Clusia nitida, a new species of Clusia (Clusiaceae) from the Brazilian Amazon Bittrich, Volker Cabral, Fernanda Nunes Hopkins, Michael John Gilbert Phytotaxa 2013 2013-05-23 100 1 36 40 WD8C Bittrich & F. N. Cabral Bittrich & F. N. Cabral 2013 [146,575,1885,1912] Magnoliopsida Clusiaceae Clusia Plantae Malpighiales 0 36 Tracheophyta species nitida sp. nov.  ( Fig. 1& Fig. 2)  Diagnosis: Similar to  Clusia microstemon, but dry leaves are darker coloured and generally have a shiny surface, the latex channels are denser on the adaxial surface, the midrib is conspicuous as far as to the apex, the petal colour is different and anthers are absent on the lateral part of the disk-like androecium. The new species is also similar to  Clusia myriandrafrom which it differs by the leaf shape, the visibility of the latex channels on the leaves, the shorter peduncle and basal internodes in the inflorescence, the size of the fruits and the lesser number of seeds.   Type:— BRAZIL. Roraima: Caracaraí, Parque Nacional do Viruá, White-sand vegetation, 1º24’50.7”N, 60º59’16.5”W,  59 m,  15 October 2010,  F.N. Cabral& V . S. Santos 298( holotype INPA!).  Trees, small trees or shrubs up to 6 mtall; sometimes with prop roots. Plants dioecious, latex white or cream; young branches cylindrical or more frequently subangular, surface not rugulose, but finely sulcate or with tiny longitudinal foldings, linear colleters present in the petiole axils, deciduous with the leaves. Petiole 4.0–16.0(– 17.0) mm long, margin flat to revolute. Leaf blade coriaceous, discolorous, adaxial surface dark brown and shiny in sicco, oblong-elliptic, 40–85(–108) mm long and (18–)21–49(–53) mm wide, apex rounded, base attenuate, margin revolute; midrib prominent on the adaxial surface and conspicuous as far as the apex, secondary veins prominent on both surfaces, with (9–)12–26(–29) pairs, 1.5–4.0 mm distant from each other and at an angle of 35º–40º with the midrib, basal veins inconspicuous; latex canals concolorous on the adaxial surface or slightly darker than the blade, immersed, 0.3–0.7 mmdistant from each other, flat to protruding on the abaxial surface, 0.8–1.0 mm distant from each other, forming an angle of about 25º with the midrib. Inflorescence cymose, compact, 3–9-flowered (staminate plants) or 3–7-flowered (pistillate plants), bracts and bracteoles united at the base, hemiorbicular, ca. 2 mmlong, pedicels very short, ca. 2 mmlong, quadrangular. Epicalyx bracts 2 (+2), united at base, sepals 4 (2+2), rarely 5 or 6 (2+3, 3+3), ± suborbicular, ca. 4–8 mmlong and 4–8 mmwide. Petals 5–8, 6–13 x 6–12 mm, dark bordeaux or blood-red. Staminate flower with the androecium forming a thick, circular, flat disk, ca. 3–6 mmwide, composed of about 300 densely compact stamens, the upper surface covered by a mixture of resin and pollen during anthesis, filaments 2.3–3.0 mm long, lateral region of the disk without anthers, anther dehiscence by apical or transverse slits. Pistillate flower with 3 or 4 series of staminodes around the base of the ovary, secreting resin at the apex; staminodes linear, 1.3–2.0 mm long, truncated at the apex, without sterile anthers; stigmas 4 or 5, apical, yellowish, obtusely triangular, flat, 2.5 mmlong; ovary yellow, ovules 1 or 2(–3) per locule. Immature fruit oval to hemispherical, 15–22 x 13–19 mm, usually finely longitudinally striate with latex canals; sepals, staminodes and stigmas persistent, valve endocarp not conspicuously hardened. Seeds 1 or 2(–3) per locule, 5.0–9.0 x 3.5–5.0 mm, green, aril orange.   