Corresponding author: Ghillean T. Prance (
Academic editor: Geoffrey Levin
Recent collections received for identification contain three conspicuous new species for the mid altitude forests of Amazonian Peru.
Prance GT (2014) Three new species of Licania (Chrysobalanaceae) from Peru. PhytoKeys 42: 1–10. doi:
Since a world monograph of the
Ab omnibus speciebus Licaniae inflorescentibus multi-ramificantibus, pseudopedicellis 1–3 floribus instructis, pilis bracteolium glandulosis differt.
Tree to 25 m tall, young branches sparsely tomentellous, conspicuously lenticellate with age. Leaves with small triangular to linear stipules to 1.0 mm long, early caducous; petioles 4–7 mm long, terete, rugose, sparsely tomentellous; lamina oblong to oblong-lanceolate, subcoriaceous, 4–8.5 × 1.5–3 cm, cuneate at base, acuminate at apex, the acumen 4–8 mm long, glabrous above, densely rufous lanate-tomentose beneath, with scattered palisade glands mainly near to midrib; midrib plane above, prominent beneath; veins 10–12 pairs, plane above, prominulous beneath. Inflorescence terminal and axillary much-branched panicles with many short branches bearing 1–3 flowers, the rachis and branches rufous-brown tomentose. Bracts and bracteoles membraneous, triangular-acute, c 1 mm long, borne at base and on pseudopedicels, the ciliate margins with glandular hairs; pedicels 0–5 mm long, flowers articulate just below receptacle base where upper bracteoles are borne 2–7 mm below articulations. Receptacle campanulate, rufous-tomentose on exterior. Flowers seen only in young fruiting condition; calyx lobes 5, markedly triangular, tomentose on exterior, interior glabrous towards base, tomentellous towards apex. Petals triangular, margins ciliate. Stamens 12–14, inserted around complete circle, slightly exceeding calyx lobes in length. Style basal; ovary of young developing fruit densely rufous-tomentose becoming less so with age, unilocular with 2 ovules. Mature fruit not seen.
Photo of the holotype of
Close up of distinctive inflorescence of
Peru. Pasco: Oxapampa, Palcazu District, Parque Nacional Yanachaga-Chemillén, Cerro Panjil-Ozuz, Permanent plot tree 24,
Same locality, Tree 347, 10 June 2005, 15 May 2005,
Differs from all other species of
Ab
Tree to 24 m tall, young branches glabrous, not lenticellate. Leaves with small lanceolate, caducous stipules to 2 mm long; petioles 10–13 mm long, sparsely puberulous or tomentellous when young, terete; lamina ovate-elliptic, coriaceous, 5–14 × 3.5–9 cm, rounded to subcuneate at base, acute to apiculate at apex, glabrous and shiny above; lower surface with deeply reticulate venation filled with a rufous pubescence; midrib impressed above, prominent beneath; veins 6–8 pairs, slightly impressed above, prominent beneath; secondary veins prominent and more or less parallel forming a reticulate pattern, tertiary venation flattened forming stomatal crypts. Inflorescence terminal and axillary towards apex of flowering branches, racemose once-branched panicles, the rachis and branches brown-tomentellous. Flowers ca 1.5–2 mm long, sessile on primary branches of inflorescence. Bracts and bracteoles minute, caducous. Receptacle cupuliform, sessile, short-tomentose on exterior, densely tomentose within; calyx lobes 5, acute, tomentose on both surfaces. Petals absent. Stamens 5–6, inserted to one side of ring. Style basal, pubescent for 2/3 of length, included; ovary pilose-tomentose, inserted at base of receptacle. Fruit not seen.
