Magnolia yoroconte Dandy

Vázquez-García, J. Antonio, Kelly, Daniel L., Mejía-Valdivieso, Darío A., Morales, Wilson, Dahua-Machoa, Alex, Vega-Rodríguez, Hermes, Peña, Alondra Salomé Ortega, Padilla-Lepe, Jesús & Muñiz-Castro, Miguel Á., 2022, Magnolia (Magnoliaceae) in Honduras: a synopsis with six new taxa, Phytotaxa 570 (2), pp. 109-149 : 140-144

Magnolia yoroconte Dandy , J. Bot. 68: 147. 1930 ( Figs. 21–23 )

Type:— HONDURAS. Depto. Copán [Santa Bárbara]: Tarros [San José de Tarros], 4000 ft [1225 m], 19 May 1919 (fl bud, fr), Whitford & Stadtmiller 51 (holotype: US!, photo BM!) .

Trees to 37.0–40.0 m, to 90.0–150.0 cm dbh, first branches at 20–25 m high, bark rough, yellowish grey, terminal twigs glabrous to partially yellowish pubescent at nodes when young, stipules free from the petiole. Leaves petiolate, 1–2 cm long, without a stipular scar, slender, glabrous, lateral veins 14–17, laminas (8.0–)10.0–13.0(–14.0) × 3.7– 5.0(–6.0) cm, narrowly elliptic to oblong-elliptic to narrowly lanceolate, obtuse to round at the base, subacuminate or subacute apically, abaxially and adaxially glabrous, and densely reticulate. Peduncle ca. 1–2 cm. long, terminal internodes appressed yellowish pubescent. Hypsophylls 2, the margin and outer apex yellowish pubescent, flower peduncle clearly separate. Flower bud ellipsoid, white. Flowers solitary, white, fragrant, 6–10 cm long, trimerous, sepals 3, obovate-oblong, ca. 3 cm. long, abaxially yellowish pubescent basally, petals 6, similar in size and shape, the inner ones narrower, stamens 100–145 ca. 1.2 cm. long, anthers introrse, connective in a short appendix, acute to subacute, gynoecium sessile, ellipsoid. Fruit 4–6 × 2–4 cm, carpels ca. 40–50, reddish to grey, yellowish pubescent basally, seeds 45–70 per polyfollicle, 1–2 per follicle, 0.7–1.0 cm long, triangular, scarlet.

Distribution, habitat and phenology:—Eastern Guatemala (Negro Norte, Izabal) and north-western to northern Honduras, Departments Atlántida, Comayagua, Cortés, Santa Bárbara and Yoro, at 650–1600 m ( Fig. 1 ; Table 2 ). Flowering May, fruiting July–September.

Etymology and ethnobotany:— Referring to the Honduran local name of this species, yoroconte . It is used for posts of houses.

Notes:— Magnolia yoroconte is a member of M. to sect. Magnolia and is distinguished from M. poasana in having larger fruits with more numerous carpels.

Conservation status:— Endangered (EN) according to IUCN Red List criterion B2ab(iii). The known area of occupancy of this species is <500 km 2, their populations are severely fragmented and there is a continuing decline in the quality of its habitat ( Table 1 ). There are some populations protected in Parque Nacional Cusuco.

