Research Article |
Corresponding author: James G. Graham ( jgraham@fieldmuseum.org ) Academic editor: Eric Tepe
© 2016 James G. Graham, John P. Janovec.
This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Citation:
Graham JG, Janovec JP (2016) A remarkable new species of Brunfelsia (Solanaceae) from the eastern Andes of Central Peru. PhytoKeys 75: 81-91. https://doi.org/10.3897/phytokeys.75.10759
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Brunfelsia cabiesesiana J. G. Graham, sp. nov. (Solanaceae), a new species from montane cloud forests of Ucayali and Pasco Departments, Peru, is described and illustrated. The new species differs from all other members of the genus Brunfelsia by its cauline inflorescences. A key to the Peruvian species of Brunfelsia is presented.
Brunfelsia cabiesesiana J. G. Graham, sp. nov. (Solanaceae), descrita e ilustrada aquí, constituye una nueva especie de los bosques nublados de los departamentos de Ucayali y Pasco, Perú. La nueva especie difiere de todas las demás especies de Brunfelsia por sus inflorescencias caulinas. Se presenta aquí también una clave para las especies peruanas de Brunfelsia.
Brunfelsia , Solanaceae , Peru, Cordillera El Sira, Cordillera Yanachaga
Brunfelsia , Solanaceae , Cordillera El Sira, Cordillera Yanachaga
During the course of botanical exploration in the Cordillera El Sira (see Figure
The Solanaceae (nightshade family) are widely distributed across the globe, including ca. 96 genera and approximately 2800 species of herbs, shrubs, trees, vines, lianas and epiphytes, with its greatest concentration of species found in the New World. The most recent taxonomic classification by
Brunfelsia is a neotropical genus known from the Caribbean and South America as far north as Panama. Its taxonomic history has been well documented by
All Brunfelsia species reported from Peru (i.e., B. chiricaspi Plowman, B. grandiflora D.Don, and B. mire Monach.) have showy violet flowers that fade in color as they mature, each with a distinctive white eye at the throat. No fewer than five species are recorded from Andean regions of South America and ours is readily distinguishable from all members of the genus, including its nearest neighbors, by the presence of cauline inflorescences.
This new species is distinguished by its unique cauline inflorescence not encountered in any other member of the genus. A key to distinguish other known Peruvian species is provided.
1 | Inflorescences terminal, subterminal or axillary | 2 |
– | Inflorescences cauline (borne along the main trunk or on tertiary vertical branchlets) | B. cabiesesiana |
2 | Corolla lobes spreading at anthesis; leaves less than 8 cm wide | 3 |
– | Corolla lobes deflexed at anthesis; leaves greater than 8 cm wide | B. chiricaspi |
3 | Leaves more or less two ranked, scattered along branchlets, with 5-9 lateral nerves; inflorescences lax, often short-branched; corolla tube 15-40 mm long | B. grandiflora |
– | Leaves crowded towards apex of stem, subverticillate, to about six per whorl, with 8-13 lateral nerves; inflorescences dense, capituliform; corolla tube 25-38 mm long | B. mire |
PERU. Ucayali: Prov. Coronel Portillo, Dist. Iparia, Reserva Comunal El Sira, 1500 m, 9°27.8'S, 74°33.5'W, 24 Oct 2007, J. G. Graham 5970 (holotype:
Brunfelsia cabiesesiana distinguitur ab omnibus aliis speciebus Brunfelsia possidendo cauliflorus inflorescentiis.
