Couepia hallwachsiae D. Santam. & Lagom., 2015

Santamaria-Aguilar, Daniel & Lagomarsino, Laura. P., 2015, Synopsis of Couepia (Chrysobalanaceae) in Costa Rica, with a description of two new species, Phytotaxa 233 (1), pp. 69-79 : 70-72

1. Couepia hallwachsiae D. Santam. & Lagom. , sp. nov. ( Figs. 1 , 2 )

Type:— COSTA RICA. Limón: Pococí. Guápiles. Parque Nacional Braulio Carrillo, sector Quebrada González , 26 July 1988 (fl), M. M. Chavarría, L. F. Chavarría & M. Méndez 201 (holotype: CR!; isotypes: INB!, K, MO!) .

Tree 10–25 × 0.30–0.40 m;external bark gray-white to reddish, very lenticellate; internal bark not seen.Twigs cylindrical or sometimes more or less angulate, reddish, sparsely pubescent, lenticellate, lenticels small and whitish; sap not seen. Stipules narrowly triangular, caducous. Leaves with petioles 0.4–0.8 cm long, pulverulent, eglandular, rugose, rounded below, flat above; lamina (13.7–) 14.8–24.8 × 4.2–6.5 cm, ovate to oblong-elliptic, acute at base, acuminate at apex, the acumen ca. 0.3–2 cm long, glabrous above, densely and shortly pubescent below, trichomes whitish or pale yellowish when dried, less dense on the midrib and lateral veins, with small flat glands along the midrib and laterals veins; midrib inconspicuously elevated above, prominent and rounded below; laterals veins (7–) 10–13 per side, flat or weakly impressed above, weakly elevated below; tertiary veins conspicuous on both surfaces. Inflorescences 3.0– 7.8 cm long, terminal and axillary, paniculate, rachis and branches more or less rounded, striate, covered with whitish or pale yellowish trichomes; bracts not seen; bracteoles 2.0–5.0 mm long, subulate, densely pubescent externally, caducous. Flowers with pedicels 1.0–4.0 mm long, densely pubescent, articulated; receptacle 3.0–6.0 mm long, cylindrical or subcylindrical, densely pubescent outside and longitudinally striate or without striations, the trichomes whitish or pale yellowish, pubescent inside, with hairs around throat; calyx lobes 2.8–5.0 × 1.5–2.5 mm, oblong-ovate or widely ovate, acute to rounded at apex, densely pubescent on both surfaces, eglandular, persistent; petals 3.0–4.0 × 2.0– 2.3 mm, cream or white hyaline, similar in shape to calyx lobes, apex rounded, glabrous on both surfaces, but with ciliate margins, caducous; stamens 11–12 (fertile), 8 staminodes opposite, inserted in nearly complete circle, glabrous; ovary densely pubescent; style densely pubescent in the proximal half, trichomes 0.5–1 mm long, distally glabrous. Fruits 4.0–4.8 × 1.8–2.3 cm (in herbarium material), ellipsoid, pale yellow outside; epicarp smooth, glabrous; mesocarp fleshy; endocarp thin and fibrous in texture.

Distribution and Habitat:–– Couepia hallwachsiae is endemic to Costa Rica. It has been collected in rainforests of the Caribbean slope in the provinces of Heredia and Limón, and has been reported from primary forest, forest edges, roadsides, and remnant primary forest at 292–750 m in elevation.

Etymology:— This new species is dedicated to the ecologist and expert in Lepidoptera Winifred Hallwachs , who, with Daniel Janzen, was instrumental in the establishment of the Área Conservación de Guanacaste and much of the research that has come out of it since.

Phenology:— This species has been collected in flower in July and in fruit in October and November.

Vernacular name:— Unknown.

