Freziera erickitae A.Fuentes, 2018

Santamaría-Aguilar, Daniel, Fuentes, Alfredo F. & Lagomarsino, Laura P., 2018, Three new species of Freziera (Pentaphylacaceae, Freziereae) from Bolivia and Peru, Phytotaxa 349 (2), pp. 101-114 : 107-112

Freziera erickitae A.Fuentes , sp. nov. ( Figure 4A–H , 5A–C )

Type:— BOLIVIA. La Paz: Prov. Bautista Saavedra. Área Natural de Manejo Integrado Apolobamba, sector Buena Vista , más allá de Chaka, por el antiguo camino Laji Sorapata-Apolo , 14°52’51”S, 068°46’12”W, 3198 m, 09 Apr 2009 (♀ fl), A. Fuentes & J. Quispe 13962 (holotype: LPB! [LPB0003509]; isotypes: B!, BOLV!, K!, MO!, NY!) .

Tree or shrub 2.5–7.0 m tall × 2.6–8.6 cm diam; trunk with external and internal bark not described. Mature branches cylindrical, grayish brown, pilose to glabrescent, striate lenticellate, lenticels reddish brown, elongated; leaf-bearing branches triangular to subangulate, weakly sulcate, densely hirsute to hirsute-villous, trichomes 0.7–1.3 mm long, golden. Terminal bud conduplicate-involute, 1.0– 1.6 cm long, densely hirsute-strigose, trichomes 0.5–1.3 mm long, golden. Leaves sessile to subsessile; petiole when present ca. 1.0 mm long, adaxially caniculate, abaxially rounded, pubescent, winged, wings erect, margin entire; colleters absent; laminae 2.0–3.0(–4.1) × 1.3–2.3(2.5) cm, usually weakly or sometimes markedly concave, ovate to ovate-lanceolate; adaxial surface glabrous; abaxial surface pubescent, trichomes ca. 1.7 mm long, golden, not papillate; midrib caniculate, glabrous on adaxial surface, triangularrounded and hirsute on abaxial surface; lateral veins 9–12 per side, flat to caniculate above, rounded below; tertiary veins reticulate, visible on both surfaces; base asymmetrical, auriculate on one side, other side obtuse, sometimes cordate, markedly revolute; margin serrate to serrulate, with (21–)24–31 teeth per side, each tooth with a black or reddish brown, weakly curved, caducous seta, setae not ringed by trichomes; apex usually acute, sometimes obtuse. Inflorescences fasciculate, axillary, 1–2 flowers per axil; pedicel (2.5–)4.5–6.0 mm long, cylindrical, erect or curved at maturity, pubescent; bracts 1.5–2.5 × 1.0– 1.5 mm, borne at base of pedicel, persistent, ovate to elliptic-lanceolate, carinate, external surface generally pubescent, internal surface glabrous, margin entire, apex acute, sometimes with a black, weakly curved terminal seta, caducous, sometimes with setae; bracteoles 2, ca. 2.0 × 1.3 mm, persistent, opposite to subopposite, borne at apex of pedicel, weakly unequal, ovate, apex rounded or acute, carinate, external surface pilose to glabrescent, trichomes restricted to central portion, internal surface glabrous, margin entire, sometimes with setae. Flowers: flower bud 2.3–3.5 mm wide; sepals 5, imbricate; external sepals ca. 3.0 × 2.3 mm, ovate to triangularovate or elliptic, external surface sparsely pubescent, internal surface glabrous, margin entire sometimes with setae at base, apex rounded to acute; inner sepals ca. 2.8 × 1.7 mm, ovate to broadly ovate, external and internal surfaces glabrous, margin entire and membranaceous, apex rounded; petals 5, 5.7–6.5 × 2.7–3.0 mm, pink-magenta, glabrous (papillose-rugose on abaxial surface), separate, ovate-lanceolate, apex rounded to acute. Staminate flowers: stamens 15, ca. 2.5–3.3 mm long, separate, unequal; filament 1.3–2 mm long, weakly flat; anthers ca. 1.5 mm long, not locellate base obtuse, apex acute; gynoecium ca. 4.3 × 1.4 mm, elongate-pyriform, glabrous (2?)3-locular; style not separated; stigmatic lobes 2–3. Pistillate flowers: staminodes 15, ca. 1.5 mm long, separate, linear in lower half and lanceolate in upper half, flat, apex acute; gynoecium ca. 3.0 × 1.5 mm, ± conical to pyriform, glabrous, 3-locular; style not separated; stigmatic lobes 2–3 lobulate. Fruit ca. 6.5 × 4.0 mm (immature), ovate to pyriform, glabrous, reddish green; fruit walls ca. 0.4 mm thick; seeds 15–20 per fruit, ca. 1.2 mm long, pale brown, reniform, foveolate.

