Gesneria ˟ cornuta Simon Joly, 2023

Joly, Simon, Lambert, François, Cinea, William & Clark, John L., 2023, Three New Gesneria Species (Gesneriaceae) Support Parc National Pic Macaya (Haiti) as an Important Biodiversity Hotspot, Systematic Botany (Basel, Switzerland) 48 (1), pp. 34-43 : 41

Gesneria ˟ cornuta Simon Joly , nothosp. nov.

TYPE: HAITI. Departement du Sud: Massif de la Hotte, Parc National Pic Macaya, Morne Cavalier , 1106 m, 25 Jan 2018, Joly & Faure 1125 (holotype: MT!) .

Natural hybrid between G. flava and G. bicolor . Similar to G. bicolor , but with larger flowers that have the shape of a cornucopia and longer calyx lobes. Petioles smaller than G. flava and leaf more symmetric than the asymmetric leaves of G. bicolor . The adaxial leaf surface is covered with numerous small hairs but the surface is not as rough as that of G. flava . Overall relatively intermediate in characters between G. bicolor and G. flava .

Evergreen shrub up to 3 m high, generally few-branched; bark brown to brown-red colored, corky at base, many verrucose vertical lenticels toward apex. Apex resinous. Leaves alternate; petioles 0.4–1.2 cm, brown to reddish, sometimes green for young leaves; blades oblanceolate, symmetric to slightly asymmetric, 11–19 cm long, 2–5 cm wide, coriaceous, base cuneate, apex acute, margin serrulate; adaxial surface shiny green and hispidulous, abaxial surface light green, rugose with no trichomes; Major veins prominent, resinous and lightly verrucose with few trichomes; tertiary veins reticulate with few trichomes. Inflorescences axillary, 1–6 flowered cymous; peduncles 15–30 cm long and 0.2–0.3 cm wide, brown to reddish; pedicels 1–3 cm long, green with some red at the base; flowers gynandrous; calyx lobes 5, leafy looking, 7–10 mm long, 3–4 mm wide at base, apex acute, margin smooth or serrulate, green with frequent red at the tip; corolla campanulate with constriction near base, yellow and red, 21–23 mm long and 16–19 mm wide at corolla opening; lobes 5, margin entire; staminal filaments circa 20 mm long, white, glabrous; 4 coherent anthers oblong, circa 25 mm long, 1.5 mm wide; staminode present; pollen white; ovary inferior, 4–6 mm long, 4–8 mm wide, green; style circa 20 mm long, stigma stomatomorphic. Capsule turbinate, circa 7 mm long, 7 mm wide, brown. Seeds 0.8–1 mm long, obovate, striate and sometimes slightly bent.

Additional Specimens Examined — Haiti. — DEPARTMENT SUD: Massif de la Hotte, Parc National Pic Macaya, Forested area near Ville Formon , 957 m, 18.3214 N, 74.0089 W, 14 January 2015, Clark 14493 ( NY) ; Massif de la Hotte, Parc National Pic Macaya, Bois Formon, in Rakbwa , 996 m, 18.31891 N, 74.00809 W, 21 January 2018, Joly, Faure & Honnete 1110 ( MT) ; Massif de la Hotte, Parc National Pic Macaya, Morne Cavalier, Rakbwa on a slope , 1186 m, 18.32427 N, 74.02701 W, 22 January 2018, Joly & Faure 1115 ( MT) ; Massif de la Hotte, Parc National Pic Macaya, Morne Cavalier, Rakbwa on a slope , 1199 m, 18.32595 N, 74.02484 W, 22 January 2018, Joly & Faure 1116 ( MT) ; Massif de la Hotte, Parc National Pic Macaya, Morne Cavalier, Rakbwa on a slope , 1199 m, 18.32595 N, 74.02484 W, 22 January 2018, Joly & Faure 1117 ( MT) .

Distribution and Habitat —This relatively infrequent species is endemic to the Massif de la Hotte in Southwest Haiti. It grows in disturbed broadleaved forest on limestone (rak bwa) at altitudes between 1000 to 1200 m. It grows in the same areas with Gesneria bicolor .

Biology —This species is a natural interspecific hybrid between Gesneria bicolor and Gesneria flava . All seeds evaluated failed to germinate, suggesting it may not be able to reproduce sexually.

Etymology —The name of this species refers to its large curved flowers that have the shape of a cornucopia.

Conservation — Gesneria ˟ cornuta is endemic to the lower slopes of Pic Macaya. The high rates of deforestation throughout Haiti and recent increase in human activities inside the park are factors that risk the remaining extant forest. Therefore, this new species is likely to be categorized as Critically Endangered (CR) according to the IUCN Red List criteria ( IUCN 2012, 2019) for restricted geographic range (B1 a,b,c + B2 a,b,c).