Paullinia fruticosa Somner & Acev.-Rodr., 2018

Acevedo-Rodriguez, Pedro & Somner, Genise Vieira, 2018, New species of Paullinia (Sapindaceae) from continental tropical America, PhytoKeys 114, pp. 95-113 : 95

Paullinia fruticosa Somner & Acev.-Rodr. sp. nov. Fig. 3

Diagnosis.

Paullinia fruticosa differs from P. gigantea Poepp. & Endl. and P. killipii Macbr., the only two other species of Paullinia with a combination of simple stems, 5-foliolate pinnate leaves, large foliaceous stipules and cauliflorous inflorescences, by its glabrous, bi-canaliculate, petioles 10.5-25 cm long, rachis 4.2-6.5 cm long; shrubby habit and the presence of unwinged fruits; these two congeners are lianas and their fruits are winged.

Type.

PERU. Madre de Dios; Manú National Park, Río Sotileja, low floodplain forest, 400 m elev., 8 Oct 1986 (fr), Foster et al. 11693 (holotype: US!; isotype: F!)

Description.

Erect shrub 1-2 m tall. Stems sulcate, glabrous, light green, sometimes fistulose, with white latex; cross-section simple. Stipules falcate-elliptic to rhombate, 2-3.1 × 1.5-2.2 cm, chartaceous, stramineous, glabrous, with numerous parallel, prominent veins. Leaves pinnately 5-foliolate; petiole and rachis naked, distal petiolules 1-1.5 cm long, lateral petiolules 0.3-0.7 cm long; leaflets 15-26 × 4.5-9.3 cm, chartaceous, glabrous, oblanceolate, elliptic, obovate or ovate, cuneate at base on distal leaflet, obtuse or acute and asymmetrical on lateral ones, obtusely acuminate or acuminate at apex, margins nearly entire or remote crenate-dentate, teeth with a submarginal gland, venation brochidodromous or mixed craspedodromous, abaxially prominent, especially the midvein, tertiary venation reticulate. Thyrses axillary, glomerate, axes glabrous, ca. 2 cm long; bracts ca. 1 mm long, deltate, glabrous; cincinni 5- to 7-flowered; peduncle 4-8 mm long; bracteoles ca. 0.5 mm long, triangular, ciliate; pedicels 5-6.5 mm long, articulate near the base. Sepals 5, glabrous, yellowish, membranaceous, ciliate, the outer sepals ovate, 2-2.5 mm long, inner sepals obovate, 3-3.5 mm long; petals white, elliptic, ca. 3.5 mm long; appendage ca. 3mm long, crest of posterior appendage with 2 corniform projections; nectary 4-lobed, posterior lobes ovate, obtuse or truncate at apex, anterior lobes smaller, pilose; torus glabrous; filaments pubescent, 2-4 mm long, flat, anthers glabrous; gynoecium ca. 2 mm long, the ovary ovoid, ca. 1 mm long, sparsely villose. Capsule ellipsoid, unwinged, 1-1.8 × ca. 0.7 cm, coriaceous, glabrous, densely parallel-veined, sessile, apiculate at apex; mesocarp ca. 0.5 mm thick; endocarp lanose. Seed one per capsule, ellipsoid, 0.9-1.5 cm long, pubescent, with bilobed sarcotesta on lower ½; embryo, elliptic, ca. 0.8 × 0.5 cm, abaxial cotyledon curve, adaxial cotyledon biplicate.

Distribution and ecology.

Known from SW Amazonia, in Peru and the state of Acre in Brazil, in non-flooded, dense forest 100-500 m elevation.

Phenology.

Collected in flower from August to November and in fruit from October to December and June.

Etymology.

The specific epithet refers to the shrubby habit of the new species.

Conservation status.

Known from ten collections within an EOO of 150,000 km2, in moist forest understorey in the south-western Amazon region. Although this species is known only from few collections, its conservation status is here treated as least concern (LC) due to its occurrence within Manú National Park in Peru.

Additional specimens examined.

BRAZIL. Acre. Mun. Mâncio Lima; Upper Rio Moa, base of Serra Azul, ca. 07°29'S, 73°39'W, 12 Oct 1986 (fr), Campbell et al. 8947 (NY). PERU: Loreto; Puerto Arturo, lower Rio Huallaga, below Yurimaguas, ca. 135 m elev., dense forest, 24-25 Aug 1929 (fl), Killip & A.C. Smith 27876 (US), Santa Rosa, ca. 135 m elev., dense forest, 1-5 Sep 1929 (fl), Killip & A.C. Smith 28741 (US), 28876 (F, US). Madre de Dios; Manú, Manú settlement in forest, 4 Aug 1973 (fl), Foster 2469 (F), Parque Nacional Manú, Rio Sotileja, steep forested hills along stream, 11°40'S, 71°55'W, 400-500 m elev., 2 Oct 1986 (fl), Foster et al. 11579 (F). San Martín, Juanjui, upper Río Huallaga, 400-800 m elev., forest, Dec 1935 (fr), Klug 4200 (F, US). Ucayali, Trail from Quebrada Shesha (tributary of Río Abujao) to base of Cerro las Cachoeiras, ca. 70 km NE of Tucallpa, 08°02'S, 73°55'W, 300-400 m elev., 24 Jun 1987 (fr), Gentry & Diaz 58491 (MO, QCA); Coronel Portillo, Callería, Cuenca del Río Utiquinia, Quebrada Espjoyacu, afluente de la Quebrada Manuela, primary forest, 07°56.67'S, 73°53.61'W, 300 m elev., 8 Nov 2003 (fl, fr), Graham 2636 (US).

Discussion.

Paullinia fruticosa is the only species in the genus that is consistently described in collection labels as a shrub. Other species of Paullinia (e.g. P. cuneata Radlk. and P. dasystachya ) may present a shrubby habit but only during early stages but later developing into lianas. In addition, Paullinia killipii . was originally described as a shrub, based on mixed collections including Killip & A.C. Smith 27876 and 28876, which are referable to P. fruticosa . As seen in several collections, P. killipii develops as a liana that grows into the forest’s canopy. These three species also differ from P. fruticosa by the presence of winged fruits.

Figures

Figure 3. Paullinia fruticosa. A Fruiting branch B Detail of stems with stipules and axillary inflorescence C Posterior petal, dorsal view D Detail of inflorescence E Pistillate flower, lateral view F Outer sepal, frontal view G Posterior sepal, frontal view H Posterior petal with appendage, frontal view I Pistillate flower with removed perianth showing nectary lobes and staminodes, posterior view J Pistillate flower with removed perianth and some staminodes, showing nectary lobes and ovary, posterior view K Fruit L Seed, ventral view. A from Foster et al 11693 (US) B, D-L from Killip & Smith 27876 (US) C from Klug 4200 (US).