Cremastosperma longicuspe R.E.Fr.

Pirie, Michael D., Chatrou, Lars W. & Maas, Paul J. M., 2018, A taxonomic revision of the Neotropical genus Cremastosperma (Annonaceae), including five new species, PhytoKeys 112, pp. 1-141 : 1

15. Cremastosperma longicuspe R.E.Fr. Fig. 24 , Map 5

Cremastosperma longicuspe R.E.Fr., Acta Horti Bergiani 12: 203. 1934.

Type.

PERU, Loreto: Maynas, anno 1831. Poeppig, E.F. s.n. (lectotype (designated in Pirie, Kankainen & Maas, 2005): LE; isotype: S! [S-R-6962]).

Cremastosperma killipii R.E.Fr., Kongl. Svenska Vetenskapsakad. Handl. 24: 3, pl. 1 a-b. 1948.

Type.

PERU, Loreto: Yurimaguas, lower Río Huallaga, 135 m a.s.l., Aug-Sep 1929, Killip, E.P. & Smith, A.C 29020 (holotype: US! [US00104264], isotype: S! [S-R-6961]).

Description.

Tree or shrub 1.5-20 m tall; young twigs and petioles sparsely covered with appressed whitish or golden hairs to 0.2 mm long. Leaves: petioles 4-14 by 1-3 mm; lamina elliptic, obovate or narrowly so, 10-27 by 3-11 cm (index 1.5-5), chartaceous, green or greyish-green above, green or brownish-green below, glabrous above, very sparsely covered with appressed whitish hairs to 0.2 mm long particularly on veins below, base acute, rarely obtuse, apex caudate (cusp 20-35 mm long), primary vein 1-2 mm wide at widest point, secondary veins 7-15, intersecondary veins 0 –1(– 4), distance between from 7-15 mm at the base to 9-18 mm closer to the apex, angles with primary vein from 60-80° at the base to 40-50° closer to the apex, rarely branching, forming distinct loops, smallest distance between loops and margin 2-4 mm, tertiary veins more or less percurrent. Inflorescence of single flowers solitary (or clustered in groups of 2), on leafy twigs; peduncles 2-5 by ca. 1 mm (in flower), 4-10 by 1-2 mm (in fruit), sparsely to rather densely covered with appressed golden hairs to 0.2 mm long; pedicels 10-14 by 1-1.5 mm at the base (in flower), 11-20 by 1-2 mm (in fruit), sparsely covered with appressed golden hairs to 0.2 mm long or glabrous; 2 lower bracts of unequal dimensions, basal lower bract deltate, ca. 0.5 by 0.5 mm, acute, soon falling off, apical lower bract narrowly elliptic, ca. 1.5 by 0.5 mm, rounded, soon falling off, lower bracts sparsely covered with appressed golden hairs to 0.1 mm long or glabrous; upper bract attached near base or midway along pedicel, ovate, ca. 2 by ca. 1 mm, acute, sparsely covered with appressed golden hairs to 0.1 mm long or glabrous; closed flower buds not seen, buds opening loosely in development; flowers yellowish in vivo, brown in sicco; sepals free, deltate, appressed or recurved, 3-4 by 3-4 mm, acute, soon falling off, sepals and petals glabrous; outer petals broadly elliptic, 10-12 by 9-12 mm, inner petals broadly elliptic, ca. 11 by 10 mm; androecium not seen; gynoecium not seen. Monocarps 6 –13(– 36), ellipsoid, slightly asymmetrical, 12-13 by 8-10 mm, white, red, deep red or deep purple in vivo, reddish-brown to dark brown or black in sicco, with an excentric apicule when unripe; stipes 10-19 by 2 mm; fruiting receptacle 4 –5(– 9) mm diam.; monocarps, stipes and receptacle glabrous. Seeds ellipsoid, orange or reddish-brown, 8-9 by 5-6 mm, raphe sunken, regular.

Distribution.

Ecuador (Napo); Peru (Loreto, San Martín), most collections found in the basin of the Río Huallaga.

Habitat and ecology.

Primary tropical wet forest, on sandy or white sand soil. At elevations of 140-200 m. Flowering: August-October; fruiting: February-June, August, September and November.

Vernacular names.

Ecuador: Moncapatahue (Huaorani; M. Aulestia & Gonti 2072). Peru: Anonilla (J. Ruíz et al. 1748).

Notes.

Cremastosperma longicuspe most closely resembles C. gracilipes , particularly in the shape of the leaf. However, in contrast to C. gracilipes , the fruits and flowers are glabrous. From the limited material available, the flower buds appear to be loosely, rather than widely open. In describing C. killipii , Fries (1948) noted its similarity to C. longicuspe . The leaves of the type specimen of C. killipii are unusually broad, but leaf and other characters otherwise fall within the variation found in C. longicuspe , including the notable caudate apex.

Preliminary conservation status.

Cremastosperma longicuspe is known from a scattering of collections across a reasonably wide area; none within protected areas and with no new collections of the species since September 2000. Given the low AOO and ongoing decline in habitats in the region, it is assigned: Vulnerable [VU] (Table 1 ).

Selected Specimens Examined.

ECUADOR. Napo: Reserva Etnica Huaorani, 0°55'S, 76°09'W, 250 m a.s.l., 20 Mar 1994, Aulestia & Gonti 2072 (QCNE, U). PERU. Loreto: Río Huasaga, 3°20'S, 76°20'W, 185 m a.s.l., Lewis et al. 11166 (USM); Puranchim, Río Sinchiyacu, 2°50'S, 76°55'W, 200 m a.s.l., 21 Nov 1986, Lewis 12186 (MO, USM); Andoas, 2°55'S, 76°25'W, 180 m a.s.l., 3 Nov 1983, Vásquez & N. Jaramillo 4559 (MO, U). San Martín: Santa Rosa de Davidcillo, Tarapoto-Yurimaguas road, 6°16'S, 76°17'W, 200 m a.s.l., 22 Apr 1986, Knapp & Mallet 7178 (F, U, USM); Shapaja-Chazuta road, Río Huallaga, 6°36'S, 76°10'W, 250-300 m a.s.l., 4 Aug 1986, Knapp 7864 (F, MO, NY, U, USM); Tarapoto-Yurimaguas Road, km 46, 6°24'S, 76°18'W, 350 m a.s.l., 30 Aug 1986, Knapp & Mallet 8203 (USM).

Figures

Map 5. Distribution of Cremastosperma bullatum Pirie; C. cauliflorum R. E. Fr.; C. cenepense Pirie & Zapata; and C. longicuspe R. E. Fr.

Figure 24. Cremastosperma longicuspe R. E. Fr. a fruiting specimen b flower (a van der Werff 10161 b Poeppig s. n.).