Coccoloba ibarrae J.J.Ancona & J.J.Ortiz-Díaz, 2023

Ancona, Juan J., Ortiz-Díaz, Juan J. & Tun-Garrido, Juan, 2023, Coccoloba efigeniana and C. ibarrae, two new species of Coccoloba sect. Paniculatae Meisn. (Polygonaceae), Phytotaxa 599 (2), pp. 100-108 : 103-106

Coccoloba ibarrae J.J.Ancona & J.J.Ortiz-Díaz sp. nov. ( Figs. 2 and 3 )

Type:— MEXICO. Oaxaca: municipio San Felipe Usila, Cerro Verde 7 km al NNE de San Felipe Usila, 17°56′ N, 96°30′ W, 1050 m a.s.l., 30 September 1992, Ibarra Manríquez, Meave del Castillo & Vargas 3719 (holotype MEXU!, isotype MO!) .

Diagnosis: — Coccoloba ibarrae is morphologically similar to C. belizensis from which can be distinguished by leaves chartaceous, glabrous, 20–35(–40) × 14–21(–25) cm, panicles racemose, fruit ovoid, 13–13.75 × 8.6–9.4 mm, glabrous, with prominent ribs, acuminate apex, abruptly contracted base, accrescent hypanthium almost completely covering achene, and tepals free at apex of achene, crowned.

Description:—Trees 10–25 m tall; branch internodes solid, glabrous, striated. Ochrea 1–1.5 cm long, chartaceous, cilyndrical, glabrous to scabrid, dark brown trichomes. Leaves simple, alternate; petiole 2.5–3.5 × 4–7 mm, striated, glabrous to scabrid, dark brown trichomes, inserted at base of the ochrea; leaf-blade elliptical oblong to obovateelliptical, 20–31(–35) × 14‒21(–25) cm, coriaceous to chartaceous, abaxially scabrid, adaxially glabrous, margin entire, apex acute to slightly rounded, base cordate; venation pinnate and reticulate, prominent, scabrid, (9‒)10‒14 pairs of primary nerves. Inflorescence terminal, panicle, racemiform, 17‒22(–25) cm long, raquis striated, glabrous to sparsely acabrid; ochreolae 0.6–0.8 mm long, membranaceous, glabrous, rounded in the apex, yellowish. Flowers solitary or two per fascicle, 1.5–2.0 mm long, short pedicelled, 0.5–1.0 mm long, pedicel on the fruit 2.5–3.5 mm; hypanthium 0.8–1 mm long, green to whitish; tepals 5, 1.0– 1.2 mm long, whitish. Fruit ovoid, 13.00–13.75 × 8.6- 9.4 mm, with prominent ribs, apex acuminate, base rounded, abruptly contracted at junction with pedicel, glabrous. Achene included, black; hypanthium accrecent, almost completely covering the achene; perianth lobes free, cover the apex of the achene, crowned.

Eponymy:— The specific epithet is dedicated to Dr. Guillermo Ibarra Manríquez , collector of the type specimen, and for his dedication to the study of the tropical forests of Veracruz, where the new species is distributed.

Distribution and habitat:— Coccoloba ibarrae is endemic to Mexico. This species is distributed in the states of Oaxaca and Veracruz ( Fig. 4 ). It inhabits the tropical rain forests and montane cloud forests at 1100–1500 m a.s.l.

Phenology:—Flowering time March–June; fruiting time September–October.

Notes:— Coccoloba ibarrae is similar to C. belizensis , a species distributed in the lowlands of Mesoamerica. C. belizensis inhabits the humid forests of Belize, Guatemala, Honduras. In Mexico it is located in the states of Quintana Roo and Chiapas.

Conservation status:— Coccoloba ibarrae is found mainly in the montane cloud forests of the states of Oaxaca and Veracruz in southesatern Mexico ( Fig. 3 ). This new species can be classified as vulnerable (VU) in accordance with criteria B1 and B2 of the Red List ( IUCN 2021).

