Corresponding author: Andres Ernesto Ortiz-Rodriguez (
Academic editor: Alan Paton
Ortiz-Rodriguez AE, Ramos CMB, Gomez-Dominguez H (2016) A new species of
The
The genus
During the course of several botanical explorations in southern Mexico, a species of
In order to confirm the status of this new species we visited and reviewed the specimens of
We assessed the conservation status by calculating the extent of occurrence area of occupancy
Additionally, coordinates of occurrence data were assembled for the new species herein described and for the morphologically similar species, which were obtained from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility principal components analysis
Mexico. Chiapas, Municipio de Berriozábal, zona sujeta a protección ecológica “La Pera”, predio “Peña Flor” camino Berriozábal- Vista Hermosa-El Cairo, km. 12 desvío al Pozo Turipache, 1068 m,
Trees, 15–25 m and 15–50 cm DBH, the secondary branches terete.
The species is only known from Chiapas, Mexico. It is a rare species at the type locality in the ecological reserve La Pera. The species inhabits the karst areas, mainly in the tropical rainforest. It is a canopy tree and coexists with species of
Mature flowers and fruits were collected in March and April; buds, ripe and immature fruits were observed in the same months.
The specific epithet honors Francisco Lorea Hernández, in recognition of his many important contributions to our knowledge of the Mexican flora.
Currently we lack the necessary information to objectively define the conservation status of Critically Endangered
Mexico. Chiapas, Berriozabal: Rancho “El Retiro”, atrás de el rancho “El Zapote”. 13 km al N de Berriozábal camino a Joaquín Miguel Gutiérrez,
The four cauliferous species discussed in the diagnoses have different distribution ranges with different climatic preferences (Figure
Distribution range and climatic preferences of
Leaf variation in
Comparison of diagnostic morphological characters of
Characters |
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Tree to 10 m tall | Large tree, 10-20 m tall | Tree, 5-15 m tall | Large tree, 10-25 m tall |
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to 19 cm | to 34 cm | to 18 cm | to 20 cm |
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to 11 cm | to 11 cm | to 5 cm | to 5 cm |
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poorly defined | clearly differentiated | defined | defined |
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Broadly obovate | Oblanceolate to narrowly obovate | Oblanceolate | Oblanceolate |
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rounded to acute, usually apiculate | acute to short-acuminate | acuminate | acuminate |
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to 36 mm | to 100 mm | to 26 mm | to 60 mm |
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rounded | rounded | Pointed | rounded |
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broadly elliptical to spherical | Oblong-ovoid or ellipsoid | ellipsoid | broadly elliptical to spherical |
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rounded (rare shortly pointed) | shortly pointed to acute | acute to acuminate | rounded |
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always near sea level, mostly in mangrove associations and flooded vegetation | Mountain cloud forest | Tropical rain forest | Tropical rain forest |
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Mexico (Campeche, Tabasco, Veracruz and Yucatan); Central America, West Indies to Venezuela and Ecuador | Mexico (Chiapas); Guatemala | Mexico (Veracruz and Oaxaca) | Mexico (Chiapas) |
1 | Terminal inflorescences |
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– | Cauliflorous inflorescences (borne on leafless portions of old branches and along the main trunk) |
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2 | Calyx spathaceous with a sharp acumen |
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– | Calyx bilabiate or trilabiate |
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3 | Corolla tubular less than 1 cm wide at the mouth of tube |
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– | Corolla campanulate more than 1 cm wide at the mouth of tube |
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4 | Leaves membranaceous; corolla less than 3 cm long |
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– | Leaves chartaceous to coriaceous; corolla more than 3 cm long |
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5 | Leaves mostly 50–100 cm long, clustered near tip of twigs; small trees, 2–7 m, simple or few branched stem |
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– | Leaves less than 40 cm long, alternate; medium and large sized trees,10–25 m, branched |
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6 | Corolla less than 2 cm wide at the mouth of tube; pedicels to 4 cm long |
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– | Corolla more than 2 cm wide at the mouth of tube; pedicels to 1 cm long |
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7 | Fruits ovoid to narrowly oblong-ellipsoid, apiculate at apex |
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– | Fruits ellipsoid to spherical, rounded at apex or very inconspicuously apiculate |
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8 | Secondary venation impressed below leaves and conspicuously whitish-margined; petiole poorly demarcated, to 1 cm long; flower buds rounded to shortly pointed |
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– | Secondary venation prominent below leaves; and not whitish-margined; petiole 1–2 cm long; flower buds pointed |
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9 | Trees to 10 m tall; leaves obovate to wide elliptic, rounded to mucronate at apex with poorly defined petioles; restricted to coastal ecosystems |
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– | Large trees, to 25 m tall; leaves oblanceolate to narrowly obovate, acute to acuminate at apex with defined petioles; tropical rain forest or cloud forest |
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10 | Leaves, 34 ×11 cm; petiole to 4 cm long; pedicels to 10 cm long; forests above 1200 m |
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– | Leaves, 20 ×5 cm; petiole short, less than 2 cm; pedicels to 6 cm long; forests below 1000 m |
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We extend our sincere gratitude to Yuyini Licona Vera, Miguel Ángel Pérez Farrera and Ruben Martínez Camilo for support during the preparation of the manuscript, Luiz Henrique Fonseca, Lulu Rico Arce and Alan Paton for reviewing and providing many useful comments on the manuscript, and particularly to Marcos Escobar for providing the excellent pictures of