Comparison:—The most similar species is  C. microstemon Planchon & Triana (1860: 331), which sometimes occurs sympatrically, and with which  C. nitidahas been confused. It has a wide distribution in the Amazon. The main difference between the species is the male androecium, which in  C. microstemonhas anthers at the lateral side of the androecial disk, whereas  C. nitidahas anthers only on its top. Other differences include the darker colour and the glossy appearance of the leaf surfaces in siccoin  C. nitida; the androecium size, which is larger in  C. microstemon; the flower colour, in  C. microstemonthe petals are reddish to pinkish-purple in the centre and white-pink on the edge and the calyx is white-pink, while in  C. nitidathe petals are dark bordeaux or blood-red and the calyx is green;  C. microstemonhas 4 or 5 ovules per locule, whereas  C. nitidahas only 1 or 2(–3) ovules per locule; the fruits of  C. microstemonare slightly ovoid and in  C. nitidathey are generally cylindrical, and finally,  C. microstemonhas a lower density of latex channels on the leaves than in  C. nitidaand the midrib becomes invisible in the apical part of the leaves. Another similar species is  C. myriandra( Bentham 1843: 368) Planchon & Triana (1860: 332)from the Guianas, which has a very similar androecium. However,  C. myriandrahas elongated and oblanceolate leaves, unlike  C. nitida, which has shorter and more rounded broader leaves; the latex channels of the leaves, which are easily visible in  C. nitida, are invisible in the strongly coriaceous leaves of  C. myriandra; the peduncle and the basal internodes in the inflorescence are much longer in  C. myriandra,positioning the inflorescence above the foliage and  C. myriandrahas more elongated and larger fruits than  C. nitidawith 10 or more seeds per locule, while the fruit locules of  C. nitidahave only 1 or 2(–3).   Etymology:—Latin nitidus= shiny, because the dried leaves generally have a conspicuously shiny surface, different from those of  C. microstemon, the leaf surface of which is typically dull.   Distribution and habitat:—In Brazil,  Clusia nitidais known from the North Region, in the states of Amazonasand Roraima. Apparently, it has not yet been collected outside of Brazil. It mainly occurs in whitesand vegetation and at river margins in Amazonian lowlands.    Additional specimens examined ( paratypes):— BRAZIL. Amazonas: 2 kmfrom Rio Cuieirasat km 2 below mouth of Rio Branquinho, 02°45' S, 60°47' W,  14 September 1973, G. T. Pranceet al. 17912(GH!, INPA!, K!, MO!, NY!, S!, U!, US);  Rio Cuieirasjust below mouth of Rio Branquinho, 2°45' S, 60°27' W,  25 September 1971, G. T. Pranceet al. 14848(MO, R!);  Rio Cuieiras,  2 July 1975,  A.B. Anderson140( INPA!, MG!, UEC!); s.loc.,  27 April 1975, A.B. Anderson177( INPA!, NY!, UEC!);  Rio Cuieiras,  9 October 1988,  S. Mori& C. Gracie19270( INPA!);  Manaus–Caracaraíkm 130,  26 September 1974, G. T. Prance& F. Ehrendorfer22749( INPA!),   26 September 1974, G. T. Prance& F. Ehrendorfer22750( INPA!);  Manaus– Caracaraíkm 131, 1°59' S, 60°16' W,  1 December 1974,  A. Gentry12961(GH!, INPA!, MG!, MO!, NY!); km 140,  27 September 1973, C.C. Berget al. P18180( INPA!); km 125,  22 September 1977,  W.A. Rodrigues& M.F. Silva9765( INPA!); km 115,  28 August 1977, W.A. Rodrigues9717( INPA!);  Barcelos, margin of Rio Aracánext to mouth of Rio Jauari, 00°30' N, 63°30' W,  2 July 1985,  I. Cordeiro118( INPA!, NY, UEC!);   3 kmS Central Massif of Serra Aracá, 00°49' N, 63°17' W,  18 July 1985, G. T. Pranceet al. 29676( INPA!, NY, UEC!); margin of Rio Aracánear Serrinha, 00°25' N, 63°23' W,  25 July 1985, G. T. Pranceet al. 29767( INPA!, NY, UEC!); foothills of Central Massif of Serra Aracá, 00°49' N, 63°20' W,  12 July 1985, G. T. Pranceet al. 29502( INPA!, NY, UEC!);   5 kmS Central Massif of Serra Aracá, 00°49' N, 63º17' W,  20 July 1985, G. T. Pranceet al. 29699(NY, UEC!).  