Additional Specimens Examined:— MEXICO, Oaxaca: municipality San Pedro Teutila, El Faro, region La Cañada, 14°59ʹ10.4ʺN 96°39ʹ8ʺW, 1463 m, 14 January 2005, Cruz Espinosa & Juárez G. 2293 (MEXU); municipality Valle Nacional, 3 km al SW de Cerro Mirador, camino a San Juan Palantla, 17°53ʹN 96°22ʹW, 1200 m, 29 April 1993, Ibarra et al. 3850 (MEXU); municipality Valle Nacional, Cerro Mirador 15 km NNW de Valle Nacional, 17°93ʹN 96°22ʹW, 1200 m, 16 October 1992, Meave del Castillo et al. 1535 (MEXU); municipality Valle Nacional, Cerro Mirador, 15 km NNW de Valle Nacional, 17°53ʹN 96°22ʹW, 1200 m, 27 april 1993, Ibarra et al. 3008 (MEXU). Veracruz: municipality Tenochtitlán, 2 km en línea recta al SE (140°) de Tenochtitlán faldas del cerro Gigante o Cipresal, 19°47ʹ99ʺN 96°54ʹ00ʺW, 1200 m, 06 November 2000, Rincón G. & Durán E. 2158 (MEXU); municipality Tenochtitlan, Colorado, camino de terracería, Misantla-Tenochtitlan, 920 m, 27 April 1976, Hernández 190 (MEXU); municipality Yacuatla, 1 km al su de Progreso de Juárez, dirección Barranca de Maíz, 19°48ʹN 96°48ʹW, 1200, 15 January 1990, Gutiérrez-Baez 3807 (MEXU; XAL); municipality Yacuatla, entre Nueva Reforma y El Cedral, 19°50ʹN 96°46ʹW, 1000 m, 06 March 1990, Gutiérrez-Baez 3946 (MEXU); municipality Ixtaczoquitlan, Cerro Buena Vista, 18°53ʹ40ʺN 97°21ʹ5ʺW, 1230 m, 27 September 1995, Juárez L. 750 (MEXU; XAL); municipality Chiconquiaco, Arroyo Colorado, 19°48ʹN 96°47ʹW, 1300 m, 06 March 1990, Gutiérrez-Baez 3940 (MEXU). Municipality Atoyac, Miraflores 9 km al NW de Atoyac, 18°57ʹN 96°49ʹW, 1000, 18 May 1985, Acevedo & Acosta 172 (MEXU, XAL); municipality Juchique de Ferrer, La Cima, Plan de Hayas, 1500 m, 26 June 1976, Hernández 1606 (MEXU); municipality Juchique de Ferrer, Cerro de la Botella, 19°46′09.4″N 96°41ʹ36.8ʺW, 847 m, 24 July 2008, Vázquez MVT8643 (MEXU, UV); Santa Ana Atzacan al N. de Orizaba, 51-B-2, 03 December 1967, 1300, Rosas 888 (MEXU); Carta Blanca, entre Orizaba y Cordoba (Tajitos), 1020 m, 28 May 1967, Rosas 397 (MEXU); municipality Coatepec, en el km 6(en Zoncuantla) carretera vieja Jalapa-Coatepec, 19°27ʹN 96°57ʹW, 1200 m, 7 March 1978, Calzada 4263 (MEXU); municiaplity Coatepec, en Zoncuantla, 4 December 1975, Jiménez A. 107 (MEXU, XAL); municipality La Mina, Las Minas hacia Molinillo, 19°42ʹN 97°08ʹW, Elv. 1300 m, 25 May 1989, Durán E. & Becerra 802 (MEXU, XAL).

Figures

FIGURE 2. Coccoloba ibarrae. A. Leaf and paniculate inflorescence; B. Details of the pedicels and ochreoles; C. Petiole and ochrea; D. Achene embedded in the expanded hypanthium and tepals; E. Achene. Illustration by J.E. García.

FIGURE 3. Coccoloba ibarrae tree in the wild: A. Trunk; B. Petiole and ochrea; C. detail of the indumentum of the petiole and ochrea; D. detail of the indumentum underneath the leaf blade; E. Leaf blade. Photographs by J.J. Ancona.

FIGURE 4. Geographical distribution of Coccoloba efigeniana (red triangle) and C. ibarrae (red circle).