Pradosia tomentirostris Londoño-Ech., 2025

Londoño-Echeverri, Yeison, 2025, New species in Chromolucuma, Chrysophyllum, Pouteria and Pradosia (Chrysophylloideae, Sapotaceae) from the Magdalena and Cauca Rivers basins in Colombia, Phytotaxa 697 (1), pp. 24-46 : 39-44

Pradosia tomentirostris Londoño-Ech. , sp. nov. ( Figs. 9 , 10 , 11 )

Type:— COLOMBIA. Bolívar. Municipio de Norosí: vereda Caño Mocho, 85 m, 8°31'2.07"N, 74°1'0.03"W, 23 June 2021 (bud, fl. & fr.), J. P. Tobón-Agudelo 4022 (holotype: JAUM, accession 90400 [!]).

Diagnosis:— Pradosia tomentirostris differs from P. golfodulcensis Aguilar & D. Santam. in Aguilar-Fernández et al. (2022: 1) by leaf blades sparsely tomentulose along primary and secondary veins on the lower surface (vs. densely villous tomentose), with scattered trichomes on the rest of surface (vs. sparsely tomentose), subsessile flowers and fruits, flowering pedicels 1.0– 1.5 mm long and fruiting ones 1.0– 1.7 mm long (vs. flowering 3–4 mm long, fruiting ca. 13 mm long), fruits densely tomentulose and usually rostrate (vs. sparsely tomentulose and rounded to short-apiculate apically), and narrower seed scar ca. 5.1 mm wide (vs. ca. 9 mm wide).

Trees 7–23 m tall with white latex. Bark striate to fissured; indumentum reddish brown to gray or golden; buds and branchlets villous-tomentose, glabrescent; latex white. Leaves sub-verticillate, alternate at young branchlets, spirally arranged; petiole 2.0– 4.7 cm long, canaliculate above near leaf blade, sparsely tomentulose, occasionally sparsely villous-tomentose, glabrescent; blade 11.3–23.7 × 4.0– 13.7 cm, obovate, basally acute and cuneate, decurrent, apically (acute) obtuse and rounded to short-acuminate, entire, sparsely tomentulose along primary and secondary veins on both surfaces, with scattered trichomes on the rest of surface, glabrescent on the upper, occasionally sparsely villous-tomentose along primary and secondary veins on the lower; primary vein raised on the lower surface, strongly impressed on the upper; secondary veins 13–19 on each side, raised on the lower surface, impressed on the upper, eucamptodromous; intersecondary veins occasionally present, not extending towards margin; tertiary veins oblique; margin slightly revolute. Fascicles ramiflorous, bearing ca. 5 flowers at the time; bracts and bracteoles unknown; pedicel 1.0– 1.5 mm long (fruiting pedicels 1.0– 1.7 mm long), villous-tomentose. Flowers 6–7-merous (measures from buds), bisexual; perianth anisomerous or isomerous. Calyx 7-merous; sepals 1.7–2.3 × 1.9–2.0 mm, semi orbicular to broadly elliptic, obtuse and rounded apically, entire, pellicle-like to sparsely villous-tomentose outside, ciliolate, glabrous towards margin in inner ones, glabrous inside. Corolla rotate, pellicle-like outside, glabrous towards margin of lobes and inside, pale green; tube ca. 1.1 mm long; lobes 2.5–2.7 × 1.2–1.7 mm, elliptic to ovate, obtuse and rounded apically, entire. Stamens inserted in the corolla lobes base, isomerous respect to corolla; filaments 2.4–2.6 × 0.3 mm, geniculate in bud, very narrower at anther insertion, glabrous; anthers 0.9–1.1 × 0.5–0.6 mm, narrowly ovoid, glabrous. Staminodes absent. Gynoecium 6-locular, 2.3–2.9 × 0.6 mm, narrowly conical, curved at apex, villous at base; stigma undiscernible. Fruits 1-seeded, 4.2–5.9 × 2.3–3.7 cm, ovoid or rarely spheroid, usually curved, acute to obtuse and straight to rounded apically, usually rostrate, densely tomentulose, smooth to longitudinally ridged, reddish brown or black, drupaceous; endocarp cartilaginous in sicco, unknown in vivo, dull outside, lustrous inside. Seeds 2.9–3.0 × 1.6–2.2 cm, ellipsoid, not laterally compressed, glabrous; testa smooth, brown, lustrous; seed scar adaxial, equaling the length of seed, ca. 5.1 mm wide, narrowly elliptic; cotyledons plano-convex; radicle exserted; endosperm absent.

