Miconia pagnolensis Majure & Judd, 2016

Majure, Lucas C., Becquer, Eldis R. & Judd, Walter S., 2016, Revision of the Lima clade (Miconia sect. Lima, Miconieae, Melastomataceae) of the Greater Antilles, PhytoKeys 72, pp. 1-99 : 71-73

19. Miconia pagnolensis Majure & Judd sp. nov. Fig. 20F

Diagnosis.

Species differing from Miconia lima in its smaller size (shrub 0.5-0.9 m tall vs. 1.5-5 m tall), smaller leaves (0.9-2.3 × 0.5-1.2 cm vs. 0.7-5.7 × 0.42-3.2 cm) and leaf apex (obtuse to acute in Miconia pagnolensis vs. acute to acuminate in Miconia lima ).

Type.

HAITI. Dept. du Sud. Massif de la Hotte, near Morne Bois Pagnol , 12.7 km NE of Duchity, 18.41664°N, - 73.77299°W, 1184 m, 20 Jun 2012, J. Timyan 27 (holotype FLAS! [FLAS260449]) .

Description.

Evergreen shrub, 0.5-0.9 m tall, stems round in cross section, not ridged, the internodes 0.3-0.67 cm long, stem indumentum of ascending, appressed bulla-based hairs, the longest to 0.6 mm long, nodal line present. Leaves oppostie, decussate, elliptic, small, 0.9-2.3 × 0.5-1.2 cm, base acute, apex obtuse to acute, venation acrodromous, 5-veined, the midvein and two pairs of arching secondary veins, outermost pair of secondary veins basal, intramarginal, innermost pair suprabasal to basal, produced 0.4-1.4 mm from the base, 1.1-2 mm in from the margin at widest point of leaf blade, tertiary veins percurrent, more or less perpendicular to the primary vein, 0.9-1.7 mm apart at midleaf, intertertiary veins obscure but present, tertiary veins often joined by obscure quaternary veins; adaxial leaf surface covered in well developed bulla-based hairs, these completely covering the leaf areoles, the largest 1.6 mm wide at the base, clavate-dendritic hairs prominent in young leaves along the primary, secondary, tertiary and quaternary veins, especially toward the base, abaxial leaf surface covered in bulla-based hairs, those along the primary and secondary veins larger than those along the epidermis and tertiary veins, mostly ascending to appressed, prominent pits formed from the adaxial surface hairs, sessile, glandular hairs throughout the lamina; petioles 1.5-4.5 mm long, covered in ascending, appressed bulla-based hairs. Inflorescences terminal, structure indiscernable (only immature inflorescence seen).

Phenology.

Immature inflorescences can be seen on the type specimen collected in late June.

Distribution

(Fig. 21 ). This species is restricted to the Massif de la Hotte, Haiti, and is only known from the type locality.

Etymology. The specific epithet, pagnolensis , refers to the type locality, Morne Bois Pagnol, and the only place that this species has been collected. It should be noted that there are differing spellings for the type locality. The word is derived from the French, Espagnol (meaning Spanish). The Haitian Creole spelling for the site is Panyòl, although it is also spelled Pangnol and Pagnol (J. Timyan, pers. comm.). We have chosen to use the spelling Pagnol for the site and thus the specific epithet, pagnolensis .

Ecology.

This species has been collected in a moist, broadleaved forest on karst limestone at around 1200 m in elevation and is associated with Abarema sp. ( Fabaceae ), Brunellia comocladifolia Bonpl. subsp. domingensis Cuatrec. ( Brunelliaceae ), Byrsonima sp. ( Malpighiaceae ), Cyathea sp. ( Cyatheaceae ), Schefflera tremulua (Krug & Urb.) Alain ( Araliaceae ), Garrya faydenii Hook. ( Garryaceae ), Prestoea montana (Graham) G.Nicholson ( Arecaceae ), and Wercklea hottensis (Urb.) Fryxell ( Malvaceae ).

Conservation status.

The conservation status of this species is unknown, however, the location of this collection is surrounded by degraded, remnant moist tropical forest, most of which has been cleared for subsistence farming. Thus, Miconia pagnolensis is likely endangered by habitat loss. However, we suggest a preliminary status of data defficient until future fieldwork can further illuminate population sizes of the species.

Discussion.

Material of this new species has been collected only once by Joel Timyan (i.e., Timyan 27, FLAS). According to phylogenetic analyses ( Majure et al. 2015), this species is phylogenetically distinctive and most closely related to members of the Acuminata subclade of the Lima clade (Fig. 2 ). Miconia hybophylla is the only other putative member of the Acuminata subclade in Haiti. Additionally, vegetative morphology certainly places Miconia pagnolensis within the Lima clade (Fig. 26F ). The type specimen shows phenetic similarity with Miconia lima , but the shrubs are smaller than Miconia lima (0.5-0.9 vs. 1.5-5 m tall), with mostly smaller leaves (0.9-2.3 × 0.5-1.2 cm vs. 0.7-5.7 × 0.42-3.2 cm), with obtuse to acute (vs. acute or acuminate) apices. Miconia pagnolensis also occurs outside of the range of Miconia lima , which, in the southern peninsula of Haiti, is only known from the Massif de la Selle. We formally name this species, despite its being known only from an essentially vegetative specimen, because our analysis of molecular data clearly indicates the phylogenetic distinctiveness of the taxon, and because its vegetative morphology is diagnostic (allowing it to be distinguished from the phenetically similar Miconia lima ). The specific epithet refers to the type locality - which is quite inacessable. We think it is important to have a formal name for this rare taxon, as it may be years before it is re-collected (unfortunately, like several other species of sect. Lima , which are only known from the type gathering), and knowledge of its existence will stimulate searches.

Figures

Figure 2. Maximum Parsimony 50 % majority rule phylogeny of selected members of the Lima, Calycopteris, Calycodomatia, Pseudolima, and Paralima clades (modified from Majure et al. 2015). Miconia umbellata and Miconia blancheana were used as outgroup taxa. Bootstrap values from both maximum parsimony / maximum likelihood analyses are given above branches.

Figure 20. Photos of Miconia lima (A-E) and Miconia pagnolensis (F). A Miconia lima from Massif de la Selle, Haiti showing habit and ascending stem hairs (Majure 4334) B expanded infloresence and flowers showing whitish-pink petals (Sierra de Bahoruco, DR; Skean 4312), C-E) " Monteada Nueva " form of Miconia lima from the Dominican Republic C habit, inflorescence structure and stem showing ascending hairs (Majure 5960) D flower with dark pink petals showing an thers with a dorso-basal appendage and immature fruit with pinkish calyx lobes E leaf adaxial surface and stem with ascending hairs (D-E from Judd 8083) F Miconia pagnolensis sp. nov. from the type specimen showing habit and bulla-based hairs of the adaxial leaf surface (Timyan 27). Photos A and C taken by L. C. Majure, B by J. D. Skean, Jr., D-E by W. S. Judd and F by J. Timyan.

Figure 21. Distribution of Miconia marigotiana (closed star), Miconia lima (closed circles), Miconia pedunculata (open circles) and Miconia pagnolensis sp. nov. (open star).

Figure 26. Illustration of Miconia paralimoides. A habit (Veloz 4059) B close-up of upper leaf surface (Garcia 1186) C close-up of lower leaf surface (Garcia 1186) D flower Veloz 4059) E petal abaxial surface (Veloz 4059) F petal adaxial surface (Veloz 4059) G stamen (Veloz 4059) H fruit longitudinal section (F. Jimenez 176 - A). Reproduced with permission from Majure and Judd (2013 b).