Passiflora azulitensis Molinari & Kuethe, 2024

Kuethe, J. R., Bernal, Hernan Dario, Molinari, Miguel & Vecchia, Maurizio, 2024, Validating the names of three species of Passiflora from the northern portion of South America, Phytotaxa 663 (2), pp. 77-89 : 79-82

Passiflora azulitensis Molinari & Kuethe sp. nov. ( Figs. 2 and 3 ).

Type: — VENEZUELA. Mérida: 2, 2 km South-East of La Azulita, on the road from La Azulita to Mérida, 08°41.659’N, 71°26.290’W, 1386 m.a.s.l., 18 June 2004, (fl.), M. Molinari s.n. [TYPE established from cultivated material], grown in the UK at the National Collection Passiflora, J. Vanderplank (holotype: NCP 2523/22A!; isotype: NCP!) .

Diagnosis: — Passiflora azulitensis differs from P. adenopoda and P. morifolia by the small (<2.5 cm vs.> 2.5 cm), completely white flowers (vs. white with purple in P. adenopoda and P. morifolia ); corona that is shorter than 3 mm and recurved (vs.> 3 mm and straight), leaves with denticulate (vs. serrate or crenulate) margins and deeply serrate to ciliate (vs. smooth or shallowly serrate) stipular margins.

Description: —Climbing vine, 4–6 m long with perennial stems, semi-woody at base, finely pubescent throughout with whitish uncinate trichomes. Stems terete, internodal distance 4.2–12 cm. Stipules 20–22 × 11–12 mm, oblongobovate or semi-circular, subcordate at base, caudate at apex, the margin with 9–10 denticulate or caudate teeth, ciliolate, green. Petioles 4.5–5 cm long, terete, biglandular with one opposite pair positioned 5–8 mm below the base of the blade, hemispherical and sessile to long-stipitate, often cup-shaped with opening abaxially, 5–6 × 2.8–3 mm, green. Leaf blade 14–22 × 13–20 cm, palmately 5(–7)-lobed, lobation borne 4–5 cm from base, lobes 8–17 × 2–4 cm, oblong-ovate to lanceolate, intermediate lobe the longest, squarely cordate at base, acuminate to acute at apex, margins (dentate) denticulate or apiculate with serrulate teeth terminating into mucros; foliar texture membranous, deep green on upper surface, dullish green below. Inflorescence solitary or in pairs, inconspicuous, borne on short peduncles. Peduncles 3–4 cm long, green, articulate 2.0– 2.7 cm from the base of the flower. Bracts 3–5 × 2–3 mm, located in lower half of peduncle, acutely linear or reduced to a three-lobed spinifex structure, widely obtrullate in general outline, laciniate, green. Flowers 2.2–2.5 cm in diameter, white entirely; hypanthium 11–13 mm in diameter, deeply campanulate, green to pale green outside, whitish inside; sepals 12–15 × 8–11 mm, ovate-triangular to somewhat oblong, at base tapering to an acute to acuminate at apex, greenish abaxially, whitish adaxially, conspicuously cornate or corniculate near apex, awn 1–2 mm long, green, thick; petals 13–16 × 6–7 mm, subequal to sepals, ovate-oblong to ovate, truncate at apex, pure white at both sides, membranous; coronal composed of a single denticulate series, 2–2.5 mm long, pure white throughout, slightly recurved; operculum 2.4–3.0 mm long, membranous, recurved and cleft to the base, margin denticulate, white and unmarked; limen whitish, much reduced, not spotted; androgynophore 8–9 mm long, white, not speckled; anthers ca. 4.0 mm long, orange-yellow; ovary 4–4.5 × 3.2–3.8 mm, ellipsoid, glabrous to minutely tomentose, green. Fruit 5–5.2 × 4–4.5 cm, widely ellipsoid or sometimes obovate, rounded at apex, glabrous or finely pubescent, pink-purple when mature, inedible; mesocarp whitish with slightly greenish and purple marks; arils bright orange to reddish. Seeds black [not measured].

Phenology: —This species was found in flower between June and September, and subsequent flowers produced in cultivation in Venezuela cohort with these months. Fruit was produced subsequently, with maturity in Venezuelan cultivation between August and September.

Etymology: —The epithet “ azulitensis ” is chosen after the small region where the species was found; La Azulita, Merida state.