Distribution and habitat:— Pradosia tomentirostris is considered endemic to central-northern Colombia, occurring mainly in the Magdalena Valley biogeographical region ( Fig. 3 ). Northernmost records are in limits with the Caribbean lowlands biogeographical region. It has been collected in the departments of Antioquia, Boyacá, Caldas, Cesar, Santander and Tolima. Pradosia tomentirostris inhabits lowland rainforests usually associated to swamp or lacustrine habitats (named “Ciénagas” or “Humedales” in Colombia) on banks of the Magdalena River, from 85–510 m elev., under “equatorial” climates with different scales of precipitation (Af, Am, As, Aw climate types).

Phenology:— Flowers observed in June; fruits in February, June, August, October and December.

Etymology:— The epithet “ tomentirostris ” is composed of the Latins “tomentum” (indumentum of dense and interwoven trichomes) and “rostrum” (beak), referencing the fruits that are tomentulose and usually rostrate, two useful features to distinguish Pradosia tomentirostris from P. golfodulcensis and P. glaziovii .

Common names:— “Caimo” or “Mono” in Antioquia or Tolima departments respectively.

Preliminary conservation status:— Pradosia tomentirostris is here proposed under “Vulnerable” VU category following the criteria B1ab(iii)+2ab(iii). Pradosia tomentirostris has an area of occupancy (AOO) of 48 km 2, an extent of occurrence (EOO) of 34933 km 2, and eleven known subpopulations. Only two subpopulations are inside of protected areas, four are fully inside of licenses of petroleum extraction, four are isolated (distanced more than 50 km from others). Ten subpopulations are located less than 10 km from urban centers. It is recorded from small and fragmented forest patches (<50 km 2), in continuous decline due to agricultural expansion and deforestations in the Magdalena Valley Region ( Sánchez-Cuervo & Aide 2013).

Additional specimens examined:— COLOMBIA. Antioquia. Municipio de Puerto Berrío: hacienda La Suiza, vereda la Cristalina, escuela La Espiga vía La Sierra, 245 m, 6°18'0"N, 74°35'0"W, 6 February 2001 (fr.), F. Cardona et al. 1080 ( HUA); predios de la hacienda La Suiza, cerca a la escuela La Espiga, carretera que conduce a Puerto Nare, 204 m, 6°17'31.5"N, 74°34'36.4"W, 28 August 2015 (fr.), Á. Idárraga et al. 6169 ( HUA); February 1990 (st.), G. Mahecha & G. Jiménez 6513 (UDBC-7929 [digital image]); vereda La Cristalina, predios de la hacienda bufalera La Suiza, escuela La Espiga (Parcela), 260 m, 6°17'27.80"N, 74°34'52.40"W, 9 October 1999 (st.), D. Romero & M. Gutiérrez 305 ( JAUM). Municipio de Puerto Triunfo: corregimiento Puerto Perales, hacienda Cerritos, 192 m, 7°39'30"N, 74°49'7"W, [6°0'22"N, 74°36'38"W], November 2009 (st.), L. Londoño et al. 845, 905 ( HUA). [Municipio de Yondó]: hacienda San Bartolo, alrededores del campamento Javas, 162 m, 6°44'15.3"N, 74°20'59.9"W, 13 October 2013 (fr.), L. A. Villamizar 375 ( HUA). Boyacá. Municipio de Puerto Boyacá: ciénaga de Palagua, 137 m, 6°3'1.97"N, 74°28'52.89"W, 26 June 2014 (fr.), D. A. Zapata et al. 646 ( JAUM). Caldas. Municipio de La Victoria: sitio El Cuatro, gravillera El Llano, en vertientes empinadas al borde de quebrada seca, 300–500 m al norte de la via Victoria-Troncal del Magdalena, 300–350 m, 5°18'30"N, 74°47'50"W, 17 January 2006 (st.), J. Pérez et al. 2288 ( MEDEL). Cesar. Municipio de Aguachica: bosque El Agüil, 142–184 m, 8°18'51"N, 73°37'16.7"W, 24 February 2007 (fr.), J. D. García et al. 212 (COL-524044 [digital image]. Santander. Municipio de Cimitarra: vereda Puerto Olaya, predio Alemania, finca bufalera en inmediaciones del Río Magdalena, llanura de inundación, 108 m, 6°33'58.92"N, 74°22'33.97"W, 14 February 2021 (fr.), J. D. Acosta-Arango et al. 1342 ( JAUM); corregimiento de Puerto Olaya, Hacienda El Bosque, potrero Quito, 150 m, 6°28'22.92"N, 74°21'4.38"W, 28 June 1999 (st.), Á. Idárraga et al. 1234 ( JAUM); Puerto Arturo, 180 m, 6°27'57.8"N, 74°21'3.4"W, 3 August 1999 (st.), Á. Idárraga et al. 1472 ( HUA); corregimiento de Puerto Olaya, Hacienda El Bosque, potrero Quito, 150 m, 6°28'17.10"N, 74°21'6.96"W, 3 July 1999 (st.), J. Pérez et al. 908 ( JAUM); potrero Quito, 180 m, 6°28'28.5"N, 74°21'11.6"W, 27 July 1999 (st.), J. Pérez et al. 925 ( HUA); corregimiento de Puerto Olaya, hacienda El Bosque, 110 m, 6°28'0"N, 74°21'0"W, 27 September 2001 (st.), A. Rivas & J. C. Benavides 443 ( JAUM); vereda La Traviata, de la ye de la torre hacia la hacienda Planeta Rica a 25 m de la T 199, antigua carretera Puerto Berrío-Puerto Boyacá, 6°24'55"N, 74°17'12"W, 1 December 1998 (fr.), W. Rodríguez et al. 1168 ( JAUM). Municipio de San Vicente de Chucurí: margen derecha del Río Chururí [=Chucurí], entrando en lancha, 350 m, 6°59'13.39"N, 73°22'53.74"W, 10 June 2017 (fr.), H. David et al. 6003 ( HUA). Tolima. Municipio de Natagaima: 510 m, 3°28'49"N, 75°11'36"W, 10 September 1998 (st.), R. Caballero et al. 1027 ( JAUM).