Etymology:— This species is dedicated to the memory of Ericka ( “Erickitae ”) Fuentes Torrez (1990–2014), niece of the second author.

Distribution and habitat:— Freziera erickitae is endemic to Bolivia, where it has been collected in the provinces of Bautista Saavedra, Larecaja and Nor Yungas in the department of La Paz ( Figure 3B ). It grows in the lower part of the Yungas upper montane wet forests between 2900 and 3200 m elevation.

Phenology:— Plants with staminate flowers were collected in October and with pistillate flowers in June and September. Fruits were collected in September, October and December. The rest of the species’ phenology is unknown.

Conservation status:— Freziera erickitae grows in the lower part of upper montane forests in the ceja de monte, a habitat severely reduced and currently highly threatened by human activity, mainly by conversion to grasslands for grazing and agriculture (Ministerio de Medio Ambiente y Agua, 2012). Considering past and current tendencies that are decreasing and deteriorating the habitat where F. erickitae grows and that this species has reduced both extent of occurrence (1,246.1 km 2) and area of occupancy (20 km 2), we categorize it as Endangered (EN): EN B1ab.

Discussion:— Freziera erickitae is unique in its genus for the combination of small leaves (2.0–4.1 × 1.3–2.5 cm), short petiolate (petiole ca. 1.0 mm long) or sessile leaves, and usually notably asymmetrical leaf bases. Furthermore, it is among the few species of Freziera with a pink-magenta corolla. It is partially sympatric with F. apolobambensis , with which it shares some similarities, including small leaves and pink flowers. Freziera erickitae can be differentiated from F. apolobambensis by the the characteristics summarized in Table 2.

Additional material examined (paratypes):— BOLIVIA. La Paz: Prov. Larecaja: Cocapunco, cerca de la línea del bosque, bajando por el camino antiguo Ingenio-Mapiri , 15°33’22”S, 068°23’43”W, 2888 m, 09–10 July 2010 (fr), G. Arellano et al. 2796 (LPB! [LPB0003510], MA, MO!) ; Prov. Nor Yungas: Chuspipata hacia Chairo , sobre nuevo camino, cerca entrada al túnel, 16°16’S, 067°49’W, 3000 m, 21 October 2001 (♀ fl, fr), S. Beck 25998A (LPB! [LPB0003507]) ; Chuspipata, más o menos un 1 km abajo del pueblo de Chuspipata , en la calle de la Muerte, 16°17’46.43”S, 67°48’53.27”W, 2800 m, 17 December 2016 (fr), L. Lagomarsino & D. Santamaria 454 (LPB!) ; camino Cotapata-Santa Bárbara , 16°15’S, 067°55’W, 3000 m, 03 September 2003 (♀ fl, fr), R. López & M. Capra 801 (LPB! [LPB0003508]) .

Freziera magnibracteolata A.Fuentes & D.Santam. , sp. nov. ( Figure 6A–I )

Type:— BOLIVIA. La Paz: Prov. Franz Tamayo. Parque Nacional Madidi, Puina Viejo, ca. 6 km por el camino río abajo. Inventario Fitosociológico Madidi 38, 14°34’37”S, 069°05’45”W, 3137 m, 20 Jun 2005 (♂ fl), A. F. Fuentes, R. Hurtado, I. Jiménez, E. Cuevas, R. Cuevas & M. Madriaga 8435 (holotype: LPB! [LPB0003511]; isotypes: LPB!, MO! [MO-1577210], NY!) .

