Ceiba camba Drawert, Angulo & Catari, 2024

Drawert, Heinz A., Angulo, Alejandro A. & Catari, Juan C., 2024, A new species of Ceiba (Malvaceae, Bombacoideae), previously confused with Ceiba speciosa, Phytotaxa 636 (3), pp. 207-219 : 209-214

Ceiba camba Drawert, Angulo & Catari , sp. nov. ( Figures 1 , 2 & 3 )

Type:— BOLIVIA. Santa Cruz, Provincia Obispo Santistevan, Municipio Montero: at 0.3 km E of Puente Eisenhower/Puente de la Amistad, on small dirt road ca. 0.2 km N from the Montero-Buena Vista highway (“carretera nueva a Cochabamba ”), 17º19ʹ09ʺ S, 63º19ʹ18ʺ W, 10 May 2007, M. H. Nee 55409 (holotype, here designated: USZ!, isotypes COL, CTES, K, LPB, MEXU, MO, NSW, NY, US).

It differs from all species of the genus Ceiba by the combination of short and winged petiolules; calyx cylindrical to elongated-campanulate; petals distally pale pink to magenta and basally white to deep yellow; 5 lobed staminal appendages, lobes bifid, scarcely pilose to pilose and whitish, yellow to pinkish; stamens fused into staminal tube; and stigma deep red to carmine.

Tree, deciduous, 20–30 m tall when mature; trunk conical, pachycaulous, usually ventricose in the basal section, up to 2 m diameter at breast height and with low buttresses; bark in juveniles green, turning gray to dark gray and often developing green striations, especially in juveniles usually covered with conoidal aculei up to 25 mm, regularly scattered and extending to the main branches; canopy generally open with erect-patent branches. Leaves alternate, palmately compound with (3–) 5 (–7) leaflets, usually the two posterior ones smaller than the anterior ones; petioles 30–150 mm long, the petiolules short, not more than 12–15 mm long, marginate-winged; leaflets 43–125 mm × 18–52 mm, with length/width (l/w) ratio about (1.4–) 2.3 (–3.1), elliptic to oblanceolate or even slightly obovate, the base attenuate to cuneate and apex acute to acuminate, pinnatinerved, the margin medially and distally dentate and usually entire at basal section, the upper surface dark green, the lower face paler. Inflorescences of few-flowered fascicles or of single flowers. Flowers stellate, 75–120 mm long when extended; peduncle 8–25 mm long; calyx 16–26 mm tall × 8–13 mm diameter, gamosepalous with 3–5 lobes, tubular to slightly elongate-campanulate, green to yellowish green; corolla dialipetalous, actinomorphic and pentamerous; petals 70–90 mm × 15–35 mm, with ca. 4 (2.5–5.1) l/w ratio, spatulate to oblanceolate, slightly arched from base, the margin undulate, abaxially sericeous, whitish pink to pale pink and basally usually white, adaxially glabrous, distally deep pink to pale pink, or even white with faint pink only on the margins, basal third to half yellow to ivory, usually with some irregular longitudinal deep pink to red lines in some cases concentrated near the base to form an inverted “ V ”, in senescent flowers the color intensity of petals gradually reduced and a brown spot arising from the base, the base usually becoming whitish; androecium with stamens fused into a staminal tube 58–78 mm in total length, basal section below staminal appendages 13–21 mm long × 3.1–5 mm diameter, glabrous and caniculate, staminal appendages 5, 2.1–5.5 mm high, scarcely pilose to pilose, strongly bi-lobed, forming usually an asymmetrical crown, yellow to ivory and sometimes pink towards apex, with whitish trichomes, the staminal tube above the staminal appendages 42–56 mm long × 1.8–2.7 mm diameter, pink to white, usually lightening towards the base, slightly curved with concrescent filaments up to the apex, the anthers welded into a collar 6.3–8.4 mm high × 5–8 mm diameter, and rarely split at the apex; pollen white to ivory; gynoecium with subglobose semi-inferior ovary 4–9.6 mm high × 2.7–4.4 mm diameter; style white, extending 5.7–13 mm above the anther collar; stigma globose and velutinous red to crimson. Fruit a capsule 100–200 mm long × 50–120 mm diameter, the shape variable, usually ellipsoid to pyriform, green to dark green, with 5 valves; endocarp with trichomes forming dense white cottony filling in which the seeds embedded. Seeds 4–8 mm diameter, spheroid, slightly prolate and mamelonate, dark brown to chestnut-colored.

Paratypes:— BOLIVIA. Beni: Prov. Ballivián, Mun. San Borja , serranía Pilón Lajas carretera Yucumo-Quiquibey 13 km al suroeste de Yucumo, [15º17’26’’ S, 67º04’25’’ W], 400 m, 08 May 1991, T. Killeen 3260 ( LPB, MO image!, USZ!) ; Prov. Vaca Díez, Tumi Chucua, 30 km S of Riberalta along the Río Beni , 11º08’ S, 66º10’ W, 210 m, 15 May 1982, J. C. Solomon 7604 ( F image!) . La Paz: Prov. Larecaja, Guanay, [15º28’59’’ S, 67º52’59’’ W], 2000 ft. [609.6 m], October 1885, H. H. Rusby 661 ( US image!) . Santa Cruz: Prov. Andrés Ibáñez, Mun. La Guardia , along new highway from Santa Cruz to Abapó, 5 km S of Río Peji bridge, 18°01’ S, 63°12’ W, 500 m, 02 May 1991, M. H. Nee 49222 ( USZ!) ; along Brecha 7, 3.1 km E of the Santa Cruz-Abapo highway, 18º08’12.8’’ S, 63º09’38.2’’ W, 455 m, 13 May 2007, M. H. Nee, D. McClelland & S. Stern 55426 ( US image!) ; [ex Prov. Cercado], Mun. Santa Cruz de la Sierra , Quinta de Santa Cruz, [17º42’ S, 63º12’ W], 450 m, 31 May 1925, J. Steinbach 7129 ( BM image!) ; J. Botanique de Santa Cruz de la Sierra [ Jardín Botánico antiguo], [17º47’08’’ S, 63º13’29’’ W], 18 May 1978, J. P. Ybert 639 ( P image!) ; Santa Cruz de la Sierra, 22 April 1979, A. Krapovickas & A. Schinini 35189 ( F image!) ; Santa Cruz [de la Sierra], 07 June 1989, C. Orellana-Soto 4 ( USZ!) ; Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Avenida Piraí , W side of city of Santa Cruz [de la Sierra], [17º46’48’’ S, 63º12’00’’ W], 420 m, 14 May 1991, M. H. Nee 40440 ( NY image!) ; Santa Cruz de la Sierra , alrededores de la Plaza 24 de Septiembre, [17º47’00’’ S, 63º10’55’’ W], 420 m, 11 March 1995, A. Jiménez, M. Villegas & M. Menacho 1 ( USZ!) ; Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Plazuela Blacutt, from 1–2 blocks south of Irala Ave. on Velarde Ave. , [17º47’ S, 63º10’ W], 400 m, 10 April 1995, J. R. Abbott 16568 ( UF image!, USZ!) ; Santa Cruz de la Sierra, campus universitario facultad de veterinaria, 17°46’ S, 63°11’ W, 400 m, 29 March 1996, M. Menacho & A. Jiménez 781 ( USZ!) ; Prov. Ichilo, Buena Vista , cultivated on main plaza, 17º27’ S, 63º40’ W, 375 m, 26 May 1991, M. H. Nee 40575 ( NY image!, USZ!) ; cultivated on the main plaza, 17º27’ S, 63º40’ W, 375 m, 27 May 1991, M. H. Nee 40576 ( NY image!) ; Prov. Sara, Mun. Santa Rosa del Sara, Propiedad Juan Deriba aprox. 4.4 km al este de Santa Rosa, 17°07’12” S, 63°33’40” W, 260 m, 30 May 2022, A. A. Angulo, J. C. Catari & H. A. Drawert 1 ( USZ!) ; Propiedad Juan Deriba aprox. 4.6 km al este de Santa Rosa, 17°06’49” S, 63°33’29” W, 252 m, 30 May 2022, A. A. Angulo, J. C. Catari & H. A. Drawert 2 ( USZ!) ; Propiedad Juan Deriba aprox. 4.9 km al este de Santa Rosa, 17°06’44” S, 63°33’17” W, 285 m, 30 May 2022, A. A. Angulo, J. C. Catari & H. A. Drawert 3 ( USZ!) ; Propiedad Juan Deriba aprox. 5.5 km al este de Santa Rosa, 17°07’01” S, 63°33’02” W, 274 m, 30 May 2022, A. A. Angulo, J. C. Catari & H. A. Drawert 4 ( USZ!) ; Santa Rosa, ca. 150 m al este del Estadio Municipal , 17°06’41” S, 63°35’39” W, 277 m, 31 May 2022, A. A. Angulo, J. C. Catari & H. A. Drawert 5 ( USZ!) ; Prov. Velasco, Mun. San Ignacio de Velasco , en el pueblo en la plaza, [16º22’26’’ S, 60º57’37’’ W], 30 April 1986, S. G. Beck & R. Seidel 12433 ( US image!) ; Reserva forestal Bajo Paraguá, Laja Granitica , 14°32’20” S, 61°30’00” W, 250–500 m, 12 May 1994, T. Killeen 6303 ( USZ!) ; Prov. Warnes, Mun. Warnes, pampa de Viru Viru a 17 km de Santa Cruz de la Sierra , aeropuerto Int. de Viru-Viru, 17°39’46” S, 63°69’24” W, 30 April 1995, M. Menacho & J. Balcazar 733 ( USZ!) . BRAZIL. Mato Grosso: Mun. Barra dos Bugres, Serra das Araras, Fazenda Currupira, 15°10’ S, 56º51’ W, 17 May 1998, B. Dubs 2346 ( E, K, MBM, S, U image!, Z) ; Cotriguaçu, road Cotriguaçu to Juruena , 18 km S of Cotriguaçu, [15º10’ S, 56º51’ W], 26 May 1998, B. Dubs 2443 ( E, S, Z image!) ; Mun. Jauru, Rodovia Jauru-Araputanga próximo ao km 30, [15º27’19’’ S, 58º38’59’’ W], 6 May 1995, G. Hatschbach et al. 62447 ( US image!) . Rondônia: Mun. Ji-Paraná, Linha 56 a 45 km da cidade, [10º52’45’’ S, 61º56’57’’ W], 4 May 1987, C. A. Cid Ferreira 9024 ( NY image!) ; Mun. Ouro Preto do Oeste, Estrada para o morro da Embratel , pista sul de voô de Paraclaide, 10º43’16.8’’ S, 62º13’24.9’’ W, 4 June 2015, H. Medeiros et al. 1768 ( NY image!) ; Mun. Presidente Medici, BR 364, rodovia Cuiabá-Porto Velho, km 300, estrada para Alvorada do Oeste , km 24, linha 110, 11º12’ S, 62º63’ W, 28 June 1984, C.A. Cid Ferreira et al. 4868 ( NY image!) . PERÚ. Madre de Dios: Prov. Tahuamanu , Distr. Iñapari , Rio Acre , [10º56’ S, 69º57’ W], May 1911, E. H. G. Ule 9597 ( L image!) .

