Larnax macasiana Deanna, S. Leiva & Barboza, 2014

Deanna, Rocío, González, Segundo Leiva & Barboza, Gloria E., 2014, Four new species and eighteen lectotypifications of Larnax from Ecuador and Peru and a new synonym of Deprea orinocensis (Solanaceae: Solanoideae, Physalideae), Phytotaxa 167 (1), pp. 1-34 : 3-7

Larnax macasiana Deanna, S. Leiva & Barboza , sp. nov. ( Figs. 1 , 2 , 3 B, F )

Type:— ECUADOR. Morona Santiago: Macas, Cerro San José del Quílamo, 500 m antes de la Virgen Purísima de Macas en el Quílamo , 1369 m, 78°08'19.3''W, 02°17'45.4''S, 23 January 2013 (fl, fr), R. Deanna & S. Leiva 111 (holotype QUSF 29472 ! , isotypes CORD 00006797 ! , CORD 00006799 ! , HAO!, QUSF 29480 ! ).

Larnax macasiana differs from L. altomayoensis in being a lower shrub (0.7–0.8 m vs. 1.2–1.5 m in L. altomayoensis ), in having smaller, villous to tomentose leaves (6.5–7.2 cm long, 3.4–3.7 cm wide vs. larger glabrescent leaves 10.2–19.5 cm long, 3.7–4.1 cm wide), bifurcate trichomes on the outer corolla surface (vs. bifurcate trichomes absent on the corolla), and in its calyx with long non-glandular trichomes and short glandular trichomes (vs. calyx with only long glandular trichomes).

Shrubs widely branched, plagiotropic, 0.7–0.8 m tall. Stems terete, hollow; old stems slightly 4–5-angulate, 10–12 mm wide at base, green, sometimes purple, glabrescent, without lenticels, with longitudinal short fissures; young stems green, with deep purple macules, densely villous, slightly sericeous, with long simple 4–6-celled transparent patent non-glandular trichomes. Leaves alternate; petiole semi-terete, green or sometimes deep purple, (2–) 3.2–3.5 cm long; leaf blade entire, 6.5–7.2 cm long, 3.4–3.7 cm wide, membranous to slightly fleshy, ovate, apex acute, base oblique or asymmetric, lustrous, villous to slightly sericeous, dark green with purple veins in the 1/3 basal adaxially, opaque, tomentose, and light green abaxially, with the same trichomes of young stems and petioles. Flowers axillary solitary, sometimes paired; pedicels 4–6 mm long, green, filiform, curved to pendent, weak, tomentose, with long simple non-glandular trichomes. Flowering calyx (3–) 4–4.6 mm diameter in anthesis, green externally, with protruding dark green main veins, greenish yellow internally, cup-shaped, fleshy, tomentose externally, with long transparent patent non-glandular trichomes, and many short simple glandular trichomes (stalk unicellular, ochraceous head 6-celled) abundantly on lobes apex, glabrous internally; tube 1–1.2 (–1.8) mm long, 2.9–3.1 mm diameter; lobes 0.8–0.9 mm long, 0.9–1 mm wide, triangular, acute, erect. Corolla stellate, slightly campanulate, 8–10 mm diameter in anthesis, fleshy; tube green in both sides, (2.5–) 3.4–3.6 mm long, (5–) 6–8 mm diameter, glabrescent externally, with short simple transparent non-glandular trichomes, glabrous internally; lobes 5–7 mm long, (2.5–) 3.6–3.8 mm wide, triangular, slightly erect, with protruding main veins abaxially, deep purple with greenish yellow margins and veins in both sides, villous, slightly sericeous externally, with scarce long simple and bifurcate transparent non-glandular trichomes, and short simple glandular trichomes on the surface, apex papillate, margin ciliate, glabrescent internally, with long transparent non-glandular trichomes mainly along veins, and occasionally short glandular trichomes homogeneously dispersed; inner annular ring of trichomes absent. Stamens exserted, homodynamous; filaments glabrous, cream, 0.8–1 mm long, filament base expansion auriculate, greenish cream 0.9–1 mm, auricles conspicuous; anthers 1.8–2 mm long, 1.7–1.8 mm wide, deep purple to dull purple, widely ovoid, mucronate, thecae slightly divergent, connective cream, widely elliptic to triangular. Gynoecium with stylar heteromorphism; ovary cream, glabrous, subglobose, 1–1.2 mm long, 1–1.1 mm wide, nectary annular, cream, occupying 20–30% of the ovary length; style glabrous, cream, broadened at the apex, short style 2–2.5 mm long, long style 5–5.5 mm long; stigma bilobate, dark green, 0.3–0.4 mm long, 0.4–0.5 mm diameter. Fruit a berry, widely ovoid, 14–16 mm diameter, greenish white when mature, fleshy, glabrous. Fruiting calyx accrescent, loosely enveloping the berry, 20–22 mm long, 15–17 mm diameter, open at the apex, bright green, markedly 10-costate, wrinkled in appearance, villous, slightly sericeous externally, with abundant long transparent patent non-glandular trichomes mainly along veins and some short glandular trichomes scattered on the surface; lobes conspicuous, short, <1 mm long, triangular acute. Fruiting pedicels 7–10 mm long, green, erect, sericeous. Seeds 65–75 per fruit, 2.4–2.5 mm long, 2–2.2 mm diameter, brownish tan, reniform; testa foveolate. Embryo curved cream.