Recognition:— The new species belongs to Pradosia due to its rotate corollas, absence of staminodes and drupaceous fruits, all considered key features for the genus by Terra-Araujo et al. (2016). Pradosia tomentirostris is similar to P. golfodulcensis and somewhat also to P. glaziovii ( Pierre 1891: 56) Pennington (1990: 643) .

These three species share petioles without scales, similar leaf blades size, leaf primary veins impressed on the upper surface, ramiflorous fascicles, subsessile flowers (only with P. glaziovii ) and fruits surface smooth (only with P. golfodulcensis ). Pradosia tomentirostris is distinguished from P. golfodulcensis as indicated in the diagnosis, while from P. glaziovii by longer petioles in average, 2.0– 4.7 cm long (vs. 0.8–2.2 cm long), corolla pale green (vs. reddish) and fruits usually rostrate with surface smooth and densely tomentulose (vs. rounded at apex, surface muricate, sparsely tomentulose).

Pradosia tomentirostris have some resemblance to P. subverticillata Ducke (1942: 13) . The following features help to distinguish the new species: subsessile flowers and fruits, pedicel up to 1.7 mm long (vs. 4–7 mm long in P. subverticillata ) and fruits densely tomentulose (vs. sparsely tomentulose and glabrescent).

Notes:— The photographs of flowers of Pradosia tomentirostris come from the holotype ( Fig. 11 C–D ), and confirm the presence of rotate flowers, diagnostical for Pradosia . Unfortunately, no mature flowers were preserved in the specimen. Flower measurements of this new species come from floral buds in the holotype.

Additionally, the difference between the pedicel length of Pradosia tomentirostris and P. golfodulcensis is possibly greater. In the protologue of P. golfodulcensis , the authors noted the possibility of longer pedicels 6–8 mm long, however, the respective specimens for checking this was not available here or in that study. The pedicel length of P. golfodulcensis here presented is based only on direct observations by Aguilar-Fernández et al. (2022), that comes from floral buds.

Finally, the juvenile and sterile individuals of Pradosia tomentirostris have some morphological variation that deserves mention. Their apical buds and leaves have a major presence of villous and more reddish indumentum, and the leaf blades reach 36.7 cm long and up to 24 secondary veins.

Figures

FIGURE 3. Geographical distribution of Chromolucuma pentagona Londoño-Ech., Chrysophyllum caucanum Londoño-Ech., Pouteria karsticola Londoño-Ech. and Pradosia tomentirostris Londoño-Ech.

FIGURE 9. Holotype of Pradosia tomentirostris Londoño-Ech. (JAUM).

FIGURE 10. Illustration of Pradosia tomentirostris Londoño-Ech.: A. Fruiting branchlet, showing ramiflorous infructescence, B. Detail of leaf blades on lower surface, C. Floral bud, D. Portion of corolla and androecium from bud showing filaments geniculate, inner surface E. Corolla and androecium 6-merous from bud, inner surface, F. Gynoecium, G. Fruit and seed, from left to right: Fruit surface, longitudinally view of fruit and seed testa, longitudinally view of fruit without seed showing endocarp in sicco, lateral view of seed. (A–B from David et al. 6003; C–F from the holotype; G from Idárraga et al. 6169.).

FIGURE 11. Live photographs of Pradosia tomentirostris Londoño-Ech.: A. Fruiting branchlet, leaves on upper surface, B. Fruiting branchlet, leaves on lower surface, C. Flower, lateral view, D. Flower, upper view, E. Fruit, F. Fruit manually open, longitudinal view. (A–B, E–F from David et al. 6003; C–D from the holotype.A–B, E–F by Heriberto David; C–D by Juan Pablo Tobón.).