Roraima: 7 kmsouth of Equator, BR 174, 00°05' S, 60°40' W,  14 June 1985,  I. Cordeiroet al. 30( INPA!, NY!);  Manaus–Caracaraíkm 522–524, 01°18' S, 60°35' W,  25 August 1987,  C.A.C. Ferreira9147( INPA!, NY, UEC!);  Parque Nacional do Viruá, 1º16' N, 60º58´W,  25 November 2009,  F.N. Cabralet al. 5( INPA!, UEC!);  Parque Nacional do Viruá, 1º29' N, 61º02´W,  26 November 2009,  F.N. Cabralet al. 23( INPA!, UEC!);  Parque Nacional do Viruá, 1º29' N, 61º02´W,  26 November 2009,  F.N. Cabralet al. 26( INPA!, UEC!);  Parque Nacional do Viruá, 1º28' N, 60º57´W,  29 November 2009,  F.N. Cabralet al. 49( INPA!, UEC!);  Parque Nacional do Viruá, 1º26' N, 61º01´W,  2 December 2009,  F.N. Cabralet al. 82( INPA!, UEC!);  Parque Nacional do Viruá, 1º23' N, 60º59´W,  5 December 2009,  F.N. Cabralet al. 123( INPA!, UEC!);  Parque Nacional do Viruá, 1º16' N, 60º58´W,  29 January 2010,  F.N. Cabralet al. 197( INPA!, UEC!);  Parque Nacional do Viruá, 1º14' N, 60º58´W,  5 March 2010,  N. Dávilaet al. 6129( INPA!).  Probably also R.L. Fróes 25319, Rio Urubú, Peixe Boi, 02°05' S, 60°05' W, 20 September 1949(IAN!) belongs to  Clusia nitida, but the androecium of this specimen is hemispherically bulged similar as in  Clusia hilariana Schlechtendal (1833: 181). 5053649301 2010-10-15 INPA F. N. Cabral & V. S. Santos Brazil Type 59 1.4140834 Parque Nacional do Virua 1 -60.987915 Caracarai 1 37 1 Roraima holotype 3314723304 1973-09-14 T, INPA Prance Brazil -2.75 Rio Branquinho 1307 -60.783333 Rio Cuieiras 3 39 2 Amazonas paratype 3314723327 1971-09-25 T, R Prance United States of America -2.75 Rio Branquinho 1307 -60.45 Rio Cuieiras 3 39 1 3314723302 1975-07-02 INPA, MG, UEC A. B. Anderson United States of America Rio Cuieiras 3 39 1 3314723322 [315,1045,1196,1222] 1975-04-27 INPA, UEC Anderson United States of America 3 39 1 3314723311 1988-10-09 INPA S. Mori & C. Gracie United States of America Rio Cuieiras 3 39 1 3314723316 1974-09-26 T, INPA Prance & F. Ehrendorfer United States of America Manaus - Caracarai 3 39 1 3314723305 [505,1313,1273,1299] 1974-09-26 T, INPA Prance & F. Ehrendorfer United States of America 3 39 1 3314723321 1974-12-01 INPA, MG A. Gentry United States of America -1.9833333 Manaus - Caracarai 1307 -60.266666 3 39 1 3314723312 P18180 1973-09-27 INPA Berg United States of America 3 39 1 3314723323 1977-09-22 INPA W. A. Rodrigues & Silva United States of America 3 39 1 3314723309 [461,1135,1389,1415] 1977-08-28 INPA Rodrigues United States of America 3 39 1 3314723301 1985-07-02 INPA, UEC I. Cordeiro United States of America Barcelos 0.5 Rio Jauari 1308 -63.5 Rio Araca 3 39 1 3314723306 1985-07-18 T, INPA, UEC Prance United States of America 0.81666666 3 km S Central Massif of Serra Araca 1308 -63.283333 3 39 1 3314723320 1985-07-25 T, INPA, UEC Prance United States of America 0.41666666 Serrinha 1308 -63.383335 Rio Araca 3 39 1 3314723310 1985-07-12 T, INPA, UEC Prance United States of America 0.81666666 Central Massif of Serra Araca 1308 -63.333332 3 39 1 3314723324 1985-07-20 T, UEC Prance United States of America 0.81666666 5 km S Central Massif of Serra Araca 1308 -63.283333 3 39 1 3314723317 1985-06-14 INPA I. Cordeiro United States of America -0.083333336 Equator 1308 -60.666668 Roraima 3 39 BR 174 1 3314723325 1987-08-25 INPA, UEC C. A. C. Ferreira United States of America -1.3 Manaus - Caracarai 1308 -60.583332 3 39 1 3314723328 2009-11-25 INPA, UEC F. N. Cabral United States of America 1.2666667 Parque Nacional do Virua 1308 -60.966667 3 39 1 3314723308 2009-11-26 INPA, UEC F. N. Cabral United States of America 1.4833333 Parque Nacional do Virua 1308 -61.033333 3 39 1 3314723315 2009-11-26 INPA, UEC F. N. Cabral United States of America 1.4833333 Parque Nacional do Virua 1308 -61.033333 3 39 1 3314723303 2009-11-29 INPA, UEC F. N. Cabral United States of America 1.4666667 Parque Nacional do Virua 1308 -60.95 3 39 1 3314723326 2009-12-02 INPA, UEC F. N. Cabral United States of America 1.4333334 Parque Nacional do Virua 1308 -61.016666 3 39 1 3314723318 2009-12-05 INPA, UEC F. N. Cabral United States of America 1.3833333 Parque Nacional do Virua 1308 -60.983334 3 39 1 3314723313 2010-01-29 INPA, UEC F. N. Cabral United States of America 1.2666667 Parque Nacional do Virua 1308 -60.966667 3 39 1 3314723314 [344,1419,1969,1995] 2010-03-05 INPA N. Davila United States of America 1.2333333 Parque Nacional do Virua 1308 -60.966667 3 39 1