A New Species of Aegiphila (Verbenaceae) from Colombia

Abstract

A new species, Aegiphila narinensis (Verbenaceae), from La Planada Reserve, Colombia, is described, and its affinities are discussed. The new species has mucronate calyx lobes, and the corolla is larger than in any other species in the genus and has a curved tube. This name is needed to complete the botanical list of plants collected at La Planada Reserve being compiled by Olga de Benavides and Alwyn Gentry. Aegiphila is a genus of about 160 species of shrubs and trees found from Cuba and Mexico through the West Indies and Central America to Peru and northern Argentina. About 40 species are found in Colombia (Moldenke, 1980), 10 of which are endemic, including this new one. Aegiphila narinensis Rueda, sp. nov. TYPE: Colombia. Nariiio: La Planada Reserve, near Ricaurte, 1,800 m, 01?05'N, 78?01'W, 21 Dec. 1987 (fl), Gentry, Benavides & Keating 59648 (holotype, MO; isotype, PSO not seen). Figure 1. Suffrutex 0.5-1 m altus, glabrus. Folia petiolata; laminis subtus punctatis, ellipticis, 14-18 cm longis x 8-10 cm latis, chartaceis, 6-8 venis secundariis. Inflorescentiae 3.5-6 cm longae x 3-5 cm latae; bracteis 2-4 mm longis; pedicellis 1.5-3 cm longis. Flos lobis calycinis 13 mm longis mucronatis; corolla hypocrateriformi alba, glabra, tubo arcuato, 2.5-3 cm longo, lobis 1.5-2 cm longis, inaequalibus. Subshrub 0.5-1 m tall; branches tetragonal or subterete, sparsely pilose, glabrescent. Leaves decussate-opposite; blade elliptic, acute to acuminate at apex, acute to cuneate at base, 14-18 x 8-10 cm, chartaceous, sparsely hirsute, both laminar surfaces glabrous, lower surface punctate; venation eucamptodromous to weakly brochidodromous, the midrib slightly elevated adaxially, prominently elevated abaxially, secondary veins 6-8 on each side of costa, at an angle of 45? with the costa, impressed adaxially and elevated abaxially, arcuate-ascending, with well-marked minor veins; margins entire to slightly sinuate; petioles 0.8-1 cm long. Inflorescences cymose, axillary, few-flowered, 3.5-6 x 35 cm; peduncles 1.5-2.5 cm long, bracts linear, 24 mm long; pedicels 1.5-3 mm long; peduncle, bracts, and pedicels glabrous. Calyx glabrous, the lobes triangular, mucronate, 1-3 mm long; corolla white, glabrous, salverform, the tube curved, 2.53 cm long, limb lobed, 1.5-2.5 cm wide, the lobes obovate, 1.5-2 cm long, unequal; stamens 4, attached to the throat of the corolla, equal, the filaments filiform, ca. 2 mm long, slightly surpassing the corolla mouth, the anthers oblong; ovary globose, the style filiform, reaching to 3-5 mm below stamen insertion, 1.5 cm long, stigma bifid, the branches 1 mm long. Fruit not seen. Aegiphila narinensis is distinguished from other species in the genus by having mucronate calyx lobes and a curved corolla tube about 3 cm long. The corolla is larger than in any of the other species, with unequal lobes 1.5-2 cm long. This species resembles the complex of closely related and largeflowered species formed by Aegiphila costaricensis Mold., from Central America, and A. haughtii Mold., Clerodendrum tessmanni Mold., and C. ulei Hayek from South America, as discussed by Nash & Nee (1984). However, elements of this group have straight corolla tubes of less than 25 mm long, with lobes more or less equal, whereas A. narinensis has a curved corolla tube of more than 25 mm in length, and unequal lobes. In addition, the species of Clerodendrum in this group have stamens that are long exserted, whereas A narensis has stamens that only slightly surpass the corolla mouth. The type was collected at 1,800 m elevation, in the cloud forest of the La Planada Reserve, in the state of Nariio, after which the species is named. This area is famous for its high biological endemism (Terborgh & Winter, 1982), to which this distinctive new species adds yet another example. Acknowledgments. I thank John Myers for the excellent illustration, and William G. D'Arcy, Alwyn NOVON 2: 167-168. 1992. This content downloaded from 207.46.13.64 on Sat, 03 Sep 2016 04:41:30 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms