Vochysia condorensis (Vochysiaceae), a new species from the Cordillera del Cóndor, Ecuador Huamantupa-Chuquimaco, Isau Neill, David A. Phytotaxa 2018 2018-02-21 340 1 79 85 5BNVY Huamantupa & D. A. Neill Huamantupa & D. A. Neill 2018 [136,696,941,968] Magnoliopsida Vochysiaceae Vochysia Plantae Myrtales 1 80 Tracheophyta species condorensis sp. nov.   Type:— ECUADOR. Morona-Santiago: Cantón Limón Indanza, Cordillera del Cóndor, Centro Shuar Yunkumas, Cerro Chuank Naint (“Vulture Mountain” in Shuar), sandstone plateau, dense wet forest, near 1-ha forest inventory plot, 1150 m, 03º03’34”S, 78º14’45”W, 17 September 2005, D. Neill & NSF dendrology course students 14603( Holotype: QCNE193639!, Isotypes: AAU, CUZ!, ECUAMZ, HUT, K, LOJA, MO!, NY!, US).   Diagnosis:—  Vochysia condorensisis characterized by being a small to medium tree, 4–20 m, pachycaul, with candelabriform architecture, leaves glabrous, obovate, oblong to spathulate, 9.5–30 × 5.9–13.5 cm, with the inflorescence erect and solitary, axis fistulose, and the cincinni with 2 to 3 flowers. Tree 4–20 m, trunk up to 60 cmin diameter, pachycaul, with candelabriform architecture, sparsely branched, the branches curved upward, young branchlets terete, subangulate or subcylindric, finely cristate, drying darkish red, mostly glabrescent, but tomentulose mostly toward the apices, with a gummy exudate when cut that turns red upon drying; stipules triangular, ca. 1 mmlong. Leaves clustered distally on the branches; in verticils of 4 to 8; petiole 1.2–2.3 cm, subcylindric, sulcate-channeled adaxially and striate abaxially; lamina of leaf relatively thick and coriaceous, obovate, oblong, or spathulate, 11–30 × 5.9–13.5 cm; apex rounded, retuse; base acute, cuneate, clearly decurrent on the petiole; margin entire, revolute, especially in the distal half; glabrescent on both sides, with very sparse, scattered, simple hairs ± 0.7 mmlong; midvein impressed adaxially, prominent abaxially, up to 4 mmwide; venation reticulate-pinnate, the secondary veins in 16–26 pairs, spaced 0.5–1.7 cmapart, and forming an angle of 70–80° with the midvein, impressed adaxially, markedly prominent abaxially, frequently with a single lateral collector vein; venules abundant; the marginal vein, 0.3–0.5 mmfrom the margin, sub-impressed adaxially and prominulous abaxially. Inflorescence terminal, erect, 10–30 cmlong; axis of the inflorescence frequently fistulose; cincinni 2–3-flowered, the floral axis densely pilose-ferrugineous. Buds elongate, 1.6–2.5 cmlong, densely pilose-tomentose; peduncles of the cincinni 1.8–3.4 cmlong; pedicels 5–17 × 0.6–1.4 mmlong, densely pilose-tomentose. Flowers yellow-orange. Spurred sepal 2.1–3.5 cmlong; spur slightly recurved, apex obtuse to rounded, 7–12 mmlong and 1.2–2 mmwide towards the base, forming an angle of 40–60° with the pedicel; dorsal sepal ± 3 cmlong not including the spur, sparsely pilose-ferrugineous; smaller sepals less than 3 mmlong. Petals 3, unequal, oblanceolate to acute, sparsely ciliate on the midvein with a few scattered malpighian hairs; the central petal more developed, 14–21 × 4–5 mm, the laterals 10–14 × 2.5–4 mm; the central petal not exceeding 2/3 the length of the developed dorsal sepal. Stamen 1, 2.5–3.1 cmlong, with a few scattered hairs at the margins on the back of the filament, slightly curved, the filament short, 0.8–1.2 mmlong; anthers 2.5–3.1 cmlong, with a few scattered hairs at the margins, conduplicate, navicular, each exposed theca ca. 1.2 mmwide. Staminodes 2, glabrous, deltoid-sagittate, 1.5–2.2 mmlong. Ovary trilocular, ± 1.5 × 2.0 mm, glabrous. Style ± 3 cmlong; stigma subterminal, capitate-triangular, glabrous. Fruit a verruculose woody capsule, ellipsoid, 3.5–5.2 × 1.5–2.7 cm.   