Tree or shrub 5–10(–20) m tall × 22.1 cm diam.; trunk with external bark not described; internal bark described as pink. Mature branches cylindrical, black-gray or reddish, papillate; leaf-bearing branches cylindrical or weakly flattened, densely sericeous or sparsely pubescent, trichomes 0.5–1.0 mm long, whitish or beige, lenticels presents or absent, if presents elliptical, whitish. Terminal bud conduplicate-involute (2.4–)2.7–3.5(–5.5) cm long, sericeous to hirtellous, trichomes 0.5–1.5 mm long, whitish or beige. Leaves petiolate; petiole 4.0–8.0(–10) mm long, adaxially caniculate, abaxially rounded, generally densely pubescent, weakly winged, the wings erect, without setae on their margins; colleters absent; laminae 5.2–9.0(–11.5) × 2.1–3.5(–3.9) cm, oblong-elliptic; adaxial surface glabrous (sometimes young leaves and midrib pubescent); abaxial surface generally densely pubescent, sericeous or sparsely pubescent to glabrescent, trichomes 0.3–1.5 mm long, whitish or beige, not papillate; midrib flat or weakly sulcate, glabrous or pubescent on adaxial surface, rounded, prominent, papillate, densely pubescent or glabrescent on abaxial surface; lateral veins 15–20 for side, flat and weakly sulcate on adaxial surface, rounded and prominent on abaxial surface; tertiary veins reticulate and conspicuous on both surface; base cuneate, obtuse to subtruncate, with one side asymmetric, flat or sometimes weakly revolute; margin serrate, with 35–76 teeth per side, each tooth with a black or reddish brown conical and curved caducous seta, setae not ringed by trichomes; apex acute to obtuse. Inflorescences fasciculate, axillary, bearing 1 flower or rarely 2 flowers per axil; pedicel 3.5–10 mm long, cylindrical, erect or reflexed, sparsely or densely pubescent; bracts 3.0–6.1 × 2.0–3.0 mm, borne at base of pedicel or ca. 3 mm above base, persistent, ovate, lanceolate-elliptic or triangular, carinate, external surface densely sericeous or glabrescent, internal surface glabrous or pubescent near margin, margin entire or with small setae, apex acute and with a black curved conical or uncinate terminal seta; bracteoles 2, 3.8–7.0 × 4.5–7.0 mm, persistent, opposite or subopposite, borne at apex of pedicel, unequal, ovate to suborbicular, carinate, external surface densely pubescent or sometimes glabrescent, internal surface glabrous or pubescent near margin and apex, margin entire, ciliate or not ciliate, apex rounded to acute, sometimes reflexed. Flowers: flower bud 6.0– 10 mm wide; sepals 5, imbricate; external sepals 4.3–6.2 × 4.8–6.0 mm, ovate to broadly ovate or suborbicular, external surface densely pubescent or glabrescent, internal surface glabrous, margin entire and ciliate, apex rounded; inner sepals 4.0–5.0 × 4.0– 4.5 mm, similar in shape to external sepals, external surface densely pubescent or glabrescent, internal surface glabrous, margin entire and ciliate, apex rounded; petals 5, 4.3–5.0 × (2.0–) 3.5–4.8 mm, white, glabrous, separate, ovate or lanceolate, margin entire, apex rounded or acute. Staminate flowers: stamens 16, 1.8–3.5 mm long, separate, unequal; filaments 0.5–0.8 mm long, flat; anthers 1.0– 2.8 mm long, not locellate base rounded or subcordate, apex acute to rounded; gynoecium 3.3–4.0 mm long, wide at base, glabrous (2?)3-locular; style not separated; stigmatic lobes 2. Pistillate flowers: staminodes 14, ca. 2.0 mm long, separate, flat, linear to oblong, apex acute; gynoecium 4.0 × 2.0 mm, ± conical or pyriform, with faint longitudinal ribs, glabrous, 3- locular; style not separated; stigmatic lobes 2. Fruits 6.5–9.0 × 4.0–5.0 mm, ovate, glabrous, green-reddish; fruit walls ca. 0.5 mm thick; seeds ca. 41 per fruit, 1.0– 1.2 mm long, elliptic or ± cuneate, pale brown to dark brown, weakly rugose.

Etymology:— The specific epithet magnibracteolata alludes to the unusually large size of the bracteole borne at the apex of the pedicel.

Distribution and habitat:— Freziera magnibracteolata is distributed in the central Andes from the south of Peru to the northeast of Bolivia in the Yungenian biogeographical province, sensu Rivas-Martínez et al. (2011). It is primarily found in upper montane wet forests of the ceja de monte. This species is known from the departments of La Paz in Bolivia and Cusco in Peru ( Figure 3C ). In Peru, it has been collected in the provinces of La Convención and Paucartambo in cloud forest and mixed grassland, where it grows with species of Clusiaceae , Cunoniaceae , Melastomataceae , and Primulaceae . It has been collected between 2900 and 3900 m in elevation.

