Amyris karlitae W.Palacios, 2015

Palacios, Walter A., 2015, A new species of Amyris (Rutaceae) from southern Ecuador, Phytotaxa 220 (1), pp. 98-100 : 98-99

Amyris karlitae W.Palacios , sp. nov.

Diagnosis: — Amyris karlitae is distinct from other species of the genus by a combination of characters: unifoliolate leaves, 6–11 × 4–6 cm, pinnate venation, and emarginate or acuminate apex and stamens 8(or 10), alternating short and long. ( Figure 1 )

Type:— ECUADOR. Loja: Cantón Macará, Sabiango, Achima-Cerro Jatumpamba, sitio El Fondo, aprox. 1700 m, agosto 2010 W. Palacios 17324 (holotype QCNE!, isotype to be distributed to QCA, MO, AAU, NY).

Tree to 18 m tall; dbh to 50 cm. Inner bark creamy-yellow and very aromatic. Terminal twigs clustered, cylindrical, browns. Leaves unifoliolate, alternate, spiral, 6–11 × 4–6 cm, elliptic, ovate-lanceolate or oblong-elliptic, glabrous, shiny above; apex acuminate or emarginate and in this case slightly recurved; base obtuse; secondary veins 10–13 pairs, more or less convergent, inconspicuous, forked towards the margin; intersecondary and secondary nerves very similar; tertiary nerves inconspicuous; margin entire; glandular dots translucent on leaves; petioles 1–3(–4) cm long, up to half as long as the lamina, thickened and curved at the apex. Inflorescence an axillary or terminal panicle, up to 8 cm long, with lateral branches up to 2.5 cm long; bracteoles ovate, 0.7–1 mm long. Flowers hermaphrodite, glanddotted; calyx patelliform, 4-lobed, approx. 1 mm long, lobes broadly ovate, shortly fused at the base; petals 4, free, elliptic or oblong-elliptic, 2–2.5 mm long, white; stamens 8(or 10), alternating short and long; disc glandular, orange, prominent between the stamens and pistil; pedicels 1.5–3 mm long, articulate at base.

Etymology: —Specific epithet is dedicated to my daughter Karlita.

Distribution and habitat: — Amyris karlitae grows between 1400 and 1700 m, where trees are laden with mosses in semideciduous forest. Typical trees include Juglans neotropica Diels (1906: 398) , Pouteria lucuma Ruiz & Pavon (1802: 17) Kuntze (1898: 195) and Monactis holwayae Blake (1922: 419) Robinson (1976: 37) . This type of forest that is part of the Huancabamba bioregion, located between Ecuador and Perú, is very scarce and ecologically important because of the presence of several endemic species ( Lozano 2002). The area receives rainfall between January and April, and corresponds to the ecosistema bosque montano bajo semideciduo de Catamayo-Alamor (Ministerio del Ambiente del Ecuador 2013).

Etnobotany & vernacular names: —The common name of A. karlitae is “guallache serrano” and local people appreciate the high quality and rot-resistant wood. The inner bark and wood are aromatic and expel a delicious citrus scent; wood retains the smell even after several years after having been cut.

Phenology: —The flowering period occurs between August and September. Fruits have not been observed.

Specimens examined (Paratypes): — ECUADOR. Loja: Macará, Sabiango, Achima , Cerro Jatumpamba , aprox. 1700 m, 29 August 2009, W. Palacios 16872 ( QCNE!) ; August 2014, W. Palacios 17609 ( QCNE!), W. Palacios 17610 ( QCNE!), W. Palacios 17612 ( QCNE!), W. Palacios 17616 ( QCNE!). Duplicates of these specimens to be distributed to AAU, MO and QCA .

Figures

FIGURE 1. Amyris karlitae. A. habit (bar = 1 cm); B. leaf abaxial side, notice emarginated tip (bar = 2 cm); C. flower (bar = 2 mm). Photographs by W.A. Palacios.