Salzmannia arborea J.G. Jardim, 2015

Jardim, Jomar G., Taylor, Charlotte M., Barbosa, Maria Regina & Pessoa, Maria Do Céo R., 2015, Taxonomic notes on Chiococca and Salzmannia (Rubiaceae, Chiococceae) in northeastern Brazil, with a new combination and a new species, Phytotaxa 202 (1), pp. 15-25 : 20-22

Salzmannia arborea J.G. Jardim , sp. nov. ( Figures 1 , 2 ).

TYPE:— BRASIL. Bahia: município de Una, Reserva Biológica do Mico-leão ( IBAMA), entrada no km 46 da Rod. Ilhéus / Una , 15˚09’ S, 39˚05’ W, 21 October 1992, fl, A. M. de Carvalho, A. M. Amorim, S. C. de Sant´Ana & J. G. Jardim 4085 (holotype: CEPEC!; isotypes: ALCB! NY!) .

This new species is distinguished from Salzmannia nitida DC. by its tree habit, larger leaves on vegetative stems, bracts elliptic to ovate or absent (15–25 mm vs. 4–8 mm long in S. nitida ), and larger, ellipsoid, pink to purple fruits, 10–14 mm long (vs. 5–8 mm long, oblate to widely depressed ovoid, red in S. nitida ).

Treelets to trees, 4–15 m tall; trunk 4–15 cm dbh; vegetative growth erect, older stems with bark falling off in plates ( Fig. 2B ); reproductive branches spreading to usually scandent. Stipules shortly fused around stem into a short sheath, persistent with leaves, interpetiolar portion triangular and obtuse to broadly rounded, with free triangular portion above the sheath 1–2 × 4–6 mm. Petioles (0.8–) 1–2 cm long; leaf blades on vegetative stems ovate to broadly ovate, 7–18 × 5–8 cm (occasionally to 25–30 × 10–12 cm in forest interior), on reproductive stems ovate to broadly ovate or elliptic, 4.5 × 3–4.5 cm, on both stem types rounded and symmetrical or rarely oblique at base, at apex acute to acuminate, chartaceous to membranaceous, with margins narrowly revolute, with secondary and tertiary venation visible on both surfaces. Inflorescences axillary on terminal nodes and/or lower leaf-bearing nodes, subcapitate to shortly cymose, sessile on main stems or on short leafless branches and then apparently with peduncle 0.5–3 cm long; pedicels 1–2 mm long; bracts reduced or infrequent 1 or 2, foliaceous, elliptic to ovate, 1.5–2.5 × 0.5–1.5 cm; bracteoles reduced. Flowers subsessile to pedicellate, pedicels to 1 mm long; hypanthium cylindrical, 1–2 mm long, glabrous; calyx 0.5–1 mm long, truncate to sinuate, glabrous; corolla tubular, greenish white to bright yellow or orange, glabrous, tube 3–6 mm long, lobes 4, 1.5–2 mm long, spreading to weakly reflexed; filaments ca. 2 mm long, pilosulous, anthers 3–3.5 mm long, included; style 3–5 mm long, glabrous, stigma lobes 2, ca. 1 mm long, exserted, adaxially papillose; nectar disk cylindrical. Fruits ellipsoid to narrowly ellipsoid, 10–14 × 7–8 mm, pink to purple; pyrenes 2, 9 × 5 mm, ellipsoid, rugose; seeds oblate, 7 × 4 mm, testa smooth.

Distribution and habitat:— Salzmannia arborea is found in coastal southeastern Bahia State in northeastern Brazil, in the understory of Brazilian Atlantic Coastal forest vegetation, at 50–500 m elevation.

IUCN Red List category:—This species is known from seven localities, an extension of occurrence estimated at ca. 8400 km 2. Salzmannia arborea is so far only known from two conserved areas in Bahia, the Reserva Biológica (do Mico-leão) Una and the Parque Estadual Serra do Conduru. By IUCN (2001) criteria S. arborea is considered as Vulnerable [VU B2a,b(i,ii,iii)]. This conservation assessment is based on its rather small extent of occurrence, together with a few known localities outside protected areas that are projected to decline in preservation.

Phenology:—Flowering specimens were collected in February, June, and September through November; and fruiting specimens in February, June, July, November, and December.

Etymology:—The specific epithet of this new species refers to its arborescent habit.

Discussion:—This new species grows as a rather large shrub or usually a small to medium-sized tree, which is a newly documented habit for Salzmannia . This species is unusual in having two markedly distinct growth forms: the vegetative stems are erect and grow to a large size and produce large leaves, while the reproductive stems are deflexed to scandent and have much smaller leaves. S. arborea produces a notable amount of resinous exudate, in amounts large enough to form a ball 1–3 mm in diam. at the apical bud ( Fig 2D ). The label data of Amorim et al. 1421 describe the flowers as fragrant. The inflorescences are sometimes borne on short axillary branches that develop on one or both sides of a stem node; these are usually leafless but sometimes have reduced leaves or foliaceous bracts. S. arborea is found in the same general vegetation formation as S. nitida , but S. arborea is found inside forests, including outlying areas of Atlantic forest at up to 500 m elevation, never in relatively open areas where S. nitida characteristically grows. This new species also differs from S. nitida in its inflorescences with reduced bracts and bracteoles and its larger corollas and fruits.

