Desmopsis confusa G.E.Schatz,N.Zamora & Maas, 2018

Schatz, G. E., Maas, P. J. M., Kamer, H. Maas-van de, Westra, L. Y. T. & Wieringa, J. J., 2018, Revision of the Neotropical genus Desmopsis (Annonaceae), Blumea 63 (1), pp. 67-86 : 72-74

5. Desmopsis confusa G.E.Schatz,N.Zamora & Maas , sp. nov. — Fig. 2b ; Map 3

Desmopsis confusa is recognized by its leaves which are densely covered with long-persisting erect hairs, long pedicels (50–70 mm long, expanding to 120 mm in fruit) bearing a leafy basal bract and scale-like upper bract, and a relatively large number of monocarps (10–25) with thin walls (0.1–0.2 mm thick) borne on slender stipes (c. 1 mm diam). — Type: Busey 650 (holo MO; iso DUKE, INIREB, LL, MEXU, NY, PMA, RB, U), Panama, Chiriquí, 2–8 km N of Cañas Gordas , 1000–1100 m, 26 Feb. 1973 .

Shrub or tree 2–10 m tall, diam not recorded; young twigs and petiole densely covered with long-persisting, erect, brownish hairs 0.2–0.5 mm long (velutinous). Leaves: petiole 3–10 mm long, 1–2 mm diam; lamina elliptic to ovate or narrowly so, 8–19(–22) by 3–7(–9) cm, chartaceous, glabrous above, but primary vein mostly covered with erect, brown hairs, densely covered with long-persisting, erect, brownish hairs 0.2–0.4 mm long below (velutinous), base acute to obtuse, apex acute to acuminate (acumen 5–10 mm long), the extreme tip mostly obtuse, primary vein impressed above, secondary veins 6–10 on either side of primary vein, slightly raised above, tertiary veins slightly raised above, reticulate to slightly percurrent. Inflorescence and flower indument: pedicels and outer side of bracts, and sepals densely to rather densely covered with erect hairs (velutinous), petals densely to rather densely covered with mainly appressed hairs. Inflorescences 1- or 2-flowered, leaf-opposed, but sometimes produced from the main trunk; pedicels 50–70 mm long, 0.5–1 mm diam, to 60–120 mm long and 1–2 mm diam in fruit; basal bract leafy, broadly ovate to broadly ovate-cordate, 2–25 by 3–20 mm, upper bract scale-like, mostly <1 mm long, hardly observable; sepals ovate-triangular, 4–6(–9) by 3–4 mm; petals green, maturing yellow, equal, narrowly triangular to ovate-triangular, 10–20 by 4–9 mm. Monocarps 10–25, green to yellow, maturing red to finally dark purple to black, oblongoid-ellipsoid to spherical, 5–25 by 5–15 mm, sparsely covered with appressed hairs, soon glabrous, apex rounded, slightly constricted between the seeds upon drying, wall 0.1–0.2 mm thick, stipes 5–15 mm long, c. 1 mm diam. Seeds 1–5, in one row, speroid, discoid or hemispherical, 6–10 by 2–3 mm, pale brown, grooved.

Distribution — Costa Rica, Panama.

Habitat & Ecology — In premontane wet forest.At elevations of 1000–1800 m, sometimes going down to 100 m. Flowering: January to March, and May; fruiting: all year through.

Vernacular names — Not recorded.

Field observations — ‘Flowers smell like ripe bananas’ (Burger & Mata 4446, Schatz 1061, Costa Rica).