Photo of the holotype of
Close up of inflorescence of
Peru. Amazonas: Bagua Prov., Imaza Dist., Comunidad Aguaruna de Putuim, Monte Alto de Putuim,
Peru. Amazonas: Bagua Prov., Imaza Dist., Comunidad de Yamayakat, Quebrada Kus-Chapi, Río Marañon,
Closest to
Ab
Tree to 25 m tall, the young branches sparsely puberulous, not conspicuously lenticellate. Leaves with lanceolate stipules to 2 mm long, caducous, adnate to base of petiole; petioles 2–3 mm long, terete, tomentellous when young; lamina elliptic, coriaceous, 3–7 × 1.5–3.5 cm, cuneate at base, acuminate at apex, the acumen 3–6 mm long, glabrous above, densely brown-tomentellous beneath; midrib plane above, prominent beneath; veins 6–7 pairs, plane above, prominulous beneath. Inflorescence of terminal and subterminal panicles of racemes, the rachis and branches yellow-brown tomentose. Bracts and bracteoles lanceolate to triangular, 1–2 mm long, tomentose, caducous. Flowers almost sessile on primary inflorescence branches. Receptacle turbinate, tomentose on exterior, densely tomentose--pilose within, constricted at base to a minute pedicel 0.5 mm long; calyx lobes 5, acute, triangular, tomentose on exterior, sparsely tomentose within. Petals absent. Stamens 5–6, inserted opposite four calyx lobes. Style basal, pubescent for ¾ of length; ovary rufous tomentose. Fruit pyriform, 2–2.5 × 1 cm, exterior densely rufous-brown tomentose.
Photo of the type of
Close up of the inflorescence of
Peru. Pasco: Distr. Palcazu, Parque Nacional Yanachaga-Chemillén, Estación Biologica Paujil,
Ecuador. Morona-Santiago: Limon Indanza, Cordillera del Condór, Comunidad Shuar Warints,
This species falls into subgenus
Since two of these new species and the recently described
Stamens 10–50, exserted (Subgenus
Petals present
Leaf undersurface with a furfuraceous pulverulent pubescence (Section
Inflorescence a panicle of cymules (Section
Leaf undersurface glabrous or with a hirsute pubescence (Sections
1 | Stipules adnate to base of petiole, usually persistent | |
2 | Leaf base usually subcordate, midrib impressed above | |
3 | Leaf undersurface with hair-filled stomatal crypts; stamens 5 |
|
3' | Leaf undersurface deeply reticulate, but without stomatal crypts; stamens 8–11 |
|
2' | Leaf base rounded to cuneate, never subcordate; midrib plan or impressed | |
4 | Leaf lower surface with stomatal crypts |
|
4' | Leaf lower surface deeply reticulate or plane under pubescence | |
5 | Leaf apex round or mucronate; midrib deeply impressed; primary veins 10–12 pairs |
|
5' | Leaf apex acute or acuminate, midrib plane or slightly impressed; primary veins 5–9 pairs | |
6 | Leaf undersurface smooth under dense lanate-farinaceous pubescence | |
7 | Flowers 1.5–2 mm, flowers and inflorescence with sparse grey-puberulous pubescence not completely covering surface |
|
7' | Flowers 2.5 mm, flowers and inflorescence with a dense tomentellous pubescence | |
8 | Leaves 4–15 × 2.5–8 cm; stamens 3 |
|
8' | Leaves 3–7 × 1.5–3.5 cm; stamens 5–6 |
|
6' | Leaf undersurface reticulate under pubescence which is hard to remove; flowers and inflorescence with densely tomentellous pubescence | |
9 | Petioles glabrous; leaf undersurface only slightly reticulate |
|
9' | Petioles tomentellous even when old; leaf undersurface deeply reticulate |
|
1' | Stipules axillary and often caducous | |
10 | Leaf base distinctly cordate, lamina triangular-ovate; midrib and petioles villous-pubescent |
|
10' | Leaf base rounded to cuneate; lamina usually elliptic; midrib and petioles glabrous or short-puberulous | |
11 | Leaf undersurface with stomatal crypts | |
12 | Stamens 3; primary leaf veins 7–9 pairs |
|
12' | Stamens 5–8; primary leaf veins 13–15 |
|
11' | Leaf undersurface without stomatal crypts (deeply reticulate in |
|
13 | Petioles 10–13 mm long; leaf undersurface deeply reticulate; midrib impressed above |
|
13' | Petioles 5–6 mm long; leaf undersurface more or less plane under pubescence; midrib plane or slightly impressed |
|