Distribution: — Passiflora azulitensis can be found only within a small virgin area nearby La Azulita belonging to the Merida state, Venezuela ( Fig. 1 ). This rich biodiverse region is perched on the northern flanks of the Venezuela Andes, where it grows at elevations of about 700–1000 m in dense, pre-montane rain and cloud forest. Rather contrasting from its semi-arid Mexican relatives, Passiflora azulitensis was found in a region marked by very intense rainfall, with high levels of humidity and precipitation year-round. This species was seen growing as a robust vine up trees and large bushes, with merely the free-hanging branches giving away its presence.

Conservation: —With merely two known collections both from within this small virgin area, the abundance and thus conservation for Passiflora azulitensis is alarmingly limited. The area is not under any protection by a reserve or forest protectorate, and deforestation or urban development are a significant threat to the long term survival of this species in the wild. Although with just two collection sites there is too little geographic data available to calculate an acurate AOO and EOO (essentially scaling it as DD), the authors chose to keep the species as CR criteria B1a, C1, C2ai and D (IUCN 2023).

Additional specimens in situ: —No additional specimens were found in other herbaria.

Cultivated collections: —Blumen & Passiflora ( Germany), M. Drews; Madeira Passiflora Gardens, P. Mendonca ; Passiflora collection Austria, M. Varga; Passiflorahoeve ( Netherlands), P. Moerman; Passifloratuin ( Netherlands), H.v. Aals t; Portland Botanical Gardens ( USA), D. Pogust; RBG Kew ( UK), C. Magdalena; The Italian Collection ( Italy), M. Vecchia; National Passiflora Collection ( UK), J. Vanderplank.

Notes: — Passiflora azulitensis belongs to Passiflora subgen. Decaloba supersect. Bryonioides (Harms) J.M. MacDougal & Feuillet (2003: 34), for having uncinate foliar vestiture, conspicuous stipules, biglandular petioles, and a distinctive floral structure with a uniserial corona. This alliance of species is mostly confined to the semi-arid habitats of Mexico and Guatemala, with a few of its members spread widely across the South American domains including Colombia, Ecuador, and Brazil where it inhabits mostly non-Amazonian habitats like Andean or the Brazilian cerrado ( MacDougal 1994). Passiflora azulitensis is remarkable among this group for it being confined solely to a small, tropical wet region of Venezuela, where it grows in dense premontane rainforest with high levels of humidity year-round.

Vegetatively, Passiflora azulitensis is near identical to P. adenopoda DC. (1828: 330) which can also be found in the Venezuelan Andes but is spread widely across the northern Andean countries including Ecuador and Colombia. Being variable in nature, the leaves, stipules and petiolar nectaries of P. adenopoda share identical shapes and sizes to P. azulitensis , however, the radically different floral and habitat characteristics warrants the recognition of P. azulitensis as an independent taxon. The flowers of P. azulitensis are entirely white, upright to subhorizontal, and measure less than 2.5 cm in diameter. In contrast, the flowers of P. adenopoda are white with purple bands, pendent, and measure 4–5(–6) cm in diameter. Passiflora azulitensis also shares some resemblance to P. morifolia Mast. (1872: 555) and P. guayaquilensis Conejo & Kuethe (2022: 2) , the latter of which sharing the ubiquitously white coloration of the corolla. However, it differs by the foliaceous serrate, ciliolate stipules that measure up to 2 cm in length: while in both P. morifolia and P. guayaquilensis the stipules are ovate-caudate with entire margin and measure no more than 1 cm in length.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Map showing the allopatric distribution of the concerning new species (diamonds) and their nearest relatives (circles). Passiflora azulitensis (white); P. cocuyensis (red); P. rogitamensis (purple); Passiflora gritensis (green); P. semiciliosa (yellow); and P. longipes (blue). Map generated using both herbarium coordinates and georeferenced sightings (fieldwork supplemented with iNaturalist observations).

FIGURE 2. A–F. Comparative morfology showing leaves and flowers of the related species to Passiflora azulitensis. A, B. Passiflora azulitensis, La Azulita, Venezuela; C, D. Passiflora guayaquilensis, El Oro province, Ecuador; E, F. Passiflora adenopoda, Merida, Venezuela. Photo courtesy by Miguel Molinari (A), J.R. Kuethe (B, E, F), and Xavier Cornejo (C, D).

FIGURE 3. A–C. Passiflora azulitensis., Lankaster Composite Dissection Plate (LCDP); A. flower in situ; longitudinal of the flower (A1), floral orientation and bracts in situ (A2), detail of the bracts (A3), detail of the reduced corona (A4); B. habit and vegetative characteristics of P. azulitensis, with detail of the stipules (B1), petiolar nectaries (B2), and foliar margin (B3); C. A mature fruit found in situ. Compiled from photographs taken by Miguel Molinari, Andrés Miguel Orellana and J.R. Kuethe.