Notes:— Couepia hallwachsiae is distinguished by the combination of whitish pubescence on the underside of the leaf; leaves with (7–) 10–13 lateral veins per side, the tertiary nerves reticulate and visible on both surfaces; small glands along the length of the principal veins; acute leaf bases; long-acuminate leaf apices; inflorescences in axillary and terminal panicles; pale yellowish or whitish pubescence on the infloresence axes, receptacles, and calyx lobes; glabrous petals; interior of receptacle sparsely pubescent; and smooth fruits. Couepia hallwachsiae has been confused with C. polyandra . However, across its geographical range, C. polyandra can be distinguished from C. hallwachsiae by the conspicuous, dense whitish arachnoid pubescence on the underside of leaves, twigs, and petioles; the smaller leaves (6.1–13 × 2.7–5.9 cm) with rounded or short-acuminate apices; the linear pubescent stipules; and, usually, two diminutive glands on the margin of the leaf base. Additionally, C. hallwachsiae is a species of very wet forests on the Caribbean slope of Costa Rica, while C. polyandra is principally a plant of dry forests on the Pacific slope. Couepia hallwachsiae is also similar to C. hondurasensis Prance (1999: 110) , but this species has widely elliptic leaves, lanate pubescence on the underside of the leaves, up to 15 pairs of lateral nerves, lanceolate stipules, and densely clustered flowers producing 25–30 stamens. It can also be compared to C. bernardii Prance (1981: 347) for its tertiary nerves that are visible on both leaf surfaces. However, relative to C. hallwachsiae , this species has more prominent tertiary veins, a shorter leaf apex, less dense indument on the underside of the leaf, and less branched inflorescences; furthermore, it is eglandular throughout, while C. hallwachsiae produces glands on the leaf lamina.

Additional Specimens Examined:–– COSTA RICA. Heredia: Cantón Sarapiquí. San Ramón, camino a el Parque Nacional Braulio Carrillo, después del puente sobre el río San Ramón , 20 m izquierdo, 292 m, 20 November 2003 (fr), R. Aguilar 8227 (INB-2 sheets!, LSCR-2 sheets!, MO!) ; Rara Avis, ca. 15 km al suroeste de Horquetas, alrededores del Hotel , 10°17’N, 84°02’W, 400–600 m, 16 November 1989 (fr), O. Vargas 317 ( CR!, K, MO!) ; Parque Nacional Braulio Carrillo, sector el Ceibo. Sendero altitudinal entre El Ceibo y Magsasay , 10°19’37”N, 84°03’09”W, 500–535 m, 24 July 2009 (ster.), L. Acosta & J. Blanco 11959 ( INB!) ; Parque Nacional Braulio Carrillo, puesto El Ceibo , on ridge cresta 250 m E of trasect trail, 10°17’50”N, 84°00’25”W, 750 m, 5 March 1994 (ster.), B. Boyle et al. 2811, 2909 ( CR!, MO!) ; Parque Nacional Braulio Carrillo, puesto El Ceibo , on ridge cresta 250 m W of trasect trail, 10°17’45”N, 84°04’37”W, 750 m, 20 March 1994 (ster.), B. Boyle & A. Espino 2976 ( CR!, MO!) . Limón: Cantón de Pococí. Cuenca del Sarapiquí. Reserva Biológica Bosque Lluvioso. Sendero Los Gigantes, 10°11’12”N, 83°51’41”W, 315 m, 02 July 2008 (fl), L. D. Vargas & D. Castillo 3405 ( INB!, MO!) ; Cuenca del Sarapiquí. Reserva Biológica Bosque Lluvioso. Alrededores de la estación, 10°11’28”N, 83°51’28”W, 350 m, 29 September 2005 (ster.), L. D. Vargas et al. 906 ( INB!) ; Parque Nacional Braulio Carrillo, estación Quebrada González, sendero Las Palmas , 10°09’50”N, 83°56’24”W, 400–500 m, 06 June 2003 (ster.), R. Kriebel 3343 ( INB!, MO!) ; Parque Nacional Braulio Carrillo, Quebrada González. Sendero Las Palmas , 10°09’48”N, 83°56’20”W, 500 m, 06 November 1997 (ster.), A. Rodríguez & L. D. Vargas 2691 ( INB!, MO!) ; along woods road parallel to Río Toro Amarillo, about 3 km west of the Guápiles- Río Frío road, 350 m, 18 October 1976 (fr), G. S. Hartshorn 1850 (CR-3 sheets!, MO!) .

Figures

FIGURE 1. Couepia hallwachsiae D. Santam. & Lagom. A. Branch with inflorescence. B. Leaf apex. C. Indument on the abaxial leaf surface. D. Venation on the adaxial leaf surface. E. Flower bud. F. Flower. G. Petal. H. Fruit. I. Inflorescence. Drawing by J. Jiménez.A, E–G. From the holotype. B–C. From S. Letcher 490. D, H. From G. S. Hartshorn 1850.

FIGURE 2. Couepia hallwachsiae D. Santam. & Lagom. A. Branch with inflorescence. B. Abaxial leaf surface. C. Inflorescence. D. Inflorescence showing flower buds. E. Flower showing sepals, petals, and stamens. F. Fruit. A–E. From the Florula Digital de La Selva website. F. From R. Aguilar 8227. Photos by R. Aguilar (OET/OTS, Florula Digital de La Selva).