New Taxa From the Uplands of Western Panama

Abstract

Preliminary results of a recent expedition to Volcdn Bari in Chiriqui Province have yielded two new species which are described here: Verbesina baruensis Hammel & D'Arcy (Compositae) and Sicyos chiriquensis Hammel & D'Arcy (Cucurbitaceae). On a recent expedition4 to Volca'n Baru' in Chiriqui Province, Panama, we encountered numerous first records of vascular plants for Panama and several new species, two of which are described here. A full list of vascular plants known from the volcano above ca. 2,000 m is now being prepared and will be published later. Verbesina baruensis Hammel & D'Arcy, sp. nov.-FIG. 1. Arbor ad 25 m alta, ad 40 cm diametro ad altitudinem pecti; ramunculis lanatis. Folia alternantes, late lanceolata ad 60 cm longa, 30 cm lata, basim truncata vel leviter cordata, saepe obliqua; petiolis 10-12 cm longis, confertim lanatis. Inflorescentia late paniculata, capitulis globosis, basim truncatis, involucro 1.5-2 cm lato; paleis 10-12 mm longis, capitulis ca. 25 radios includentibus, tubo corollae ad 2 mm longo, pubescenti, ligula aurea vivida, lanceolata, ad 4 mm lata; corolla florum disci 6-7 cm longa, glandulosa pubescente basim 1/3. Achinium ad 7 mm longum, alis ca. dimidio latitudino corpi, aristis validis, triangularibus, ca. 2/3 longitudino corpi. Tree to 25 m tall, 40 cm d.b.h.; trunk gray, smooth; wood white; young stems woolly with yellow brown hairs. Leaves alternate, broadly lanceolate; blade to 60 cm long, 30 cm wide, the base shallowly cordate or truncate, but acuminate near the inflorescence, often oblique, the margin with ca. 5 short teeth per cm, tomentose below, woolly on the veins, scabrous above; petioles 10-12 cm long, densely woolly. Inflorescence a broad panicle 15-20 cm across; pedicels 1-10 cm long, woolly. Heads globose, truncate at the base, the involucre 1.5-2 cm wide; involucral bracts approximating 2 whorls, the outer bracts wider and shorter than the inner more lanceolate bracts; paleas 10-12 mm long, folded around the floret; ray florets -fertile, bright orange yellow, ca. 25 per head, the corolla to 20 mm long, abruptly expanded from the short, pubescent tube (2-4 mm long) into a lanceolate ligule to 4 mm wide; disc florets fertile, yellow green, the corolla 6-7 mm long, glandular pubescent on the lower 1/3, cylindrical, slightly and gradually expanded towards the top, the lobes shallow, less than 1 mm long; anthers black, ca. 3 mm long; style branches spatulate, pubescent at the tips. Achene body black, to 7 mm long, the wings ca. 1/2 the width of the body, one of them ciliate, the 2 stout triangulate awns ca. 2/3 the length of the body. 'This work is part of the continuing study of the Panamanian flora by the Missouri Botanical Garden Support was provided by the National Science Foundation Grant DEB 79-22192 (W. G. D'Arcy, principal investigator) and by the Center for Field Research. 2 Department of Botany, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27706. 3 Missouri Botanical Garden, Post Office Box 299, St. Louis, Missouri 63166. 4 The field work was undertaken by the authors with the assistance of John E. Averett, University of Missouri, St. Louis, and four Earthwatch volunteers: Elaine C. Hill, Susan Schwartz, Helen M. and Oliver Wolcott. Housing and other help was provided by Maximo Menendez Caballero and by the Panama Audubon Society. ANN. MISSOURI BOT. GARD. 68: 213-217. 1981. 0026-6493/81/0213-02 17/$0.65/0 This content downloaded from 157.55.39.178 on Fri, 05 Aug 2016 04:32:07 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms 214 ANNALS OF THE MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN [VOL. 68