Phenology:—With flower buds in February to May and flowers in anthesis from March to June at beginning of the dry season. Capsules open and disperse seeds from June to September. Leaves usually drop shortly before and/or at the beginning of flowering.

Distribution and habitat:—The species is reported from the lowlands of the departments of Beni, Pando and Santa Cruz in eastern Bolivia, the states of Rondônia and Matto Grosso in central-western Brazil, and the department of Madre de Dios in southeastern Peru ( Fig. 4 ). It inhabits humid to sub-humid and often seasonally dry, semi-deciduous to evergreen forests in the southern portion of the southwestern Amazon moist forests and northern Chiquitano dry forests ( Olson et al. 2001), mainly in transitional ecosystems between the two biomes. According to the biogeographic classification of Navarro & Ferreira (2009) for Bolivia, the species is found throughout the Benianian province (“Beniana”); in the Chiquitano-Crucenian (“Chiquitano Cruceño”) and Chiquitanian transitional to Amazonian (“Chiquitano transicional a la Amazonía”) sectors of the Western Cerradense (“Cerradense Occidental”) province; the sectors Pre-Andean of northern Bolivia and southern Peru (“Preandino del Norte de Bolivia y Sur de Perú ”), Heath and lower Madidi (“Health y bajo Madidi”), and Acre and Madre de Dios (“Acre y Madre de Dios ”) of the Southwestern Amazonian (“Amazónica Suroccidental”) province; and the Guaporé and upper Madeira sectors of the Central-Southern Amazonian (“Amazónica Centro-Suereña”) province.

Etymology:—The specific epithet “ camba ” is a noun used as a demonym to refer to the inhabitants of the eastern lowlands in Bolivia, mainly in the departments of Santa Cruz, Beni and Pando, and largely coincides with the distribution of the species.

Conservation status:—The species is relatively extensively distributed in western and central South America, where it is abundant in some localities. The extent of occurrence (EOO) of the species, calculated from the analyzed data in this description, is approximately of 1000000 km 2. There are stable natural populations within several protected areas in Bolivia, and possibly also in Brazil. It is also widely cultivated in urban and peri-urban areas because of its ornamental qualities, even outside its natural range.

