority of the nomenclature code for algae, fungi and plants, we consider the name C. hirtella a synonym of C. hirsuta . Howard (1992) cited under the name of C. hirtella specimens from Panama and Veracruz, Mexico that currently correspond to C. efigeniana and C. ibarrae respectively. Considering that C. hirsuta is based on the description of a juvenile specimen and in order to avoid confusion in the correct application of the name, here we propose specimen Standley 53555 as an epitype for the name C. hirsuta .

Specimens examined:— BELIZE. Toledo: near San Antonio, in high ride near base of hill, 19 November 1945, Gentle 5427 (MO, isotype). GUATEMALA. Izabal: Puerto Méndez, on new Izabal Road, 19 August 1969, Contreras 8981 (MO). Peten: Los Arcos, km 146 of Cadenas Road, Sacoyon, 20 December. 1969, Contreras 9416 (MO). HONDURAS. Atlántida: Jardín Botánico de Lancetilla, 3 km al S de Tela, 100–150 m, 8 June 1985, Téllez & E. Martínez 8803 (MO). Lancetilla Valley, 29 July 1951, Howard et al. 451 (BM).

Figures

FIGURE 7. A. Specimen of Coccoloba hirsuta (E. Contreras 9416, MO); B. Portion of inflorescence and fruit; C. Acrosarcum lateral view; D. Acrosarcum polar view; E. Achene lateral view; F.Achene polar view; G. Geographical distribution.