Ecology and Distribution:—  Vochysia condorensisis currently known only from the Ecuadorean portion of the Cordillera del Cóndor, in the provinces of Morona-Santiago and Zamora-Chinchipe, between 1150 and 1640 melevation. In this region the species occurs in forests on sandstone plateaus of the Hollín Formation, on nutrient-poor sandy soils, and on the slopes below these plateaus, on sandy soils eroded from the plateaus. The species associated with  V. condorensisin these low-statured forests include some elements that also occur on sandstone tepuis in the Guiana Shield, such as  Digomphia densicoma(Martius ex de Candolle 1845: 232) Pilger (1910: 371),  Bonnetia paniculataSpruce ex Bentham (1861: 63)and  Retiniphyllum tepuiense Steyermark (1965: 237). Other species that occur in these forests with  V. condorensisare distributed on sandstone formations to the south in Peru, such as  Schefflera harmsii Macbride (1959: 31)and  Pagamea dudleyi Steyermark (1975: 226). In the Cordillera del Cóndor,  V. condorensishas not been found on other geological formations besides the Hollín sandstones, such as the granitic Zamora batholith or the Napo Formation limestone. Given that some records of  V. condorensisare located a few kilometers from the Ecuador-Peru border, it is likely that the species occurs on the Peruvian side of the Cordillera del Cóndor, in the Amazonas Region.  Phenology:—  Vochysia condorensisflowers from March to October and fruits in March, but probably to December.  Conservation status:—Populations of  Vochysia condorensisare relatively small and isolated, due to the patchy distribution of the sandstone plateaus which are its exclusive habitat. This species has been recorded in the Cerro Plateado Biological Reserve, the largest formally protected area in the Ecuadorian portion of the Cordillera del Cóndor, covering 26,000 hectares in southern Nangaritza canton, Zamora-Chinchipe. It also occurs in several smaller community reserves owned and managed by indigenous Shuar communities in Morona-Santiago, in the northern portion of the species range. In other areas of the Cordillera del Cóndor region, native forests are being disturbed by mining operations. While mining is typically not carried out on the sandstone formations where the species occurs, its habitat may be affected in the future by mining impacts and other drivers of deforestation. In the Fruta del Norte mining concession in Yantzaza canton, Zamora-Chinchipe, the mining company Lundin Gold, Inc., is taking steps to mitigate the environmental impacts of its operations, including a program of conservation in situand ex situof  V. condorensisand other locally endemic plant species. Based on the criteria of the IUCN (2017), the geographic distribution of the species was calculated with Geocat Software (2017); the extent of occurrence of  V. condorensisis 2,258 km² and the area of occupancy is 32 km², with the result that this species is classified as Endangered (EN).   Etymology:—The species name is derived from the Cordillera del Cóndor mountain range, which comprises its entire known distribution.   FIGURE 2.Illustration of  Vochysia condorensis. A.Habit with inflorescence. B.Entire leaf and a close-up of the undersurface. C.Flower with pedicel. D.Calyx showing the staminodes (with arrow) and part of the ovary. E.Flower sectioned longitudinally, showing the arrangement of the carpels and style. F.Petals. G.Stamen. H.Thecae in transverse section. (Illustration by Alba Arbeláez based on the type, D. Neill et al. 14603).    Paratypes:— ECUADOR, Morona-Santiago: Cantón Limón Indanza, Cordillera del Cóndor, 03°07’S, 078°14’W,  1500 m,  22 July 1976(fl.),  G. Argent& R. B. Burbidge268( MO!);  Cumbre del Cerro Chikichiki Nainta 4 kmSE del Centro Shuar Warints, 03°10’13”S, 78°14’ 33”W,  1220 m,  9 October 2002(fl.),  G. Toasa8950( MO!, QCNE!);  Centro Shuar Yunkumas, Cresta del Cerro Chuank Naint, roca arenisca blanca, 03°03’39”S, 78°14’24”W,  1200 m,  4 September 2005(fl.),  C. Kajekaiet al. 205( MO, QCNE!).  Zamora-Chinchipe: Cantón Nangaritza, Cordillera del Cóndor, Parroquia Zurmi, comunidad Yawi, cima de la cordillera, 04°29’59”S, 78°38’18”W,  1600 m,  15 June 2005(fl.),  W. Quizhpeet al. 1442 ( LOJA!, MO!);  Reserva Biológica Cerro Plateado, dense low forest on Hollín Formationsandstone slope above Río Numpatakaime, 04°35’28”S, 78°50’55”W,  1620 m,  19 August 2012(fl.), D. Neill, M. Asanza& E. Cueva17401( ECUAMZ!);  Cantón Yantzaza, Cordillera del Cóndor, carretera desde Los Encuentroshacia el Cerro Machinaza, sendero a Las Peñas, 03°47’15”S, 78°29’48”W,  1440 m,  18 July 2005(fl.),  W. Quizhpe1602( LOJA!, MO!);  Cuenca del Río Machinaza, Campamentolas Peñas, tercera parcela, 03°46’S, 78°29’W,  1500 m,  19 September 2009(fl),  W. Quizhpeet al. 3107( LOJA!, MO!);   1 km Nof Río Machinazahacia Las Peñas, ridgetop, Fruta del Nortemining concession of Kinross Aureliangold mine company, 03°46’33”S, 78°29’46”W,  1640 m,  20 March 2008(fl.), D. Neill& W. Quizhpe16272( CUZ, MO!, QCNE!);   20 March 2008(fr.), D. Neill& W. Quizhpe16273( MO, QCNE!);  03°46’36”S, 078°29’43”W,  1620 m,  28 June 2009(fl.),  D. Neill& C. Kakejai16607( LOJA, MO); 03°46’33”S, 078°30’07”W, 1620 m, 4 July 2009(fl.);  D. Neill& C. Kakejai16635( ECUAMZ!, LOJA!, MO!).   