Although there are anthropogenic pressures, such as the expansion of agricultural frontiers and changes in land cover, that can locally impact population sizes, Ceiba camba thrives in areas that have experienced some degree of ecological degradation. Furthermore, the species exhibits a remarkable resilience to forest fires, a major threat to biodiversity within its distribution range. Although C. camba holds cultural and ornamental value, it currently lacks economic significance as a timber resource, thus mitigating risks associated with logging and illegal trade.

Therefore, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) categories and criteria (IUCN Standards and Petitions Subcommittee 2022), Ceiba camba should be classified as of “Lower Concern” (LC) since it does not meet any of the criteria for inclusion in a threatened category (Critically Endangered, Endangered or Vulnerable).

Taxonomic observations:—Similar to Ceiba speciosa and C. crispiflora in color of petals; but differs in light (whitish, yellow to pink) and never dark (red to crimson) color of staminal appendages, dark (red to crimson) and never light (pale red to white) color of stigma, cylindrical to elongate-campanulate (vs. globular-campanulate) calyx, and short and winged (vs. long) petiolule ( Fig. 5 ). Similar to C. lupuna in color of stigma and basal section of petals, but differs in distal petal color (pink to deep pink vs. red) and petal shape (spatulate to obovate, 15–35 mm wide with slightly undulate margin vs. narrowly oblong to elongate-spatulate, 14–18 mm wide with markedly undulate margin) and the color and pubescence of staminal appendages (whitish, yellow to pink and sparely pilose to pilose vs. dark red and densely pilose) ( Fig. 5 ). Similar to C. chodatii and C. insignis in color of staminal appendages but differs in that they are sparely pilose to pilose and not glabrous to sparsely pilose; also differs by cylindrical to elongate-campanulate shape of calyx rather than campanulate to globose, and petals externally sericeous rather than sericeous to villous, distally pink to deep pink vs. white, ivony to pale pink or yellow. It differs from C. boliviana and C. pubiflora by filaments fused in staminal tube and anthers in collar (rarely slightly fissured), and never free filaments and separate anthers.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Ceiba camba. Isotype (M.H. Nee 55409, NY 02684187). The New York Botanical Garden (licensed under CC BY 4.0).

FIGURE 2. Ceiba camba. A: Leaves. B: Detail of petiolules. C: Flowers at anthesis. D: Flower-bud and flower. E: Staminal column and appedages. F: Staminal appendages, upper view. G: Collar of anthers, style and stigma. Based on paratype (A.A. Angulo et al. 5, USZ). Drawings by Sixto Angulo.

FIGURE 3. Ceiba camba. A: Trunk in humid habitat (A.A. Angulo et al. 1, paratype, USZ). B: Trunk in dry habitat (A.A. Angulo et al. 3, paratype, USZ). C: Detail of bark and prickles. D: Branch with leaves of 3, 4, 5 and 6 leaflets (A.A. Angulo et al. 5, paratype, USZ). E: Detail of petiolules. F: Seeds. G: Fruit and open capsule. H: Flower (A.A. Angulo et al. 5, paratype, USZ). I: Senescent flower (A.A. Angulo et al. 5, paratype, USZ). Photos: A.A. Angulo (D, F, G), J.C. Catari (A, B, I) & H.A. Drawert (C, E, H).

FIGURE 4. Distribution map of autochthonous occurrences of Ceiba insignis complex species.

FIGURE 5. Comparision of flowers and leaves of Ceiba camba (A: Paratype designed here, A.A. Angulo et al. 2, USZ. B: Paratype designed here, M.H. Nee 40440, NY. C: Isotype, designed here, M.H. Nee 55409, US.); C. speciosa (D: iNaturalist 111017339. E: and F: Lectotype designed by Gibbs & Semir 2003, A. de Saint-Hilaire [s.n.], P.); C. crispiflora (G: www.tropplants.com. H: Lectotype designed by Gibbs & Semir 2003, G.H. Langsdorff [s.n.], P. I: Paratype designed by Gibbs & Semir 2003, C.M. Viera 544, NY); and C. lupuna (J: R. Vásquez et al. 35772, MO. K: Holotype designed by Gibbs & Semir 2003, J. Schunke V. 5326, MO. L: Paratype designed by Gibbs & Semir 2003, C.A. Cid et al. 10234, NY). Photographs by H.A. Drawert (A), The New York Botanical Garden (B, I, L, licensed under CC BY 4.0), Smithsonian Institution (C, licensed under CC0 1.0), C. Mermelstein (D, licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0), Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, Paris (E, F, H, licensed under CC BY 4.0), M.C. Gaston (G), Missouri Botanical Garden (J, K, licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0).