Additional specimens examined (paratypes):— BRAZIL. Bahia: Mun. Camacan, Assentamento Conjunto Recordação, 5 September 2001, fl, L. J. Alves , M. L. Guedes, D. L. Santana & D. M. Loureiro 414 ( ALCB) ; Mun.Camamu, Fazenda Exílio, entrada no Km 10,7 da BA 650 Camamu / Travessão , ca. 2 km da sede da fazenda, 14°00’07’’S, 39°10’70’’W, 21 February 2000, fr, J. G. Jardim, C. Aguiar, S. C. Sant´Ana, F. Juchum & J. L. Paixão 2703 ( ALCB, CEPEC, HUEFS, NY) ; ibidem, Fazenda Zumbi dos Palmares (assentamento), 1 km da BA 650 , 22 February 2000, fl, J. G. Jardim , C. Aguiar , S. C. Sant´Ana, F. Juchum & J. L. Paixão 2772 ( ALCB, CEPEC, HUEFS, NY) ; Mun. Ibirapitanga, Serra da Papuã, APA Pratigi , 13°53’53’’S 39°27’50’’W, 15 March 2013, fr, L. Y. S. Aona, N. Briggs, J. G. Jardim, E. Lucas, F. F. Mazine, V. V. Vitor Junior & G. Costa 2523 ( HURB, RB) ; Mun. Igrapiuna, caminho para o assentamento Mirante , 13°49’’ S, 39°08’W, 18 December 2001, fr, D. L. Santana, D. M. Loureiro, L. J. Alves, M. L. Guedes 563 ( ALCB) ; Mun. Ituberá, Km 11 da estrada Ituberá / Valença , 5 February 1983, fr, A. M. Carvalho & T. Plowman 1458 ( CEPEC, HUEFS, RB) ; Mun. Una, Reserva Biológica de Una ( Reserva do Mico-leão ), entrada no km 46 da Rod. BA-001 Ilhéus / Una , 15°09’S, 39°05’W, 9 November 1993, A. M. A. Amorim, S. C. Sant’Ana, J. G. Jardim, & E. B. dos Santos 1421 ( CEPEC, MO, NY), 18 October 1994, fl, J. G. Jardim, S. C. Sant’Ana, T. Pennington, & F. V. Passos 580 ( CEPEC, MO), 13 May 2013, fr, J. G. Jardim & J. L. Paixão 6458 ( CEPEC, UFRN, RB), 2 June 2000, fl, S. C. Sant´Ana, H. S. Brito, & J. A. L. Santos & L. A.Passos Junior 912 ( ALCB, CEPEC, NY), 15°10’50’’S, 39°03’40’’W, 6 February 1994, fl, W. W. Thomas, A. Carvalho, J. Kallunki, L. Clark & S. C. Sant´Ana 12294 ( ALCB, CEPEC, NY) ; REBIO de Una, estrada do Maruim , 15°09’35’’S, 39°03’11’’W, fr, 1 March 2012, M. Melito, J. L. Paixão & J. Assim 69 ( CEPEC, RB), Rodovia Una / Olivença, fl, 1 June 1966, R. P. Belém & R. S. Pinheiro 2371 ( CEPEC, RB) ; Mun. Uruçuca, Parque Estadual Serra do Conduru , 14°30’19’’S, 39°06’26’’W, 29 September 1999, fl, A. M. Amorim, W. W. Thomas, K. Everhart & E. Whitfield 3135 ( ALCB, CEPEC, HUEFS, MO, NY) ; Rod. Uruçuca / Serra Grande, 28.8 km E, entorno do Parque Estadual Serra do Conduru , 14°28.878’S, 39°07.434’W, 8 January 2003, fl, J. G. Jardim & S. C. de Sant’Ann 4105 ( CEPEC, HUEFS, MO, NY), Parque Estadual Serra do Conduru , 14°25’00’’S, 39°05’00’’W, 01 June 2010, fr, D. Piotto, L. Romero & V. Silva 792 ( CEPEC) .

Figures

FIGURE 1. Salzmannia arborea. A. Flowering branch. B. Leaf of vegetative branch. C. Node with stipule. D. Inflorescences. E. Flower in anthesis. F. Open corolla with stamens and style. G. Stamen. H. Mature fruit. I. Pyrene. Drawn from A.M. Carvalho 4085 (A); J.G. Jardim & J.L. Paixão 6458 (B, C, H, I); S.C. Sant’Ana et al. 912 (D–G). Illustration by Rhudson H.S.F Cruz.

FIGURE 2. Salzmannia arborea. A. Vegetative branch. B. Bark. C. Infructescence. D. Apical bud with resinous exudate, indicated by arrow. (From J.G. Jardim & J.L. Paixão 6458). Photos by Jomar Jardim.