A New Species of Psychotria Subgenus Psychotria from Nicaragua

Abstract

The new species Psychotria hamiltoniana C. M. Taylor is described based on recent collections from the Caribbean coast of Nicaragua; this species is related to R neillii C. W. Hamilton & Dwyer. RESUMEN. Se describe la especie nueva Psychotria hamiltoniana C. M. Taylor basada en colecciones reeientes de la costa caribena de Nicaragua; es affn a F! neillii C. W. Hamilton & Dwyer. During study of recent collections from the Caribbean coast of Nicaragua, the following new species was discovered. It belongs to Psychotria L. subg. Psychotria, which was monographed for Central America by Hamilton (1989). The herbarium of the Universidad Nacional Aut6noma de Nicaragua-Leon, where specimens of this new species are deposited, does not yet have an international acronym; it is here referred to as HULE. Psychotria hamiltoniana C. M. Taylor, sp. nov. TYPE: Nicaragua. Rio San Juan, municipio de E1 Castillo, Reserva Indio-Maiz, Cerro E1 Diablo, 11°O1'N, 84°12'W, 250 m, 9 Jan. 1997, R. Rueda, I. Coronado, O. Aurauz & lli: Flores 5618 (holotype, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Nicaragua-Le6n (HULE); isotype, M04895236). Figure 1. Haec species a Psychotria neillii C. W. Hamilton & Dwyer foliorum majorum petiolis longioribus atque inflorescentiae axe breviore ac bracteis floralibus longioribus distinguitur. Shrubs and small trees to 3 m tall, flowering at 2.5 m tall; stems terete, densely short-pilosulous often becoming glabrescent with age. Leaves paired; blades oblanceolate to obovate or occasionally lanceolate, 14-31 cm long, S16 cm wide, at apex acute to acuminate with tips to 20 mm long, at base cordulate with sinus to 12 mm deep, papyraceous, adaxially glabrous, abaxially moderately to densely pilosulous, often more densely so along costa and secondary veins; secondary veins S18 pairs, ascending to spreading but less than 90°, usually at least weakly looping to interconnect in an undulating submarginal vein with 1-2(3) usually rather weak intersecondary veins present between pairs of secondary veins, adaxially the costa and remaining venation plane, abaxially the costa prominulous to prominent and the secondary veins and reticulated minor venation prominulous; petioles 39 cm long, densely short-pilosulous; stipules densely short-pilosulous, caducous or sometimes persisting on distalmost 1-2 nodes, interpetiolar, triangular to lanceolate, 18-34 mm long, acute to very shortly bifid, usually somewhat asymmetrical and twisted, with a thickened basal triangular portion. Inflorescences and flowers not seen. Infructescences terminal, erect, with peduncles 2.5-3 cm long; panicles subglobose, 3-7 x 2{S cm, with 23 sets of secondary axes, with the axes 46 per rank and unequal, with the remains of old flowers and developing fruits sessile in glomerules of 2-3 or usually separated along cymose branches; bracts all deltoid to ovate, 1.S2.5 mm long, acuminate; peduncle, axes, and bracts apparently green, densely short-pilosulous to hirtellous or the bracts often glabrescent; fruits ellipsoid, ca. 5 x 3 5 mm, not flattened laterally, pilosulous to hirtellous, orange to red, with the persistent calyx limb ca. mm long, puberulous to glabrescent, deeply lobed, lobes obtuse to rounded; pyrenes with 3-5 low, rounded to angled, longitudinal ridges. Distribution, phenology, and habitat. In wet forest at 120-250 m, southeastern Nicaragua. Collected in fruit in January, February, and December. This species is distinguished by its pilosulous pubescence on vegetative structures, red-blackdrying color, obovate to oblanceolate, petiolate leaves that are cordulate at the base, shortly pedunculate inflorescences with relatively short, unequal axes that are produced 4 6 per rank, bracts 1.5-2.5 mm long, fruits orange to red at maturity, and pyrenes dorsally with low longitudinal ridges or angles. Although flowers have not been seen, these characters clearly distinguish this species. Psychotria hamiltoniana belongs to Psychotria subg. Psychotria, and within this, to Group 1 of Hamilton (1989). Within Group 1 it is similar to F! neillii C. W. Hamilton & Dwyer, which can be distinguished by its leaves 8-18 x 3-7.5 cm, petioles 2W3 mm long, stipules S14 mm long, peduncles 3-10 cm long, bracts subtending inflorescence NOVON 9: 425-427. 1999. This content downloaded from 207.46.13.113 on Wed, 05 Oct 2016 04:14:51 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms