Compsoneura crassitepala Villanueva, Paz-López & W. Ariza, 2025

Villanueva-Tamayo, Boris, Paz-López, Carlos & Ariza-Cortés, William, 2025, A new tree species of Compsoneura (Myristicaceae) from the Andean forests on the Eastern Cordillera Range, Colombia, PhytoKeys 251, pp. 189-201 : 189-201

Compsoneura crassitepala Villanueva, Paz-López & W. Ariza sp. nov.

Figs 1 , 2

Type.

Colombia • Boyacá: Municipio de Coper, Vereda Cucunubá, finca El Brasil , 5°24'47.0"N, 74°02'39.00W, 1720 m a. s. l., 29 July 2023 (fl ♂), Carlos A. Paz et al. 2158 (holotype: UDBC!, barcode no. 49999; isotypes: COL!, FMB!, JAUM!, JBB!) .

Diagnosis.

This new species can be distinguished from other species by its staminate and pistillate flowers, which have a spherical and fleshy perianth. It is similar to C. nallarettiana in its weakly brochidodromous secondary venation (only the first two veins are non-anastomosed) and differs in pedunculate fruits (vs. sessile fruits) and leaf blades oblong or elliptic-oblong (vs. leaf blades elliptic) and is similar to C. cuatrecasasii in slightly brochidodromous secondary venation and trichomes minute 2 - branched. However, it differs in leaf oblong or elliptic-oblong (vs. leaf blades obovate to orbiculate), abaxial lamina densely ferruginous tomentose (vs. abaxial lamina glabrescent to glabrous when mature) leaf blade coppery when dry (vs. leaf blades that dry red-brown).

Description.

Dioecious tree, 18 m tall, pyramidal crown, rhytidome slightly fissured and detachable in plates, the inner bark exuding sap red-hyaline; wood red-cream colour; branchlets ferruginous when dry, 5.3–11.3 mm wide, tomentose with dendritic trichomes, when young densely ferruginous tomentellous, hairs dendritic trichomes with only one axis, densely brown ferruginous when old, densely covered with lenticels, 0.7–1.6 × 0.5–0.7 mm. Leaves simple, alternate; petioles cylindrical stout, light ferruginous when fresh or coppery when dry, 12.0–13.4 × 4.1–4.8 mm; leaf blades coriaceous or strongly coriaceous when dried, oblong or elliptic-oblong, 21.0–25.5 × 6.5–8.2 cm, width at ¼ length 5.5–7.0 cm, width at ½ length 6.5–8.1 cm, width at ¾ length 5–6.2 cm; base rounded or obtuse or slightly attenuate, not revolute; apex acute, acuminate or apiculate, acumen 4.5–8.1 mm; margin entire; adaxial lamina surface shiny, light green or yellow-green when fresh, coppery when dry, with dispersed dendritic trichomes in young leaves; abaxial lamina surface dull, densely ferruginous tomentose, dendritic trichomes, light orange when fresh, yellowish-brown when dry; costa raised above near the base, scattered dendritic trichomes on young leaves and at the base of older leaves, raised; secondary veins 11–16 per side, spaced 6–16 mm, slight arcuate ascending, the first two veins not anastomosing completely or only between, the next veins strongly brochidodromus. Staminate inflorescences: 3.1–6.1 × 1.31–2.6 cm long, rachis direction in a zig-zag pattern, axillary, 1–2 - paniculate, densely ferruginous tomentellous with dendritic trichomes, peduncle 5.2–13.3 × 1.7–2.7 mm, main axes with 3–8 ramifications, alternate. Staminate flower buds: subglobose densely ferruginous tomentose. Staminate flowers: subglobose or obovoid-globose, in fascicles of 4–8 flowers, fleshy when fresh and dry, densely ferruginous tomentellous, with dendritic trichomes on the outer side, thinly ferruginous, covered by dendritic trichomes inside, borne on a receptacle 1.5–3.4 mm wide; pedicels 0.5–0.6 × 0.1–0.12 cm; perianth 3.9–4.6 × 3.6–4.5 mm, globose; lobes 3–4, fleshy, erect, triangular or broadly triangular, apex reflexed when mature, 1.5–1.8 × 1.9–2.4 mm, connate by ⅔; androecium: 1.8–2.3 mm long, filament column 0.9–2.1 × 0.6–1.8 mm, with a ferruginous, tomentose ring of dendritic trichomes at the base, anthers 6, dorsally adnate by ⅓, strongly erect ascending from base to apex 0.7–1.1 × 0.2–0.3 mm obtuse to apex. Pistillate inflorescences: 1.9–2.1 × 1.5–1.6 cm, rachis direction in a zig-zag pattern, axillary, 1–2 paniculate, densely ferruginous tomentellous with dendritic trichomes, peduncle 5.2–7.4 × 2.3–3.2 mm, main axes with 1–2 ramifications, alternate. Pistillate flower buds: subglobose densely ferruginous tomentose. Pistillate flowers: subglobose or obovoid-globose, in fascicles of 4–5 flowers, fleshy when fresh and dry, densely ferruginous tomentellous, with dendritic trichomes on the outer side, thinly ferruginous, covered by dendritic trichomes inside; borne on a receptacle 2.5–3.1 mm wide, pedicels 0.1–0.5 × 0.07–0.2 cm; perianth fleshy when fresh and dry, 5.3–5.7 × 5.5–5.9 mm, lobes 3–4, fleshy, erect, triangular or broadly triangular, with lobes slightly curved at apex at maturity, 0.8–1.3 × 0.6–1.3 mm, connate by ⅓, densely ferruginous tomentellous with dendritic trichomes in both sides; ovary, ovate, tannish-brown, cover by densely ferruginous tomentellous, fresh or dry, 2.8–3.7 × 2.2–2.8 mm; stigma bilobed, dark brown, 0.4–0.9 × 0.3–0.8 mm. Infructescences axillary, solitary or paired, 5–8.5 cm long; peduncle 11.2–11.9 × 3.3–5.3 mm, terete or subterete, with short tomentellous dendritic trichomes; fruits 1–2 per infructescence. Fruits rounded, brown when fresh, with the surface strongly and irregularly sulcate, 4.3–6.2 × 4.2–6.2 cm, grooves 1.0–5.0 mm deep, 0.2–0.5 mm wide, thinly ferruginous, with dendritic trichomes outside, dehiscent; seed (1), 3.3–4.5 × 3.3–4.1 cm, testa minutely reticulate, shiny, brown, aril thin and lignified when mature, pale brown fresh or dry, lacinate, reduced, 0.3–0.5 cm long.

Distribution and habitat.

According to Cuatrecasas (1958), this species inhabits the sub-Andean forests of the Eastern Cordillera in the Boyacá Department, at elevations between 1500 and 1900 m. It is endemic to these forests, where it is associated with Dictyocaryum lamarckianum (Mart.) H. Wendl. ( Arecaceae ), Conceveiba pleiostemona Donn. Sm. ( Euphorbiaceae ) and Andesanthus lepidotus (Bonpl.) P. J. F. Guim. & Michelang. ( Melastomataceae ) (Fig. 3 ).

Compsoneura crassitepala has been recorded in sub-Andean forest fragments within pasturelands, at the boundary of the Boyacá and Cundinamarca Departments, on the western slopes of the Eastern Cordillera in Colombia. This new species is sympatric with C. rigidifolia , the species recorded at the highest altitude in Colombia.

Additional specimens examined.

Colombia • Boyacá: Coper, Vereda Cucunubá Finca El Brasil , 1700 m a. s. l., 5°24'24.65"N, 74°02'53.58"W, 21 Jun 2022 (♀ fl, fr), M. Betancour et al. 51 ( UDBC!) ; • Ibid, 5°24'24.27"N, 74°02'53.63"W, 1700 m a. s. l., 22 Jun 2022 (♂ fl), M. Betancour et al. 58 ( JBB!, UDBC!) ; • Ibid, 5°24'41.5"N, 74°02'13"W, 1582 m a. s. l., 29 Jul 2023 (♀ fl), B. Villanueva-T. et al. 6734 ( JBB!, barcode no. 40030) ; • Ibid, 5°24'42"N, 74°02'12"W, 1575 m a. s. l., 29 Jul 2023 (♂ fl), B. Villanueva-T. et al. 6735 ( JBB!, barcode nos. 40031 & 40032) ; • Ibid, 5°24'47.0"N, 74°02'39.00W, 1769 m a. s. l., 29 Jul 2023 (♀ fl, fr), W. Ariza et al. 10016 ( COL!, FMB!, JAUM!, JBB!, UDBC!) ; • Ibid, 5°24'48.80"N, 74°02'35.70"W, 1729 m a. s. l., 29 Jul 2023 (♂ fl) A. Torrejano-M et al. 1356 ( JBB!, UDBC!) ; • Ibid, 5°24'46.96"N, 74°02'35.70"W, 1735 m a. s. l., 16 Mar 2024 (fr) B. Villanueva-T. et al. 6840 ( JBB!, UDBC!) .

Phenology.

Collected with staminate and pistillate flowers, and fruit during June, July and fruit in March.

Conservation status.

Compsoneura crassitepala has an area of occupancy (AOO) of 1 km 2 and an extent of occurrence (EOO) of approximately 4,200 km 2 and, according to the IUCN criteria ( IUCN 2024), it should be considered “ Endangered ” (EN) (B 1 ab). This area encompasses a mosaic of pastures with exploited forests and limited cultivation. Currently, there are no protected areas or policies that support the conservation of the species’ habitat.

Etymology.

The specific epithet of this species refers to its unusually thick and fleshy tepals.

Common names.

Sangrino ( Colombia, Boyacá; C. Paz et al. 2158).

Discussion.

Based on different diagnostic characteristics such as secondary vein, drying colour of leaf blades and pericarps, Janovec (2000) proposed to divide the genus Compsoneura into two sections. He redefined the classic study of Warburg in 1897, but these sections are not formally published. Other species published after 2000 (i. e. C. choibo and C. lapidiflora ) do not fit within the two informally proposed sections and, for the last species, its fruit is unknown. Therefore, we prefer to classify the new species within Warburg’s classic concept of the Eucompsoneura section, due to its partially fixed anthers to the filament ( Warburg 1897, 1905).

Compsoneura crassitepala shows a combination of characters that differentiate it from the other species in the genus. The thin and lignified aril not previously recorded in Compsoneura (Fig. 2 N ), the rachis in staminate inflorescence in a zig-zag pattern (Fig. 2 A ) and the subglobose or obovoid-globose and fleshy perianth in staminate and pistillate flowers (Fig. 2 F, G ).

This species shares characteristics with Compsoneura nallarettiana , such as the slightly brochidodromous secondary venation and the anastomosis from the second vein. However, C. crassitepala can be distinguished by its pedunculate fruits (vs. sessile fruits) and elliptic-oblong leaf blades (vs. elliptic or elliptic-ovate leaves). The new species shares the following characters with C. cuatrecasasii : oblong or elliptic-oblong leaves and slightly brochidodromous secondary venation. C. crassitepala differs from C. cuatrecasasii by the leaf blades that dry yellowish-brown and have an abaxial lamina densely ferruginous tomentose with dendritic trichomes (vs. leaf blades that dry red-brown and are glabrescent to glabrous when mature on the abaxial lamina with minute 2 - branched trichomes). Additionally, after the revision of herbarium specimens, based on morphological traits such as leaf blade veins and size, perianth lobes and pericarp texture and following the process of Villanueva-Tamayo and Cogollo-Pacheco (2024), an identification key for the species of the genus is provided.

Figures

Figure 1. Compsoneura crassitepala A staminate flower B pistillate flower C fruit without pericarp showing the seed with one valve removed (left), fruit entire (right) D terminal branch with a pistillate inflorescence showing two leaves on the upper surface and one leaf on the lower surface (B. Villanueva-T et al. 6734) E trichomes on abaxial leaf blade F trichome (B. Villanueva-T et al. 6734). Illustration by Manuela Sánchez (JBB).

Figure 2. Compsoneura crassitepala A branches with staminate inflorescences and leaves showing both faces (C. Paz 2158 UDBC) B terminal branch bearing pistillate inflorescence (B Villanueva-T. et al. 6734) C underside of ferruginous leaf (B Villanueva-T. et al. 6734) D pistillate inflorescence (B Villanueva-T. et al. 6734) E staminate flower (C. Paz 2158 UDBC) F androecium visible by side cut (C. Paz 2158 UDBC) G pistil, showing the thick perianth (B Villanueva-T. et al. 6734) H fruit sulcate, densely ferruginous pubescent with stellate trichomes and vestigial tepals, showing the sulcate surface (B Villanueva-T et al. 6734) I external view of open pericarp, showing the sulcate surface (B Villanueva-T et al. 6734) J internal view of open pericarp (B Villanueva-T et al. 6734) K open fruit showing seed and pericarp thickness (B Villanueva-T et al. 6734) L seed side view without aril (B Villanueva-T et al. 6734) M seed without aril from above (B Villanueva-T et al. 6734) N detail of the thin and lignified aril (B Villanueva-T et al. 6734). Photos by Boris Villanueva-T., Lankester plate by Daniel Amaya-Jiménez.

Figure 3. Distribution map of Compsoneura crassitepala.