Garcinia bahiensis Mouzinho & L.Marinho, 2025

Mouzinho, Thiago, Marinho, Lucas Cardoso & Giacomin, Leandro Lacerda, 2025, Novelties in South American Garcinia (Clusiaceae): Tying loose ends across biomes, Acta Botanica Brasilica (e 20240106) 39, pp. 1-10 : 2-6

Garcinia bahiensis Mouzinho & L.Marinho , sp. nov. ( Figs. 1 , 2 , 3 )

Type: Brazil, Bahia: Una, Ramal que liga a BA 265 (Rod. Una Rio Branco ) à BR 101 ( São José ), a 8 km SW do cruzamento e a 20 km NW de Una em linha reta, 27 February 1978 (fr), S. A. Mori et al., 9324 (Holotype: CEPEC [no. 13165]; Isotypes: NY [barcode NY00477266 !], SPF [barcode SPF00230838 image!])

Garcinia bahiensis is similar to G.macrophylla but differs by the arched secondary veins close to the margin of the leaf blade (vs. straight in G. macrophylla ), staminate flower buds slightly apiculate (vs. non-apiculate in G. macrophylla ), staminate flowers with oblong internal petals (vs. roundedobovate in G. macrophylla ), berries without a rostrum (vs. rostrate in G. macrophylla ) and concrested stigma with undefined lobes (vs. tetra-pentalobed in G. macrophylla ).

Trees up to 15 m tall; stems with brown fissured rhytidome; yellow exudate after cutting, slowly expelled in drops with a sticky texture; pink sapwood and yellow heartwood; branches cylindrical, smooth; yellow exudate; petioles 12.8–25.2 (–27.7) mm long, transversely striated; dilatation of the base of the petiole evident, deltoids in sicco. Leaf blades 15.3–22 × 6–8.5 cm, chartaceous, discolorous, dark brown in sicco, shiny on the adaxial surface, elliptical to elliptical-ovate, apex attenuated, base attenuated to acute; secondary veins ≥ 20 pairs, arched to branched near the margin; inter-secondary veins parallel to the secondary ones, 2–3 pairs per intercostal area, reticulated near the margin; intramarginal vein inconspicuous; exudate canals inconspicuous. Inflorescence staminate axillary, fasciculate, bracteoles 2; pedicels 11.2–12.1 mm long, greenish. Flower buds 3–3.8 × 3–3.5 mm, greenish, globose, slightly apiculate. Staminate flowers with mild aroma; sepals 2, 3.9–4.2 × 2.8–3.3 mm, greenish, fleshy, deltoid; petals 4, white, chartaceous to membranaceous, concave, outer ones 4.8–5.8 × 2.2–3.6 mm, rounded-oblong, inner ones 6–6.7 × 2.1–3.2 mm, oblong; nectary disc ca. 3 mm diameter, light yellow, globose; stamens 20–25 per flower, arranged around the disc in 2 series; filaments 2.2–3 mm long, terete, hyaline; anthers ellipsoid, white, light yellow when senescent, thecae 0.38–0.53 × 0.25–0.34 mm. Inflorescence and pistillate flowers not seen. Berries with smooth epicarp; sepals, staminodes, and stigmas persistent; when mature 34–43 × 33.3–41.2 mm, orange, globose, rostrum absent; stigma concrested ca. 2 mm diameter, discoid, lobes not defined; pedicels 8–10 mm long. Seeds 2–3 ca. 19.5 × 9.6 mm, ellipsoid.

Etymology: The epithet was designated due to its known distribution being restricted to the state of Bahia ( Brazil).

Suggested vernacular name: bacuri-da-Bahia (Mouzinho, T.M. 506).