Phenology:— Plants with staminate flowers were collected in June, and with pistillate flowers in September and October. The complete phenology of this species (including any period of non-overlap between the production of pistillate and staminate flowers) is still unknown given the limited number of collection of this species. Fruits were collected in October.

Conservation status:— The forested areas close to the tree line where this species grows have been affected by humans for thousands of years, giving rise mainly to a patchy landscape of forest fragments surrounded by grassland ( Young & León 2007). These processes continue in the present day, reducing the extent of upper montane forests which are converted to grassland for livestock and agriculture. The species has an extent of occurrence of 2,532.4 km 2, and an area of occupancy of 12 km 2 for which we conclude this species is Endangered (EN): EN B1ab.

Discussion:— Freziera magnibracteolata is distinguished from all other species of its genus by the combination of narrow leaves with dentate margins with many teeth per side (35–76), prominent secondary and tertiary venation on both leaf surfaces, and dense pubescence of whitish beige trichomes on the abaxial leaf surfaces, branches, pedicels, bracts, bracteoles, and sepals. Additionally, the bracts and bracteoles are sparsely pubescent on the adaxial surface and relatively large (the bracteoles, in particular, are large for the genus). This species shares similarities with F. lanata (Ruiz & Pav.) Tul., (1847: 334) , including similar leaf shape and size, whitish beige indumentum covering the underside of the leaf, and densely pubescent inflorescences, as well as F. incana A.L. Weitzman ex D. Santam. (2015: 72) , which sometimes has whitish trichomes on abaxial leaf surfaces and large bracts. Differences between the new species and F. lanata and F. incana are summarized in Table 3. The type collection of F. magnibracteolata was previously identified and distributed as F. dudleyi . However, F. magnibracteolata is easily distinguished from this species by its longer pedicels (4.0–8.0 [–10] vs. 0.8–3.0 mm), and densely pubescent leaf laminas without papillae on the underside and prominent secondary and tertiary venation (vs. sparsely pubescent with numerous reddish papillae and inconspicuous venation).

The F. magnibracteolata collection L. Valenzuela et al. 919 from Peru has wider leaf laminas than other members of its species, and leaf undersides that are sparsely pubescent to glabrescent and inflorescences that are completely glabrous; it otherwise conforms to its species.

Additional material examined (paratypes):— PERU. Cusco: Prov. La Convención: Distrito Santa Teresa, Uchuyillaspay , 13°07’23”S, 072°37’30”W, 3883 m, 22 September 2005 (♀ fl), I. Huamantupa et al. 6998 (CUZ, GH!, HUT, MO!, USM!) ; Distrito Santa Ana, Punkuyoc , 12°54’47”S, 072°50’20”W, 3000–3200 m, 26 October 2002 (♀ fl, fr), L. Valenzuela et al. 919 (AMAZ, CUZ, GH!, HUT, MO!, MOL, USM) ; Prov. Paucartambo: Distrito Kosñipata. Trocha Unión , km 3, 3280 m, 01 July 2003 (st), W. Farfán et al. 618 (MO!, USM!) ; Trocha Unión , km 4, 3000 m, 06 October 2003 (fr), W. Farfán et al. 1199 (MO!, USM!) .

Figures

FIGURE 3. Geographic distribution of Freziera apolobambensis (A), F. erickitae (B), and F. magnibracteolata (C).

FIGURE 4. Freziera erickitae. A. Branchlet with flowers and fruits. B. Detail of flower. C. Bract. D. Flower bud. E. Sepal. F. Flower bud. G. Flower at anthesis. H. Pistil and staminodes. Scale bars: C–H=1 mm. Drawing by Carlos Maldonado,A from R. López & M. Capra 801 (LPB); and B–H drawn from the holotype.

FIGURE 5. Freziera erickitae. A. Habitat. B. Adaxial side of leaves. C. Base leaves and fruits. Photos by Laura P. Lagomarsino from L. Lagomarsino & D. Santamaria 454.

FIGURE 6. Freziera magnibracteolata. A. Branchlet with flowers. B. Detail of the flowering branch. C. Bracteole. D. Lateral view of the flower at anthesis. E. View from above of a flower at anthesis. F. External sepal. G. Internal sepal. H. Pistillode and stamens. I. Pistillode and stamens. Drawing by Carlos Maldonado from the holotype.