Passiflora metae M. Bonilla, C. Aguirre & C. Caetano, 2016

Morales, Miguel Macgayver Bonilla, Aguirre-Morales, Adriana Carolina & Caetano, Creucí María, 2016, Passiflora metae, a new species of Passiflora series Laurifoliae (Passifloraceae) of the Andean piedmont in the Colombian Orinoquia, Phytotaxa 267 (2), pp. 129-136 : 130-135

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/phytotaxa.267.2.5
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03C1C735-6408-FFE9-5486-C5E7FB8BFD0C
treatment provided by	Felipe
scientific name	Passiflora metae M. Bonilla, C. Aguirre & C. Caetano
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Passiflora metae M. Bonilla, C. Aguirre & C. Caetano View in CoL sp. nov. ( Figs. 1 View FIGURE 1 , 2 View FIGURE 2 , 3 View FIGURE 3 , 4 View FIGURE 4 and 5 View FIGURE 5 )

Type: — COLOMBIA. Meta: Villavicencio Municipality: road Caño Pendejo, 541 m, 23 December 2013, (fl), M. Bonilla, J. Mosquera, K. Pulido & A. Cajar 187 (Holotype CUVC! Isotype FAUC!).

Passiflora metae is related to P. nitida and P. acuminata but differs by its stipule falcate (13 mm long) and margin glandular, petiole 1.7–2 cm long, elliptic leaf (6–19 × 2.2–6.5 cm), cuspidate apex, bracts ensiform (1.5–2 × 0.45–0.5 cm) with prominent glands, lanceolate sepals, ovary ellipsoid and glabrous.

Liana to 6 m tall. Internodes 7.5–13 cm long. Stems terete, green, striate, glabrous. Stipules linear-falcate, 13 × 8–9 mm, glabrous, deciduous, green, with 2 sessile glands in the margin, 4 mm long, orange. Petiole 1.7–2 cm long, canaliculate, glabrous, with 2 sessile glands at the adaxial surface, subglobose, 2 mm long, orange. Leaves simple 6–19 × 2.2–5.5 cm, elliptic, cuneate at base, cuspidate at apex, margin glandular, membranous. Flowers axillary, solitary, pendent, 8.5–8.7 cm diam.; peduncle 3.0– 3.5 cm long, glabrous, slender, green; pedicel 4–5 mm long, glabrous, green. Bracts 15–20 × 4.5–5 mm, ensiform, free, margin glandular, brown. Nectar chamber cylindrical, 2–2.5 mm long, 12 mm diam., white inside and green outside. Floral tube 2.5–3 mm long, 1 cm diam., outside green, inside white and red flecked. Sepals 3–3.2 × 0.9–1 cm, lanceolate, round at apex, adaxially green, abaxially white, awn sub-apical, 1 mm long. Petals 3–3.2 × 0.7–0.8 cm, closely oblong, round at apex, white. Corona with 5 series of filaments, slender, the 2 outermost series banded red and white at base, purple and white towards the apex, 3.8–4.0 cm long, third series banded red and white, 2–3 mm long, fourth series, banded red and white, 0.8–1 mm long, innermost series, banded red and white, 7.2–7.5 mm long towards the androgynophore. Operculum 3 mm long, membranous, strongly incurved, margin fimbriate, white at base, red at apex; limen 6 mm long. Androgynophore 2.2 cm long, white; filaments 7–8 mm, white andred flecked; anthers beige; ovary 5–6 × 3 mm, ellipsoid, glabrous, yellowish green; styles 14–15 mm, white and red flecked; stigmas semiglobose. Fruit unknown.

Distribution and ecology: —Only two collections have been identified as Passiflora metae : M. Bonilla et al. 187 and M. Bonilla et al. 197, both from the Department of Meta, municipality Villavicencio, Andean low piedmont, Andean Cordillera Oriental, eastern side, between 500-600 m ( Figure 5 View FIGURE 5 ). These are separated by a mountain and a straight line distance of 1 km. In both locations the species was found in rainforest, in the shade and near water bodies as Caños in the area. The vegetation found in the zone is characterized by tree ferns and trees of the families Fabaceae and Rubiaceae .

Phenology: —Known to flower in December.

Etymology: —The epithet refers to the Meta Department ( Colombia), where the species was found.

Conservation status: —The two individuals found in the same locality, conforms to the IUCN (2012) criteria B1a (i,ii), B2a (i,ii), C1, and D1 as Critically Endangered (CR).

Additional specimen examined (paratype):— COLOMBIA. Meta: Villavicencio, 510 m, 26 December 2013, M. Bonilla 197 (CUVC).

Aditional specimen examined (related species):— Passiflora ambigua . COLOMBIA. Meta: LA Macarena Municipality, Río Guayabero , 240 m, 07 February 1959, R. Jaramillo & J. Hernández 2047 (COL) ; Meta: LA Macarena Municipality, Reserva Nacional La Macarena , 26 January 1968, J. Thomas et al. 1614 (COL) ;— Passiflora guazumifolia . COLOMBIA. Córdoba: Ciénaga de Ayapel , 50 m, 10 July 1973, J. Idrobo 6579 (COL) ; Magdalena: Gamarra , 70 m, 19 July 1952, L. Uribe 2405 (COL) ; Meta: Villavicencio Municipality, Río Guatiquía , 450 m, January 1985, E. André 1029 (K) ;— Passiflora killipiana . COLOMBIA. Caquetá: Río Caqueta, La Pedrera, April 1994, R. Schultes 5875 (COL) ; Meta: Cabuyaro Municipality, Araracuara , 20 February 1991, A. Dulmen & A. Matapi 128 (MO) ;— Passiflora laurifolia . COLOMBIA. Meta: Vista Hermosa Municipality, NO Sierra de la Macarena, 450 m, 30 December 1950, J. Idrobo 868 (COL) ;— Passiflora nitida . COLOMBIA. Meta: Lejanías Municipality, Vereda El Triunfo, 920 m, 21 August 1998, R. López 4080 (SINCHI) ; Puerto López Municipality, ICA Libertad , 320 m, 29 June 1998, O. Pulido & F. Castro 05 (LLANOS) ; San Juan de Arama Municipality , Vereda El Vergel, 400 m, 10 November 1995, G. Parra s.n. (LLANOS) ; San Martín Municipality, Farm Los Guaduales , 350 m, 01 July 1978, O. Rangel 1405 (COL) ; Villavicencio Municipality, Buenavista , 1200 m, 15 January 2014, M. Bonilla & O. Hernández 800 (CUVC) ; Vereda Vanguardia-Bioparque Los Ocarros , 16 January 2006, F. Castro 2575 (UDBC) ; Vista Hermosa Municipality, Vereda La Reforma , 06 January 2006, J. Betancur 12050 (SINCHI) ; Antioquía: San Carlos Municipality, Vereda Patio Bonito, Alto El Cerrón, 1100 m, 17 February 1998, E. Correa et al. 85 (HUA) ; Samaná Norte, between Samaná Norte and to way La Miranda , 762 m, 12 November 1989, A. de Escobar & F. Roldán 8835 (HUA) ;— Passiflora riparia . COLOMBIA. Meta: Llanos Orientales, Reserva Nacional Natural La Macarena, Caño Cafre , 300 m, 19 May 1985, H. Hurtado 082 (MO) ; Vaupés: Mitú Municipality, along Río Vaupés between Río Yí and Río Kubiyú , 09 July 1976, J. Zarucchi 1824 (MO) ; Guanía: Inírida Municipality, Inirida river basin, Huesito hamlet, road Huesito Duck, Km 5 to Km 7, R. López & F. Arenas 10256 (COL) .

Discussion: Passiflora metae belongs to supersection Laurifolia series Laurifoliae now with ten species. Passiflora metae grows in shaddy places of the humid forest. Passiflora nitida grows in the forest edge, more exposed to the sun ( Figure 4 View FIGURE 4 ). Passiflora metae is morphologically related to P. nitida which can also be found in the same collection area of the Department of Meta and is widely distributed in Central and South America, and to P. acuminata from Brazil along the Amazon River and the Guianas. Two specimens of P. acuminata from Colombia, Cordillera Central, are recorded, however, these collections are sterile (E. Correa et al. 85 HUA; L. Escobar & F. Roldán 8835 HUA), so the vegetative similarity is closer to P. nitida .

Passiflora nitida differs from P. metae in having stipules linear-subulate and margin entire, ovate-oblong or ovateelliptic leaves with round base and acute or acuminate apex, oblong-ovate bracts with margin entire, corona in 6 series with bands white and violet, ovary obovoid. Passiflora acuminata differs from P. metae by its stipules with margin entire, petiole (1 cm), lanceolate or lanceolate-oblong leaves with margin entire and acuminate apex, oblong bracts with margin entire, ovary ovoid and pubescent ( Table 1).

Other species of series Laurifoliae recorded for the Department of Meta are P. ambigua , P. guazumifolia , P. laurifolia , P. killipiana , and P. riparia ( Table 2). Passiflora metae differs from these species by a combination of characteristics, including corona slender and red and white at base and violet and white towards the apex in the outermost series (except P. ambigua and P. laurifolia , but these species have thick filaments), bracts ensiform and margin with prominent glands, elliptic leaves and stipules with margin glandular.