Pachycaulescent shrub to few-branched, sprawling small tree to 3 m. Trunk solitary, terete, to 5 cm in diameter near base. Bark brownish-gray and rough at stem base, becoming dark green and smooth on upper stem; glabrous. Branches lacking, or, if present, terete, to 2 cm diameter, tending to arch over with age, with vertically ascending branchlets. Leaves crowded toward apex of stem, subverticillate, up to seven per whorl, simple, often in terminal whorls on single stem, occasionally in multiple whorls 20–30 cm apart; petioles sub-terete, often canaliculate above, up to 1cm long, 3–5 mm wide, brownish when dry, blades elliptic to broadly obovate, 15–35 cm long, 6–15 cm wide, glabrous, dull, dark green above, pale green beneath, young leaves purplish, smooth, subcoriaceous, glabrous, the base narrowly decurrent, the apex cuspidate to lightly acuminate, the margins entire; the midvein prominent below, the secondary veins 6–8-nerved, spaced up to 2 cm apart, arcuate-ascending, with light collective vein on margin, the tertiary venation reticulate. Inflorescences cauline, corymbiform, flowering branches stunted, woody at base, persistent, leafless, densely bracteate, to 3 cm long, with 1–7 branchlets up to 5 mm long, few flowered, usually only 1 flower per branchlet. Bracts spirally arranged, lanceolate, lightly keeled below, 0.7–1.3 mm long, tan to brown, lightly pubescent at base and along margins. Flowers showy violet fading with age, with 5-angled white spot at mouth. Pedicels 4–10 mm long, slender, 1.5–2 mm in diameter, glabrous. Calyx tubular-campanulate, weakly inflated, 2–2.3 cm long, 6–8 mm in diameter, ellipsoid to ovoid in bud, yellow-green to green, lightly punctate, firmly membranaceous, connate at base, 5-lobed at apex, the lobes subequal, ovate-lanceolate, 4–8 mm long, acute to acuminate and glandular at apex; calyx to 2.2 cm in fruit, coriaceous, smooth, partially enclosing the fruit, calyx and pedicel often with raised lenticels at maturity. Corolla tube terete, curved and inflated slightly at apex, then constricted at throat, gradually widening from base, 2.5–4 cm long, 2 mm diameter at base, to 5 mm diameter at apex, glabrous; estivation quincuncial and imbricate, the limb spreading to 5.5 cm diameter, the lobes rounded, subequal, uppermost slightly larger, subtruncate to rounded at apex, overlapping at sides, narrowing lightly at base. Stamens four, in two pairs, included in upper portion of corolla tube; filaments ligulate, curved at apex, 2–3 mm long; anthers reniform, to 2 mm long. Ovary ovoid-conical, 2–3 mm long, glandular at base; style slender, curved and thickened at apex, 3–3.5 cm long; stigma weakly/briefly bifid, lobes equal, oval, 1–2 mm long, 8–10 mm in diameter. Fruit a capsule, globose to ovoid, 1.5–2 cm long, 1.2–1.8 cm wide, partially enclosed by accrescent calyx, slightly acute at apex with conspicuous scar where corolla tube was attached, medial septicidal suture present, not dehiscing along suture, dark green when fresh, light brown and lightly veined when dry, smooth, glabrous, pericarp thin walled, 1–2 mm thick, drying crustaceous, exocarp coriaceous, lenticelate. Seeds 10–20 per fruit, oblong-ellipsoid, 5–7 mm long, ca. 3 mm in diameter, dark reddish-brown with brilliant prismatic reflection, reticulate pitted, glabrous.
Known from central Peru in the Departments of Ucayali and Pasco where it is of extremely limited distribution but locally abundant at the type locality in the El Sira Communal Reserve. This understory species inhabits rocky slopes and ridge tops in cloud forests on the eastern slopes of the Cordillera El Sira, between 1100–1600 m, and has been found as a rare element in cloud forests on the northwestern slopes of the Cordillera Yanachaga, at ca. 2300 m.
Flowering in B. cabiesesiana appears to be photomorphogenic in nature, associated with highest annual light intensities. Flowering observed in the El Sira populations is closely associated with the dry season, from August to October. Fruits appear to mature relatively slowly and are persistent, having been found green on the plant two or more months following anthesis.
The species epithet honors Dr. Fernando Cabieses Molina, noted neurosurgeon, ethno-pharmacologist, author and educator. Dr. Cabieses was cofounder of the Museo de la Nación of Peru and founding rector of the Universidad Científica del Sur. He served as director of the Peruvian Museum of Health Sciences and the Peruvian National Institute of Traditional Medicine. Dr. Cabieses had profound interest in tropical biodiversity -both its history and utilization- and he was a tireless supporter of biodiversity conservation efforts in Peru.
This species is of extremely limited distribution (see Figure
Given the extremely limited known area of occupancy of Brunfelsia cabiesesiana, and the fragmented nature of the occurrence of the two known subpopulations in Pasco and Ucayali, we estimate the Pasco subpopulation to be critically endangered and the Ucayali population to be endangered, using International Union for the Conservation of Nature Red Book guidelines (
PERU. Ucayali: Dist. Iparia, Reserva Comunal El Sira, 9°28'S, 74°34'W, 1550 m, 24 Oct 2007, J. G. Graham 4968 (F,
Brunfelsia cabiesesiana sp. nov. has a combination of characters that clearly separate it from other species of Brunfelsia: its strictly cauliflorous habit distinguish it from all other members of the genus, including the verticillate-leaved (Brunfelsia mire Monachino, Brunfelsia hydrangeiformis (Pohl) Benth.) members of the genus, as well as those with one central trunk (Brunfelsia densifolia Krug & Urb., Brunfelsia mire, Brunfelsia chiricaspi Plowman).
There is a clear divergence in elevational range between the Yanachaga and El Sira populations of B. cabiesesiana. A similar elevational-displacement phenomenon has been recorded for other organisms in the Cordillera El Sira.
Our sincere gratitude is extended to Carlos Reynel at Herbario Forestal, La Molina, Lima, Peru (