Brunellia ephemeropetala C.I.Orozco & A.J.Pérez, 2017

Orozco, Clara Inés, Pérez, Álvaro J., Romoleroux, Katya & Aldana, José Murillo, 2017, The discovery of a new species of Brunellia (Brunelliaceae) with ephemeral petals from Llanganates National Park, Ecuador, Phytotaxa 311 (3), pp. 263-269 : 266

Brunellia ephemeropetala C.I.Orozco & A.J.Pérez , spec. nov. ( Figs. 2 , 3 , 4 )

Type:― ECUADOR. Napo: Parque Nacional Llanganates, vía Salcedo―Tena, colecciones a lo largo del camino desde Los Carmelos- río Ana Tenorio al río Langoa, 2600–2850 m, 00°58’17”S, 78°15’14”W, 18 February 2015, (fl, fr), A. J. Pérez, N. Zapata, W. Santillán 8125 (holotype QCA! -232169 (2 sheets), isotype COL!).

Brunellia ephemeropetala differs from other species of Brunellia by having unifoliate leaves, stipules bigeminate, thin and linear stipules, inflorescence leafy, ephemeral petals, and navicular–shaped endocarp.

Tree 12–20 m tall. Stem and old branches terete, the youngest slightly angulate, the adult angulated, furrowed in dry material with indument of flexuous trichomes, yellow pale in dry material, deciduous, sparse or glabrescent with age, internodes (2–) 3–4 cm long. Stipules bigeminate, thin, linear, the proximal 3.5–7 mm long, the distal 4–5 mm long. Leaves opposite, petiolated, unifoliate, apparently without stipels; petiole clear green, 1.5–2.7 cm long, longitudinally striated. Blade lanceolate (4–) 8–27 × (1.4–) 2.7–8 cm, coriaceous, the adaxial surface clear live green, shiny, the abaxial surface glaucous. In dry material the adaxial and abaxial surfaces apricot are colored (orange), usually with small dark spots adaxially. The surface of youngest leaves pubescent on both sides, and minutely pubescent with age, the trichomes light yellow, some curled, the base decurrent, the apex acuminated, 0.4–1 mm long, the margin revolute, usually strongly 1–serrate, mucronate, the teeth are usually observed in the youngest leaves; secondary veins 18 to 25 pairs, impressed on the adaxial surface, raised on the abaxial surface, the main vein raised strongly, the veins yellowish abaxially in fresh material, clear brown or brown in dry material, the reticulum plane, the perpendicular tertiary veins are well-marked. Inflorescence thyrsoid, axillary, 3–7 × 4–6 cm, very leafy when young, conspicuously bracteate, pedunculate, with several monochasial branches; ratio between floral zone and total length of inflorescence 40–70%; the bracts foliose, having different sizes, the longest observed at the distal side of the inflorescences, 2 –13 × 1–6 mm; peduncle semi–terete, dark brown and furrowed when dry, 2.6–4 cm long; the floral buds ellipsoid, 1.5–2 × 1 mm. Flowers zygomorphic, tetramerous or pentamerous, rarely hexamerous, protandric, pedicellate, bracteolate; pedicel articulate, angulated, 1.5–2.5 × 1 mm; bracteoles subulated or linear, sometimes attached to the pedicel, 1.5 mm long; calyx with 4 to 5 (6) sepals, (3–) 4–6 mm in diameter; sometimes the number of sepals is higher by division, usually oblong or elliptic, 2 × 1–2 mm, minutely pubescent abaxially, the adaxial surface pilose toward the apex; corolla usually absent, 1 to 2 petals were observed in flowers before anthesis, the petals are minutely pubescent on both sides, yellow when fully developed, and minutely serrate at the margins, 1.4–1.6 × 0.46–0.54 mm. Stamens 8–10, sometimes not all well developed. Ovary 3 carpels, the carpels 1.2–2.5 × 0.5–1 mm, pilose. In the immature fruits, the bracteoles remain close to the insertion of the fruit to the branches of infructescence, 2 to 3 follicles are developed, 10–15 × 4.5–5 mm, the indument yellowish green, bristle hairs absent, the calyx in fruit 4–6 mm diameter, endocarp navicular, 9–11× 5–7 mm, seeds 1 to 2, red, ellipsoid, 2.5 × 1.5 mm.

Etymology: —The specific name refers to the presence of petals that are lost in the early stages of flower development, a character described for the first time.

Habitat and distribution:— Brunellia ephemeropetala is an endemic species from Napo province, only known by a single collection from the cloud forest at Llanganates National Park, between 2600 and 2800 m ( Fig. 4 A ). This species is sympatric with Brunellia cayambensis Cuatrecasas (1970: 115) and B. tomentosa Bonpland (1808: 214) , and associated species are Alnus acuminata Kunth (1817: 20) , Ceroxylon sp. , Oreopanax sp. and Vallea ecuadorensis Jaramillo (1988: 19) . Two individuals were seen, the type collection comes from an isolated tree in pasture land, but a taller individual of this species was observed in the mature forest surrounding this area.

Phenology:—The flowering and fruiting of this species occur in February.

Conservation status:—This species was found in Llanganates National Park, which has been a protected area in Ecuador since 1996. Although the type locality is a protected area, there is some evidence of human disturbance (pasture lands), but the conservation status of the mature forest is really good due to the steep slopes that hinder its accessibility. The lack of collections from this species makes it impossible to assess its precise conservation status. For that reason, we purpose a Data Deficient category according to the IUCN (2012).

Figures

FIGURE 2. Brunellia ephemeropetala. A1–A3. Floriferous and fructiferous branches. B. Leaf abaxial surface. C. Stipules. D1. Carpels in fruit development. D2. Part of the inflorescence with carpellate flowers. D3. Flower with sepals and petals. E. Mature follicles. F–G. Opened and closed follicle. Drawing by Marcela Morales.

FIGURE 3. Distribution map of Brunellia ephemeropetala.

FIGURE 4. Brunellia ephemeropetala. A. Habitat. B. Infructescence. C. Early stages of petal development. D–F. Details of dissected flowers, sepals (se), petals (p), stamens (st), carpels (c). (Photographs A, B by Á. J. Pérez).