Other specimens examined. COSTA RICA, Puntarenas, Reserva Forestal Golfo Dulce,entrada a Chocuaco,Rincón, 100 m, Aguilar 629 (MO);Cuenca Terraba-Sierpe, Las Melliza, Cafrosa, 1200 m, Alfaro 1936 (MO); Cerro Pando, ridges above the Río Coton and the Río Negro, 1000–1800 m, Barringer & Gómez 1635 (CR, F, MO); Forested slopes E of Las Cruces and 5–6 km S of San Vito on and around the property of Mr. Robert Wilson, 1100–1200 m, Burger & Matta 4446 (F), 4468 (F), 4492 (F, GH,LL, US);forest remnant on slopes NE of Sabalito along road to La Union, 800 m, Burger & Matta 4539 (BM, F, MO, NY); Cantón de Buenos Aires, Ujarrás, cabeceras del Río Kuiyé,siguiendo la fila que lleva a Olán, 1400 m, Chacón 369 (CR, F, MO); Finca Loma Linda, 1 mile SW of Cañas Gordas, 1150 m, Croat 22234 (MO, NY); vicinity of first large concrete culvert before Finca Las Alturas at Cotón, Río Cotón, 1300 m, Croat 44378 (MO, U); 6 km S of San Vito de Java at Finca las Cruces, Gillis & Plowman 10149 (F, U); Cotón, base SW Cerro Pando, 1300 m, Gómez et al. 18132 (CR); La Tigra – Las Mellizas, 1280 m, Gómez et al. 21968 (F, MO, U); Coto Brus, San Vito, Las Cruces, Jardín Botánico R. & S. Wilson, sendero principal alrededor de la Estación, 1200 m, Gómez­Laurito et al. 11925 (CR, F, MO); Cuenca Térraba-Sierpe, Altamira,Finca de ASOPROLA, 1100 m, González et al.431 (INB,MO);along Río Marzo, near crossing of road c. 3 km SW of Las Alturas de Coto Brus, 1310 m, Grayum & Hammel 5658 (MO); Jardín Botánico Wilson, primary forest on slopes and ridges to W of Río Jaba, 1.5–2 km SW of Las Cruces de Coto Brus, 1140 m, Grayum 9272 (MO); above La Tigra, Talamanca Mts, 1400–1600 m, Hazlett 5068 (F); Cantón de Golfito Jiménez, Dos Brazos de Río Tigre , cuenca superior del Río Madrigal, 300 m, Herrera 4694 (CR, MO); Cuenca Terraba-Sierpe, hacienda la Amistad, Zona Protectora Las Tablas, 1256 m, Kriebel 3 (INB);Las Alturas de Cotón N of San Vito de Java, 4000 ft, Las Cruces Tropical Botanical Garden 74­225 (MO); Zona Protectora Las Tablas Sector Río Negro abajo, 1600–1800 m, Mora 239 (CR,INB,MO);N of La Lucha on road to Progresso, 1200 m, Murphy 1228 (DUKE), Murphy 1246 (DUKE); Coto Brus, Finca Cafrosa, 1220 m, Navarro 265 (INB, MO); around Wilson’s finca, 6 km S of San Vito de Java, 4000 ft, Raven 20924 (F); along Río Jaba, S of San Vito de Coto Brus, 1150 m, Schatz 1001 (MO); Las Cruces Botanical Garden, about 5 km S of San Vito along road to Villa Neily, 1100–1200 m, Schatz 1061 (MO, WIS); alrededores de La Amistad Lodge, 1400–1600 m, Solano & Kriebel 807 (INB); S of San Vito de Java, in the area immediately around Las Cruces Gardens, 1200–1300 m, Taylor 3536 (DUKE); N of San Vito near Panamanian border between La Lucha and Progresso at third river crossing, 1250 m, Taylor 3584 (DUKE). – PANAMA, Chiriquí, along road between Volcán and Río Sereno, 13.7 miles W of Volcán, 1200 m, Croat 66322 (MO, U); 19 km W of Río Chiriquí Viejo on road to San Sereno, 1200 m, D’Arcy 10833 (MO, U); Finca Ojo de Aqua, 1300 m, Knapp 1583 (MO, U). Veraguas, Cerro Hoya, subiendo por Cobachón, 750 m, Deago et al. 196 (MO, PMA, U), 199 (PMA); El Pantano, Parque Nacional Santa Fé,Alto Los Gonzales, 918 m, Espinosa et al. 6127 (MO, PMA); forest along Río Gatu above Chitra Bajo, NW of Laguna La Yeguada, 650 m, McPherson 8013 (MO, PMA, U); Parque Nacional Cerro Hoya, 900 m, Rivera 321 (PMA).

Note — Desmopsis confusa has often been misidentified as D. oerstedii , a species occurring only in Costa Rica. Because of that confusion we have named it D. confusa . Both species are densely covered with erect hairs on most vegetative parts. It differs from D. oerstedii by its thin-walled monocarps (0.1–0.2 mm vs 2–4 mm), and thinner stipes (c. 1 mm vs 2–4 mm thick).

Figures

Fig. 2 a. Desmopsis colombiana G.E.Schatz & Maas. Flowering branch. — b. Desmopsis confusa G.E.Schatz, N. Zamora & Maas. Fruiting branch. — c. Desmopsis dukei G.E.Schatz. Fruiting branch. — d. Desmopsis nigrescens G.E.Schatz. Fruiting branch (a: Cogollo & Borja 741; b: Busey 650, type; c: Duke 8777, type; d: Liesner 1038, type; all MO).