Bignonia cararensis Zuntini, 2015

Zuntini, Alexandre R., Taylor, Charlotte M. & Lohmann, Lucia G., 2015, Problematic specimens turn out to be two undescribed species of Bignonia (Bignoniaceae), PhytoKeys 56, pp. 7-18 : 9-12

Bignonia cararensis Zuntini sp. nov.

Type.

Costa Rica. Puntarenas: Reserva Biológica [Parque Nacional] Carara, Sector Quebrada Bonita. Sitio Area administrativa, 09°45.6'N, 084°36.0'W, 20 m, 9 February 1990, R. Zúñiga 90 (holotype: CR-145925, mounted in two sheets!; isotypes: F!, INB!, MO!). Figure 1 .

Diagnosis.

This new species is closely related to Bignonia uleana (Kraenzl.) L.G.Lohmann, but differs by the absence of interpetiolar ridges, inflorescences with compound dichasia (vs. simple dichasia in Bignonia uleana ) and fruits up to 14 cm long with cylindrical and delicate spines (vs. longer than 16 cm with triangular and rough spines in Bignonia uleana ). Table 1 .

Description.

Lianas. Stems solid, cylindrical, not winged, with lenticels, without interpetiolar gland fields, without interpetiolar ridge, puberulous at least at nodes, sparsely lepidote; foliaceous prophylls caducous, cymbiform, ascending, sessile, symmetrical, 1.7-2.0 mm × ca. 1.4 mm, ciliate, sparsely lepidote, without glands; bromeliad-like prophylls present. Leaves 2-foliolate; petiole semi-cylindrical, 35.9-46.5 mm, without simple trichomes or puberulous, sparsely lepidote; petiolules semi-cylindrical, 25.0-45.3 mm, without simple trichomes or puberulous, sparsely lepidote; blades concolorous to slightly discolorous, chartaceous, matte, symmetrical, elliptic to widely elliptic, shortly acuminate apically, rounded basally, 17.1-23.4 × 11.0-12.8 cm, on adaxial surface puberulous at base, sparsely lepidote, with glands clustered at apex and few scattered, on abaxial surface without simple trichomes or puberulous on mid and secondary veins, sparsely lepidote, with a few scattered glands; venation pinnate, with tertiary venations mixed opposite-alternate percurrent; tendrils rarely present, simple, without simple trichomes, sparsely lepidote, with simple apex. Inflorescences thyrses, terminal, multi-flowered, with lateral dichasia compound and pedunculate, without simple trichomes, sparsely to moderately lepidote, primary axis ca. 255.0 mm long; bracts caducous, narrowly triangular, 1.8-2.1 × 0.5-0.6 mm, without simple trichomes, sparsely lepidote, without glands; pedicels 6.7-14.4 mm, without simple trichomes, sparsely lepidote, without glands. Flowers with calyx cupular, 5-toothed, sub-chartaceous, 3.7-5.9 × 4.7-6.4 mm wide at apex, ciliate, moderately lepidote, with a few scattered glands, teeth 0.6-1.4 mm; corolla purple outside, inside color unknown, infundibuliform, dorso-ventrally flattened, membranous, 40.8-75.0 mm, externally sericeous, sparsely lepidote, without glands, internally sericeous at lobes, not lepidote, with stipitate glandular trichomes at base, tube 28.4-52.5 × 2.7-3.3 mm wide at base and 10.9-14.1 mm wide at apex, lobes sub-circular, 9.7-22.0 × 10.7-15.5 mm; androecium didynamous, with stamens included, the largest 16.4-18.6 mm, the shortest 11.2-11.3 mm, without simple trichomes, not lepidote, with stipitate glandular trichomes at base, thecae 3.3-3.5 mm, staminode ca. 4.2 mm; gynoecium 25.5-27.9 mm, ovary cylindrical, verrucose, without simple trichomes, not lepidote, ovules in 2 series per locule, style not lepidote; nectariferous disk reduced. Fruits inflated, narrowly elliptic, 11.2-14.5 × 3.1-4.0 wide × ca. 1.4 cm thick, valves woody, without ridges, moderately echinate, without simple trichomes, not lepidote, without glands; spines cylindrical, 8.2-13.4 mm. Seeds unknown.

Distribution.

