Passiflora jaenensis B.Esquerre, 2017

ESQUERRE-IBAÑEZ, BORIS, 2017, A new species of Passiflora section Granadillastrum (Passifloraceae) from Jaén, Peru, Phytotaxa 298 (1), pp. 89-95 : 90-94

Passiflora jaenensis B.Esquerre , sp. nov. ( Figs. 1–3 )

Type:— PERU. Cajamarca: Province of Jaén. Road to Cerro La Pelota, scrubs near to Amojú River, 800 m, 20 July 2016, B. Esquerre & L. Ocupa 151 (holotype HUT!, isotypes HUT!, CPUN!).

Diagnosis:—Similar to Passiflora sprucei and P. subulata , differing mainly in its corona with 5 or 6 series of filaments with distinct pattern of colored bands and 3–5 petiolar glands, vs. 4 series corona in P. sprucei and 3 series corona with 2 petiolar glands in P. subulata .

Vine 4–6 m, glabrous, stem terete to subterete. Stipules reniform to subreniform up to 2 × 4 cm, foliaceous, apex acute to rounded, margin glandular-serrate or glandular-dentate. Petiole up to 5 cm long, terete, with 3–5 nectaries about 2 mm long, stipitate. Lamina 3-lobed 6.5–12.5 × 5.0– 12.5 cm incised ca. 2/3 to 5/6 with lobes up to 3 cm in width, mucronate, lateral lobes triangular to rounded, mid-lobe rounded, lobes sometimes narrow in the base; venation slightly pedate, with zones of entire, serrate and glandular-serrate margin, this latter generally in the sinus with 2–5 marginal glands. Peduncles up to 5 cm long and a pedicel up to 1cm long. Bracts 3, free, elliptic, glandular-serrate, up to 1.8 × 0.8 cm, sometimes with teeth on the base. Flowers axillary, solitary, erect, ca. 5–6 cm diameter in anthesis; short campanulate hypanthium up to 7 mm height. Perianth fully reflexed at anthesis. Sepals 5, oblong, lanceolate, greenish, up to 3.7 × 0.5 cm, carinate, each one ending in aristate or foliaceous keel up to 11 mm long. Petals 5, oblong, lanceolate, greenish white, 2.0–2.5 × 0.5 cm. Corona in 5–6 filamentous series, whitish to pale yellow or cream with purple bands, the two outer series more conspicuous up to 1.6 and 1 cm long respectively, slightly reflexed followed by 3–4 internal series up to 5 mm long, purplish with white bands, spreading to erect. Operculum membranous, erect, ca. 6mm long with distal 2/3 portion split in foliaceous segments, whitish with purple spots, inclined towards and touching limen. Limen attached to the base of the androgynophore, with lobulated margin, up to 4.3 mm height. Nectar ring present, recurved, conspicuous. Staminal filaments 1.2 × 0.1 cm, greenish; anthers 9 × 3 mm, greenish yellow. Ovary 5.1 × 3.0 mm, glabrous: styles up to 13.5 mm long, greenish with purple spots. Fertilized swelling ovary obovoid and stipitate. Fruit not seen.

Distribution and ecology: —Only a few individuals have been observed close to the Amojú River within areas of dry forest. This habitat is also shared with other species of Passiflora such as P. foetida Linnaeus (1753: 959) , P. edulis Sims (1818: 1989) and P. cisnana Harms (1894: 5) .

Phenology: —Flowers have been observed from April to July.

Conservation: — P. jaenensis is only known from the Jaén Province. According to the IUCN (2001) criteria B, C and D this species should be classified as Critically Endangered (CR) until more populations are discovered. It is likely this species also occurs in the Provinces of San Ignacio (Department of Cajamarca) and Bagua (Department of Amazonas), as they offer a similar habitat as the seasonally dry forests of the Marañón basin, which includes the Amojú River, but more explorations and collection trips are necessary to confirm this. The type locality is currently under threat by several anthropic alterations, and recent visits have confirmed this (e.g. forest clearing with heavy machinery for openings of roads, burning, agriculture).

Etymology: —The epithet refers to the city Jaén; an important commercial center at the entrance to the eastern Amazon jungle of Cajamarca in northern Peru that has recently experienced great urban development.

Specimens examined:— Passiflora sprucei . ECUADOR. Litoral Region. Guayas Province, September 1859, R. Spruce 6459 (BM, image!). Guayas Province, Hda. Monocongo 18 km N of Balzar on road to Quevedo, 19 January 1985, G. Harling & L. Andersson 21004 (QCA, image!). Guayas Province, 21 July 1962, C. Játiva & C. Epling 139 ( US, image!). Guayas Province. Milagro, 21 April 1939, E. Asplund 5751 ( US, image!). Guayas Province. Road near Pedro Carbo, 28 December 1939, O. Haught 3006 ( US, image!). Pacific Region. Manabí Province, 10 August 1962, A. Gilmartin 770 ( US, image!). Manabí Province, Manta, 29 April 2010, D. Minga, A. Verdugo, F. Nugra & X. Clavijo 2121 (HA, image!). Center Region. Chimborazo Province, between Huigra and Naranjapata, 17 July 1923, A. Hitchcock s.n. ( US, image!).— Passiflora subulata . PERU. Without locality, J. Maclean s.n. (K, image!). Junín. Huancayo. Pariahuanca Valley between Panti and Rocchac, March 1913, A. Weberbauer 6542 ( US, image!). Huacapistana, June 1929, E. Killip & A. Smith 24323 ( US, image!). Huacapistana, 6 June 1929, E. Killip & A. Smith 24311 ( US, image!).— Passiflora sp. PERU. Cajamarca. Jaén Province. Road Tamborapa to Tabaconas, 8 June 1998, M. Weigend, T. Franke, J. Skrabal & M. Gonzáles 98/487 (CPUN!, F).

Discussion: —According to the current infrageneric classification, P. jaenensis can be placed within the subgenus Passiflora , supersection Stipulata Feuillet & MacDougal (2003: 37), section Granadillastrum Triana & Planchon (1873: 127) because of its foliaceous reniform stipules, three-lobed leaves, free bracts ( Feuillet & MacDougal 2003); and erect flowers with conspicuous corona (see Ulmer & MacDougal 2004). There are several species within this section that resemble to P. jaenensis . For instance, P. subulata and P. sprucei resemble to P. jaenensis the most; particularly in their habit and flower features ( Table 1). Passiflora subulata is also a Peruvian endemic and although the morphology of its leaves is very similar to that of P. jaenensis , they differ in the number of glands present on the petiole, with P. subulata bearing only 2 petiole glands ( Masters 1872, Harms 1922, Killip 1938, Macbride 1941) while in the new species there are 3–5 glands. As for the flower, P. subulata possesses a filamentous corona in 3 series, and a slightly greater diameter than P. jaenensis . Passiflora subulata has been reported from central and southern Peru at an altitude range of 1000–2500 m ( Brako & Zarucchi 1993). Passiflora sprucei , on the other hand, shares a similar number of petiole glands with P. jaenensis , but it has 5 or 6 stipitate glands ( Holm-Nielsen et al. 1988) while P. jaenensis only 3–5. As for the flower, the corona in P. sprucei presents 4 filamentous series ( Holm-Nielsen et al., 1988) while the new species reach 6 series, both species with different band patterns. Passiflora sprucei is reported from Ecuador at an altitude range of 30–2300 m ( Holm-Nielsen et al. 1988) but probably it also occurs in southern Colombia and northern Peru ( Ulmer & MacDougal 2004).

Other species that may appear similar to P. jaenensis are P. tarapotina Harms (1907:185) and P. amethystina Mikan (1820: 20) . These species have similar leaf features but completely different flowers. Flowers of P. resticulata Masters & André (1884: 42) and P. dorisiae B.Esquerre (2015:304) , on the other hand, resemble to those of P. jaenensis but they differ in their leaf features.

It is interesting to mention that in the type material of P. jaenensis only the outer three sepals have a foliaceous keel, while in the other two sepals the keels have awns (see Fig. 2D ). The external two series of the corona are slightly reflexed during full anthesis (i.e. the perianth is fully retracted towards the peduncle-pedicel).

During the revision of the material deposited at CPUN, I noticed that the collection M. Weigend, T. Franke, J. Skrabal & M. Gonzáles 98/487 originated from the same area of the Marañón River basin, in the same province and at same elevation as the type specimen of P. jaenensis . Unfortunately their specimen is sterile, so it was impossible to confirm whether it belongs to P. jaenensis . Although this could be unlikely as a duplicate of this collection stored at F was identified as Passiflora sprucei by P. Møller Jørgensen in 1999 ( TROPICOS 2016).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Illustration of Passiflora jaenensis B.Esquerre a) Leaves; b) Lamina shape c) Petiole; d) Stipule; e) Bract; f) Stamen; g) Style; h) Flower cut; i) Operculum; j) Fertilized flower.

FIGURE 2. Passiflora jaenensis B.Esquerre a) Leaves; b) Petiole glands; c) Stipules; d) Flower bud; e) Flower; f) Hypanthium; g) Fertilized ovary.

FIGURE 3. Habitat of type collection of Passiflora jaenensis B. Esquerre.