Psammisia sophiae Pedraza, 2015

Pedraza-Penalosa, Paola, 2015, New blueberry and mortino relatives (Ericaceae) from northwestern Colombia, PhytoKeys 49, pp. 33-58 : 40

Psammisia sophiae Pedraza sp. nov. Figures 7, 8

Diagnosis.

Psammisia sophiae differs from other Psammisia s.l. because of its extraordinary flowers of complex morphology and unusual color combination. The distal half of the globose corolla has five pronounced projections or ribs, which in combination with the Christmas candy cane color pattern impart the species its distinctive and unique look.

Type.

COLOMBIA. Antioquia: Municipio Urrao, Corregimiento La Encarnación, Parque Nacional Natural Las Orquídeas, camino entre el páramo del Almorzadero y la cabaña Calles, [6°31'N; 76°15'W, 1400 m alt], 31 Jul 2011 (fl), P. Pedraza-Peñalosa, J. Betancur, M. F. González, R. Arévalo, D. Sanín, A. Zuluaga, A. Duque & J. Serna 2490 (holotype: COL!; isotype: NY! [NY02058403]).

Description.

Terrestrial or epiphytic shrubs, more or less erect, 0.5-0.6 m tall; stems vinaceous and shiny, terete to subterete, glabrous, bark smooth; twigs subterete, glabrous. Axillary buds compressed; prophylls 2, inconspicuous, valvate, ovate, 1-1.2 mm long, margin eciliate, apex acute, glabrous. Leaves alternate; petiole caniculate (more so distally), pulvinate almost along entire length, 1.4-2.2 cm long, glabrous; lamina subcoriaceous, very smooth and flexible, elliptic, 19-34.5 × 4.5-12.5 cm, base attenuate and decurrent, margin entire and eciliate, apex acuminate, discolor in vivo with the abaxial side contrastingly light green, when dry the abaxial side is still lighter but with a dark marginal band, adaxially apparently glabrous, the hairs inconspicuous (<0.5 mm long), unicellular and eglandular (all indumentum composed of this type of hair except when indicated), abaxially puberulous, the hairs with swollen bases that give them the aspect of minute punctuations; laminar glands absent; venation pinnate, with up to 3 visible orders in dry specimens, midrib adaxially raised and abaxially flat, 9-13 secondaries per side, these alternate or subopposite, evenly dispersed along the lamina, ascending, adaxially and abaxially slightly raised, brochidodromous. Inflorescence an axillary, solitary, 3-5-flowered raceme; inflorescence bracts, floral bract, and bracteoles alike, persistent, chartaceous, ovate, 1.2-1.4 × 1-1.5 mm, margin entire and eciliate, apex acute, glabrous on both sides, venation obscure; rachis magenta (fuchsia), 1.8-3 mm long, glabrous, a few inconspicuous warts at base; pedicel magenta (fuchsia), articulate with calyx, 7.5-13 mm long, glabrous although a few, small, glandular hairs at articulation; bracteoles 2, basal, opposite, only differing from other bracts in having an inconspicuous glandular margin. Flowers 5-merous, actinomorphic, diplostemonous. Calyx magenta (fuchsia) with the lobes whitish (more so in bud), cupuliform, 7.5-8 mm long (10.5-11 mm in vivo), glabrous; tube cupuliform, terete, 5.5-5.8 mm long (7.8-8.5 mm in vivo); limb erect, 2-2.2 mm long (2-3.2 mm in vivo); lobes deltate, 1.1 × 2.5 mm long (1.2-1.5 × 3.5-4 mm in vivo), with a thin glandular margin (excluding apex and sinuses) that is inconspicuous in dry specimens, margin eciliate, apex blunt acute; sinuses obtuse (U-shaped); aestivation unknown. Corolla fleshy, not bistratose, globose (but wider in the apical half), basal half terete, apical half with 5 deep, wide and blunt ribs that surpass the corolla lobes by 1.5-2 mm and which slightly connivent distally, the ribs opposite to corolla lobes, 4 mm long, 2 mm wide; basic corolla color dull white but magenta between the ribs, from their bases up to the lobes sinuses, and continuing along the very margin of the lobes, the color pattern is such that when observed from the top, the corolla seem to have stripes with a color combination that is reminiscent of a Christmas candy cane, total corolla length 10 mm (7.5 mm long in immature flowers), ca. 8 mm diam. (ca. 11 mm in vivo), ca. 2 mm wide at throat, glabrous within and without; lobes deltate, 1-1.5 × 1.5-1.6 mm, apex acute, slightly reflexed; aestivation valvate. Stamens 10, equal, ca. 5.5 mm long, included, not adherent to corolla; filaments free, triangular, 2-2.2 mm long, adaxially inconspicuously glabrate, abaxially glabrous; adjacent anthers differing moderately in width, ca. 5.2 mm long, the innermost with an incipient bump on each side of the connective; thecae 3.2-3.7 mm long, prognathous, without basal appendage, papillate; tubules 2, free, straight, 1.5-2 mm long, smooth, dehiscing by introrse slits almost as long as the tubules, 1.2-2 mm long. Ovary 5-locular; nectary not pulvinate or evident, top of ovary completely flat; style ca. 7 mm long, included; stigma punctiform. Immature berry green, 8 mm diam.; seeds numerous, isodiametric, black when dry, with mucilaginous coat; embryo apparently white.

Distribution and ecology.

Psammisia sophiae is endemic to Antioquia (Colombia) and it has only been collected in Las Orquídeas National Park. It is known to flower in December and July and fruit in January. It grows in conserved humid premontane forests at 1160-1400 m.

Etymology.

Named after my daughter, Sofia Varón, an equally beautiful bloom.

Preliminary conservation status.

Psammisia sophiae is only known from collections made in Las Orquídeas National Park. Despite collecting in that protected reserve for many years only a few specimens have been procured. This species seems to prefer conserved premontane forests. Currently, these forest, and the park in general, specially toward lower elevations, suffer from degradation product of human activities (agriculture, selective logging, livestock). I consider this species vulnerable due to the small area it occupies, its perceived scarcity, and current habitat threats.

Discussion.

Although vegetatively similar, Psammisia sophiae can be told apart from Psammisia panamensis , not only because of their strikingly dissimilar flowers (obconic, terete, and with transversal bands of red, black and white in the latter), but also because the leaves of Psammisia panamensis are glabrous and when dried, the lamina has a black-bluish tint on both sides (vs. hairs present, lamina drying brownish with a distinctive dark marginal band abaxially in Psammisia sophiae ), its petioles are not caniculate (vs. caniculate), and its rachis, bracts, bracteoles, and pedicel are longer.

Specimens examined.

COLOMBIA. Antioquia: Municipio Frontino, Parque Nacional Natural Las Orquídeas, Finca La Guadalupa, Quebrada Horacio, afluente del Río Venados, 1160 m, 1 Dec 1986 (fl), R. Callejas et al. 2937 (NY!). Municipio Urrao, Corregimiento La Encarnación, Vereda Calles, Parque Nacional Natural Las Orquídeas, cabaña Calles, 6°31'09.1"N; 76°15'08.4"W, 1357 m, 25 Jan 2011 (fr), P. Pedraza-Peñalosa et al. 1951 (COL!, MO!, NY!); Corregimiento La Encarnación, Vereda Calles, Parque Nacional Natural Las Orquídeas, finca de Alfonso Pino, entre la divisoria de las quebradas La Virola y El Bosque, al NW de la cabaña Calles, 6°31'35"N; 76°15'50"W, 1450-1470 m, 27 Jan 2011 (fl, fr), P. Pedraza-Peñalosa et al. 2014 (COL!).