Etymology: — From Macas ( Ecuador), the locality where the holotype was collected.

Phenology: — Flowering and fruiting from January to April.

Distribution and Ecology: — Endemic to the environs of Macas (Province Morona Santiago, Ecuador; Fig. 4 ). Larnax macasiana inhabits primary cloud forest from 900 to 1400 m elev.

Species conservation assessment: — According to IUCN criteria ( IUCN 2012), Larnax macasiana is considered as Endangered (EN). The extent of occurrence is calculated to be ca. 145 km 2 (Criterion B1 <5000 km 2) and the species is known only from two localities (Criterion B1a ≤5). Active threat can be seen from the remarkable habitat fragmentation, a consequence of city expansion and construction of new roads nearby. The type specimen was collected on a sacred hill (“ San José del Quílamo ” hill) named due to the presence of a religious statue. More collections with population assessment would be necessary to refine this.

Additional specimens examined: — ECUADOR. Morona Santiago: Macas, forest N of the village , c. 900 m, 14 March 1956 (fl, fr), Asplund 19775 ( S!; CORD Negative 02172!) ; Macas, oeste de la pista del aeropuerto, bosque secundario , 1050 m, 2°18’S 78°07’O, 22 February 1986 (fl, fr), Baker 6552 ( QCNE!, QAME, MO, NY ; Carretera Macas-Puyo, 44 km al sur de Puyo, en bosque primario, borde de carretera , 952 m, 01°43'28.5''S 77°51'11.5''W, 24 January 2013 (fl), Deanna & Leiva 112 ( CORD!, QUSF!) .

Discussion: — The combination of a villous to tomentose indumentum with simple non-glandular trichomes ( Fig. 2 A–C & 3 F ), 1–2-flowered pendent inflorescences, the corolla colour (deep-purple with yellow greenish in margins and veins on both sides; Fig. 2 B, C ) and external pubescence with bifurcate hairs ( Fig. 3 B ), erect fruiting pedicels, and the calyx loosely enveloping the berry ( Fig. 2 C ) identify L. macasiana as a distinct species.

Larnax macasiana is superficially similar to L. altomayoensis S. Leiva & Quipuscoa (2008: 199) from northern Peru. Both species have a fruiting calyx loosely enveloping the greenish white berry, deep-purple corolla lobes with greenish yellow margins, homodynamous stamens, and 1–2 flowered inflorescences ( Fig. 2 A–C , 11 F–J).This species does not have any sympatric species and the nearest geographically is L. andersonii N. W. Sawyer (1998: 72) . Both species have similar pubescence on the vegetative organs, erect fruiting pedicels, and a fruiting calyx loosely enveloping the berry. Larnax macasiana can be distinguished from those species by several characters summarised in Tables 1 and 2.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Larnax macasiana. A. Flower. B. Fruit surrounded by accrescent calyx. C. Fruit. D, H, L. Anthers in dorsal, lateral and ventral views, respectively. E. Ovary in cross section. F. Flowering branch. G. Seed. I. Gynoecium. J. Embryo. K. Open corolla. From Deanna & Leiva 111. Drawing by Segundo Leiva González.

FIGURE 2. Larnax macasiana. A. Vegetative branch. B. Flower in anthesis, lateral view. C. Flower and fruit (the arrow shows the long style). From Deanna & Leiva 111 (Photo by Rocío Deanna).

FIGURE 3. Trichomes of Larnax species. A. Short simple trichome of L. pumila calyx. B. Bifurcate trichome of L. macasiana corolla lobes. C. Short glandular trichome of L. purpureocarpa corolla lobes. D. Long glandular trichome of L. purpureocarpa fruiting calyx. E. Papillae of L. pumila calyx apex. F. Long non-glandular trichome of L. macasiana corolla lobes. G. Simple non-glandular trichome of L. toledoana inner corolla. H. Bifurcate trichome of L. toledoana corolla lobes. Scale = 5 µm.

FIGURE 4. Schematic distribution of the novel Larnax species in Ecuador.

FIGURE 11. A–E. Larnax abra-patriciae. A. Lectotype. B. Flower in anthesis. C. Flower in lateral view. D. Habit. E. Fruits. F–J. Larnax altomayoensis. F. Lectotype. G. Flower in anthesis. H. Flower in lateral view. I. Habit. J. Fruit. A and F reproduced with permission of Arnaldoa.