Discussion:—According to the infra-generic classification proposed for  Vochysiaby Stafleu (1948),  Vochysia condorensisis placed in  Vochysiasect. Ciliantha Stafleu (1948: 445), subsect.  Megalanthae Stafleu (1948: 484).  Vochysiasection Cilianthahas the following characteristics: bark rarely exfoliating; stipules always present, rarely less than 4 mmlong; leaves opposite to verticillate; venation reticulate; petals 3, rarely 1; petals and (or) stamen ciliate along the margins, sometimes pilose on the back; style and ovary glabrous.  Vochysiasubsection  Megalanthaeis characterized by: bark not exfoliating; leaves in verticils of 4 or more, glabrous; inflorescence terminal and sparsely pilose; flower buds spurred, 1.5–3.5 cmlong, the spur never longer than the fourth sepal; petals 3; anther pilose on both sides or on one side only, filament very short, 0.1–0.15 cmlong; staminodia developed, glabrous; stigma capitate.  Vochysia condorensisshares some characteristics with  Vochysia duqueiPilger (1937: 498)and  Vochysia gigantea Stafleu (1948: 489), which are placed in the same subsection; the three species are distinguished in Table 1. Also  V. condorensishas a candelabrum-like architecture, pachycaul with a few thick branches that bend upwards and relatively large, thick, coriaceous leaves clustered distally on the branches. This architecture is similar to some species of small shrubby trees in the Brazilian Cerrado in  Vochysiasect. Vochysiella Stafleu (1948: 424)subsect. Decorticantes( Warming 1875: 57) Stafleu (1948: 425), and particularly to  Vochysia rufa Martius (1826: 144), a common species in cerrado vegetation. However, differences in vegetative features and floral structure, including the surface of the leaf densely rufous-ferrugineous, tomentellous, axis of the inflorescence densely ferrugineous tomentose, and cincinni with 2-4 flowers, indicate that  V. condorensisdoes not have strong affinities to this mostly Brazilian group of  Vochysia. No other species of  Vochysiain Ecuadoror Peruhas the candelabrum-like architecture of  V. condorensis, based on our field experience. Another striking characteristic of  V. condorensisis a rather thick exudate in the bark that dries dark red; this is reflected in herbarium specimens, which have red leaves and dark reddish branches. An additional characteristic feature is the presence of a few scattered hairs at the margins on the back of the filament of stamens. 1976-07-22 G, R, B, MO Argent & Burbidge Ecuador 1500 -3.1166666 Cordillera del Condor 1307 -78.23333 Canton Limon Indanza 3 82 1 Morona-Santiago paratype 2002-10-09 G, MO, QCNE Toasa Ecuador 1220 -3.1702778 Centro Shuar Warints 21 -78.24249 Cumbre del Cerro Chikichiki Naint 3 82 1 paratype 2005-06-15 2005-09-04 2005-06-15 C, MO, QCNE, W Kajekai & Quizhpe Ecuador Centro Shuar Yunkumas 1200 -4.499722 Cordillera del Condor 21 -78.63833 Canton Nangaritza 3 82 1 Zamora-Chinchipe paratype 2012-08-19 M, E, ECUAMZ Neill & Asanza & Cueva Ecuador Reserva Biologica Cerro Plateado 1620 -4.591111 Rio Numpatakaime 21 -78.84861 Hollin Formation 3 82 1 paratype 2005-07-18 W, MO Quizhpe Ecuador Canton Yantzaza 1440 -3.7875 Los Encuentros 21 -78.496666 Cordillera del Condor 3 82 1 Loja paratype 2009-09-19 W, MO Quizhpe Ecuador Cuenca del Rio Machinaza 1500 -3.7666667 Penas 1307 -78.48333 Campamento 3 82 1 Loja paratype 2008-03-20 N, W, CUZ, MO, QCNE Neill & Quizhpe Ecuador Las Penas 1640 4 83 -3.7758334 Kinross Aurelian 21 -78.49611 Fruta del Norte 3 82 1 paratype 2008-03-20 W, MO, QCNE Neill & Quizhpe Ecuador 4 83 1 paratype [317,1447,196,221] 2009-06-28 C, MO D. Neill & Kakejai Ecuador 1620 -3.7766666 LOJA 21 -78.49528 4 83 1 Loja paratype [745,1383,232,257] C, ECUAMZ, MO Neill & Kakejai Ecuador LOJA 4 83 1 Loja paratype