Additional specimens examined:— GUATEMALA. Depto. Izabal: Finca La Montaña Negro Norte, Municipio Morales , 976 m, UTM 16P 0318809 m E, 1697391 m N, 22 Sep 2021 (fr), Morales et al. 5 ( IBUG, HEH) ; Finca La Montaña Negro Norte, Municipio Morales , 976 m, UTM 16P 0318809 m E, 1697391 m N, 23 Jul 2022 (fr), AlvaradoPadilla et al. 1 ( IBUG, HEH) . HONDURAS. Depto. Atlántida: Sitio, Los Encuentros, Aldea Toncontín, La Ceiba , 650 m, Reyes s.n. ( HJBL) ; same place, 22 Apr 1999 (sterile), Calix-Marín s.n. ( HJBL) ; Piedras Amarillas , 900 m, 13 Sep1995 (fr), Álvares s.n. ( HJBL) ; Depto. Comayagua: Montaña La Choca , cerca de Coyocutena, 1200 m, 22 May 1956 (fl bud), Molina-R. 7114 ( EAP, F) ; Montaña de Cusuco, Cordillera Idalfonso [ San Ildefonso ], 1500-2000[1600] m, 26 May 1956 (fl), Molina-R. 7245 ( EAP, F!) ; Montaña La Choca, Cordillera de Comayagua, cerca de Quebrada El Zope, 1500 m, 15 Apr 1957 (fl bud), Molina-R. 8174 ( EAP, F!) . Depto. Cortés: Plot GU /1/MS, 700 m along trail to Cantiles, N from Guanales camp, Parque Nacional Cusuco , W of San Pedro Sula, 1415 m, 16 Jun 2011 (sterile), Kelly & Dietzsch GU 1/MS/5932 ( TCD) ; Site CO 4/MS, S of El Cortecito camp-site (75 m from where trail CO4 branches from trail CO3), Parque Nacional Cusuco, Sierra de Merendón, W of San Pedro Sula , 1599 m, 15°30’43.91” N, 88°17’17.65” O, 16 Jul 2006 (sterile), Kelly, CO 4/MS/961 ( TEFH) ; BC/1/MS, near Las Ines [La Inez] trail, ca. 1500 m N of “Base camp”, Parque Nacional Cusuco , W of San Pedro Sula, Sierra de Merendón, UTM 16P 03698 m E, 17144 m N, 1600 m, 24 Jun 2008 (sterile), Kelly BC /1/MS1008 ( EAP) ; Plot CO3/SS4, 1600 m, by trail S of El Cortecito camp-site, Parque Nacional Cusuco, Sierra de Merendón , W of San Pedro Sula , 1689 m, 15°30’44” N, 88°17’19.6” O, Kelly, 7/ 8 Jul 2011 (sterile), Kelly & Dietzsch CO 3/SS4/63 ( HEH) . Depto. Santa Bárbara: Aldea El Suspiro, Municipio de Nueva Frontera , 886 m, UTM 16 P 0319906 m E, 1688066 m N, 14 Sep 2021 (fr) Morales 1 ( IBUG, HEH) ; same place, 719 m, UTM 16P 0317895 m E, 1693407 m N, 21 Sep 2021 (fr), Morales & Mejía 2 ( IBUG) ; same area, 705 m, UTM 16P 0317278 m E, 1693515 m N, 21 Sep 2021 (fr), Morales & Mejía 3 ( IBUG, HEH) ; same place, 886 m, UTM 16P 0319906 m E, 1688066 m N, 22 Sep 2021 (fr), Morales & Mejía 4 ( IBUG, HEH) ; Cerro del Grito del Gallo, vecindad del cerro Piladero , 1000 m, Sep 1952 (sterile), Shank s.n. ( EAP) ; Nueva Frontera , El Gualleño, Henriquez s.n. ( HJBL) . Depto. Yoro: Olanchito, bosque comunal Urraco , 19 Oct 1997 (fr), Vindel s.n. ( HJBL) ; Olanchito, Cerro Los Violines , Aldea El Urraco, 1000 m, 15°22’35” N, 87°05’08” W, 18 May 1997 (fl bud), Vindel 311 ( MO) , Vindel 30-U1 ( TEFH) ; Olanchito , 24 Sep 1996 (fr), Álvares s.n. ( HJBL) .

Figures

FIGURE 1. Geographic distribution of Honduran Magnoliaceae.

FIGURE 21. Magnolia yoroconte. A. Holotype, Whitford & Stadtmiller 51 (US, Smithsonian Institution). B. Leaves recently collected by Morales & Mejía 1 (IBUG). C. Leaf size and shape, Kelly BC/1/MS 1008. D. Tree in habitat. Photographs:A from JSTOR’s Global Plants, B by A. Vázquez, C by D. L. Kelly, and D by D. Haelewaters.

FIGURE 22. Magnolia yoroconte.A. Fruiting branch and leaves. B. Fruit s(young) showing ca. 45 carpels.C. Fruit, dehiscing with scarlet red seeds. D. Tree trunk 1.13 m in dbh, Wilson Morales on a side. E. Nurse tree for coffee plantation, Sr. Mejía holding a mature dehiscing fruit. Photographs A–C and E by W. Morales, D by D. Mejía.

FIGURE 23. Magnolia yoroconte. Tree ca. 40 m tall, in habitat at Negro Norte, Morales, Izabal, Guatemala, near the border of Honduras, close to and endangered by agricultural expansion. Darío Mejía, Yovany Alvarado-Padilla and Francisco Deras standing at the base of the tree. Photograph by W. Morales.