Distribution and attributed conservation status: Garcinia bahiensis is endemic to Brazil and restricted to the southern part of the state of Bahia. The species occurs in areas called hygrophilous forests, corresponding to evergreen rainforest formations ( Floresta Ombrófila Densa ), according to the official Brazilian vegetation classification system ( IBGE, 2012) ( Fig. 4 ). The preliminary conservation status of G. bahiensis is Vulnerable (VU, B1a + B2a) based on the extent of occurrence (EOO) of 5,811 km ² and the area of occupancy (AOO) of 28 km ² ( IUCN, 2012). Although restricted to southern Bahia, there are occurrences in protected areas such as the Serra do Conduru State Park (Uruçuca municipality) and a subpopulation observed in the Pedra do Sabiá Private Natural Heritage Reserve (Itacaré municipality).

Specimens examined (Paratypes): BRAZIL. Bahia: Rodovia Itabuna-Ilhéus, 05 April 1965 (fl ♂), R. P. Belém & M. Magalhães 668 ( IAN!, UB image!); Mun. Almadina, Fazenda São José , Serra do Corcovado , 14°42’0’’S, 39°38’0’’W Alt : 400-850 m, 23 November 2014 (fl ♂), L. C. Marinho et al., 918 ( CEPEC!, HUEFS!); Mun. Camamú, Rodovia BA 650 , Fazenda Zumbi dos Palmares, 14°0’68’’S, 39°10’70’’W, 12 November 2003 (fl ♂), J. L. Paixão et al., 278 ( CEPEC!, NY!); Mun. Igrapiúna, Reserva Ecológica das Plantações Michellin da Bahia, 01 December 2010 (fr), J. L. Paixão & L. Rocha 1857 ( CEPEC!, HUEFS image!, UESC image!); Mun. Itacaré, 14°19’09.2”S 39°04’54.0”W, Reserva Particular do Patrimônio Natural Pedra do Sabiá , 11 October 2023 (st), T. M. Mouzinho 506 ( INPA!); Mun. Una, Reserva Biológica do Mico-Leão , 15°09’S, 39°05’W, 01 May 1996 (fr), J. G. Jardim et al., 820 ( CEPEC!, NY!); Mun. Uruçuca, Parque Estadual Serra do Conduru , 14°29’59’’S, 39°6’54’’W Alt : 380 m, 21 April 2004 (st), A. M. Amorim et al., 3986 ( CEPEC!); Mun. Valença, 13°29’59’’S, 39°14’23’’W, 04 September 2014 (st), M. G. C. Nogueira 353 ( CEPEC!) .

Notes: The specimens treated here as Garcinia bahiensis were previously identified as G. macrophylla (see the diagnosis). In relation to other species from the Atlantic Forest, G. bahiensis differs from G. brasiliensis due to the deltoid dilation of the base of the petiole (vs. oblong in G. brasiliensis ), leaf blades with a chartaceous texture (vs. coriaceous), staminate flowers with oblong internal petals (vs. rounded) and concresced stigmas with undefined lobes (vs. trilobed). While in G. gardneriana , G. bahiensis can be recognized also by the deltoid dilation at the base of the petiole (vs. oblong in G. gardneriana ), inconspicuous exudate canals (vs. conspicuous), globose fruits with an absent rostrum (vs. ovoid) (vs. ovoid with a rostrum).

Figures

Figure 1. Holotype CEPEC [no. 13165] of Garcinia bahiensis Mouzinho & L.Marinho housed at the CEPEC herbarium.

Figure 2. Garcinia bahiensis. A. Slashed trunk, exudate slowly expelled in drops. B. Branch showing the abaxial leaves surfaces. C.Fruits, in sectionshowing information about the pericarp.D. Staminate inflorescence in fascicle, flowers visitedby ants (Campanotus sp.). Images: A-C Alex Popovkin. B-D Thiago Mouzinho.

Figure 3. Floral morphology of Garcinia guacopary (preserved in alcohol).A. Pistillate flower.B. Organizationof the perianth (abaxial view): sepals (green square), outer petals (blue star), and inner petals (red circle). Floral morphology of Garcinia bahiensis (preserved in alcohol). C. Staminate floral bud, arrow pointing to the apex. D. Staminate flower. E. Inner petal. F. Outer petal (scale = 2 mm). Images: Thiago Mouzinho.

Figure 4. Distribution map of Garcinia bahiensis in Bahia state, Brazil.