Notes on Central and South American Cissus (Vitaceae)

Abstract

Cissus allenii Croat and Cissus neei Croat are described as new. Cissus allenii differs from C. microcarpa Vahl, to which it may be most closely related, in being puberulent whereas C. microcarpa has a combination of crisped-villous and appressed T-shaped pubescence. Cissus neei is distinguished from other unifoliolate species in Panama by its thick glabrous leaves, greenish flowers, and glabrous inflorescence. It is perhaps most closely related to Cissus brevipes Morton & Standley, but that species differs in having thinner, conspicuously toothed leaves. The following new distributional reports are made: Cissus brevipes in Panama, C. ulmifolia (Baker) Planchon in Ecuador and Panama, C. martiniana Woodson & Seibert in Mexico, C. biformifolia Standley in Colombia, and C. pseudosicyoides Croat in Ecuador. Since the Vitaceae was completed for the Flora of Panama (Elias, 1968), several species have been found to be new to the flora. One of these was the subject of an earlier report (Croat, 1973). This report concerns four additional species new to Panama, two being newly described. Thus five additional species have been collected in Panama since the treatment for the Vitaceae was completed. Cissus allenii Croat, sp. nov. Frutex scandens; folius trifoliolatus; lamina ovata-elliptica, 7-11 cm longa, 2.5-5.5 cm lata. Flores pallide virelli, circa 2 mm longi. Fructus immaturi, obovati, circa 4 mm longi, lenticellis. Slender lianas; stems puberulous when young, weakly viscidulous, glabrescent, terete, becoming sparsely lenticellulate. Leaves trifoliolate; leaflets gradually acuminate at the apex, sharply serrate throughout most of their length, the upper surface glabrous except hirtellous on the midrib, the lower surface hirtellous on the principal veins; terminal leaflet oblong-elliptic, obtuse to acute at the base, 7.5-12 cm long, 3.5-5.0 cm wide, the major lateral veins 6-8 pairs, gradually arcuate to the margin, the reticulate venation obscure; lateral leaflets similar except slightly shorter, inequilateral at the base, acute on the inner margin, obtuse or rounded on the outer margin, their petiolules 4-8 mm long. Inflorescences ca. 15 cm long, the branches and pedicels puberulent; pedicels ca. 3 mm long. Flowers with the calyces bowl shaped, 2.0-2.5 mm wide, glandular; petals narrowly deltoid, 1.5 mm wide, glabrous. Fruits obovoid, ca. 4 mm long (immature), conspicuously lenticellulate. TYPE: PANAMA. PROVINCE OF COCLE: Foothills of Cerro Pilotn near El Valle, ca. 900 m, Duke & Correa 14714 (MO-1910853, holotype). lThis study was aided by National Science Foundation Grant BM572-0241 A03. 2 Associate Curator, Missouri Botanical Garden, 2345 Tower Grove Avenue, St. Louis, Missouri 63110; Faculty Associate in Biology, Washington University; Assistant Professor, University of Missouri, St. Louis, Missouri. ANN. MissouRi BOT. GARD. 63: 358-362. 1976. This content downloaded from 157.55.39.15 on Mon, 19 Sep 2016 04:58:52 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms 1976] CROAT CISSUS 359 Other collections seen: COSTA RICA. PUNTARENAS PROVINCE: Road to Golfito Dairy Pastures, fruits, 11 Nov. 1952, Allen 6625 (US). Cissus allenii is apparently not closely related to other Central American species in the genus but may be confused with Cissus microcarpa Vahl. That species differs from C. allenii in having thinner, more pubescent leaves with a mixture of crisped-villous trichomes and flattened T-shaped trichomes on the lower veins of the leaflets and also on the branches of the inflorescence and pedicels. In contrast Cissus allenii is sparsely puberulent on the lower veins and on the inflorescence parts. The species flowers and fruits in the late rainy season. Immature fruits are known from October and November. The species is known from Costa Rica and Panama. It is named in honor of Paul Allen who made the first collection. Cissus neei Croat, sp. nov.-FIG. 1. Frutex scandens, glaber; caules foliaque succulenta. Folius sessile aut petiolo ad 2 cm longo; lamina oblonga-elliptica, 4-14 cm longa, 1.5-6 cm lata. Pedunculi 1-2 cm longi; flores virelli, circa 3 mm longi; petala ad 2.2 mm longa. Fructus purpureus, circa 1.1 cm latus. Herbaceous or suffrutescent vines, essentially glabrous throughout; older stems with many dark, round lenticels; at least the younger leaves, stems and inflorescence parts usually drying black. Leaves thick, somewhat fleshy, drying stiff, subcoriaceous, sessile or with petioles narrowly canaliculate, to 1.5 (rarely to 2) cm long; blades oblong-elliptic, abruptly acuminate at the apex, acute to obtuse at the base, 4-14 cm long, 1.5-6 cm wide, pinnately veined, entire, thick and ? succulent when fresh, drying subcoriaceous, the lowermost pair of veins continuing up along the margin to as much as the lower third of the blade, the remaining 3-5 principal pairs of lateral veins arcuate-ascending, weakly sunken on the upper surface. Inflorescences of umbelliform, leaf-opposed cymes, to ca. 4 cm diam.; peduncles 1-2 cm long, the secondary peduncles 3-10 mm long; pedicels ca. 2 mm long, braceteolate at base; bracts deltoid, weakly ciliolate on the margins. Flowers greenish, ca. 3 mm long; calyx cup shaped in bud, more broadly flared at anthesis, entire or weakly and bluntly 4-lobed; petals narrowly ovate, acute at the apex, cucullate within, ca. 2.2 mm long; stamens 4, to 1.2 mm long, the filaments glabrous, the anthers oblong, ca. 0.5 mm long; disc 4-lobed, saucer shaped; style 4-sided, reaching the lower edge of the anthers. Fruits globose, purple, to 1.1 cm diam. TYPE: PANAMA. PROVINCE OF PANAMA: El Llano-Carti Road, 12 km from PanAmerican Highway, vicinity of Gorgas Laboratory Mosquito Control Project #1, 360-400 m, flowers, 18 July 1974, Croat 25084. (MO-2276841, holotype; COL, F, K, NY, PMA, S, US, VEN, isotypes). Other collections seen: PANAMA, PROVINCE OF PANAMA: El Llano-Carti Road, vic. of Gorgas Laboratory Mosquito Control Project site at km 12, Croat 26042 (MO); at 5 km, ca. 300 m, Nee 7923 (MO, PMA, US); at 18 km, Mori et al. 4585 (F, MO, PMA, TEX); at km 11-12, Mori et al. 6895 (CAS, MO, NY, PMA, VEN). This content downloaded from 157.55.39.15 on Mon, 19 Sep 2016 04:58:52 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms 360 ANNALS OF THE MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN [VOL. 63