This species is known only from Parque Nacional Carara, in Puntarenas, Costa Rica, between 20 and 100 m elevation (Fig. 2 ).

Phenology.

Three fertile collections are documented for Bignonia cararensis : a single flowering specimen was collected in February and two fruiting specimens were collected in February and October.

Etymology.

The name is a reference to the type locality.

Conservation status.

The collections from the main herbaria of Costa Rica (CR, INB and USJ) were consulted, but so far this species is only documented from Parque Nacional Carara. Since Bignonia cararensis is known exclusively from the type locality, its full distribution cannot be accurately assessed and is here listed as Data Deficient (DD). Additional fieldwork is necessary to estimate the number of mature individuals and to assess the full extend of the species’ distribution.

Discussion.

This species is similar to Bignonia uleana , a species from Bolivia, central western Brazil and Peru. Bignonia cararensis can be recognized by the absence of interpetiolar ridges (vs. present in Bignonia uleana ), the inflorescences in lateral compound dichasia (vs. lateral simple dichasia in Bignonia uleana ), and the fruit up to 14 cm and with cylindrical delicate spines (vs. longer than 16 cm with triangular rough spines in Bignonia uleana ) (Table 1 ).

The flowering collection Zuñiga 90 was previously identified as Cydista lilacina A.H.Gentry [≡ Bignonia lilacina (A.H.Gentry) L.G.Lohmann] ( Burger and Gentry 2000, Hauk 1997, in sched. at CR, INB and MO), and so was the sterile specimen Acosta Vargas 826 (in sched. at INB and MO). Bignonia lilacina is similar to Bignonia cararensis , with which it shares cylindrical stems, large leaflets, and inflorescences in thyrses with compound lateral dichasia. However, Bignonia cararensis differs from Bignonia lilacina , an Amazonian species, by its glabrous and verrucose ovary (vs. densely lepidote and smooth in Bignonia lilacina ), sparsely lepidote stems, inflorescences and flowers (all of these structures are densely lepidote in Bignonia lilacina ), gland clusters borne on the adaxial surface of leaflet apices (vs. basal gland clusters on the abaxial leaflet surface in Bignonia lilacina ) and buds with straight apices (vs. curved apices in Bignonia lilacina ).

In contrast, the fruiting collection Jiménez 2042 was previously identified as Clytostoma pterocalyx Sprague ex Urb. [≡ Bignonia pterocalyx (Sprague ex Urb.) L.G.Lohmann] (in sched. at INB), and as Clytostoma sciuripabulum Bureau & K.Schum. [≡ Bignonia sciuripabulum (Bureau & K.Schum.) L.G.Lohmann] (in sched. at CR and INB). The other fruiting material of this new species (Weinberg s.n.) was also identified as Clytostoma sciuripabulum (in sched. at MO). However, Bignonia cararensis differs from Bignonia pterocalyx by its puberulous stems and inflorescences (vs. pilose in Bignonia pterocalyx ), 2-foliolate leaves (vs. 1-foliolate in Bignonia pterocalyx ) and moderately echinate fruit (vs. densely echinate in B. pterocalyx). Bignonia cararensis differs from Bignonia sciuripabulum by the cylindrical stems (vs. quadrangular in Bignonia sciuripabulum ) and apical gland clusters borne on the adaxial leaflet surface (vs. no apical clusters in Bignonia sciuripabulum ).

Clytostoma pterocalyx and Cydista lilacina were reported as new records for Costa Rica ( Burger and Gentry 2000, Hauk 1997, Jiménez and Grayum 2002) based on the specimens studied here, but with the re-identification of these specimens both of these species are now known only from South America. Bignonia pterocalyx is found in Venezuela and Colombia, and Bignonia lilacina is distributed throughout Amazonia.

The Carara National Park is located in the northern portion of the Tárcoles-Térraba floristic region, which extends through the central portion of Pacific coastal Costa Rica ( Hammel et al. 2004). This region has a combination of dry and moist forests, and includes elements from Nicoya and Osa Peninsulas, where Bignonia cararensis might also be found.

Additional examined specimens.

COSTA RICA. Puntarenas: Carara Biological Reserve, 2.6 km del portón de la entrada del sendero Laguna Meandrica. Primer desviación a mano izquierda entrando, 9°48.0'N, 84°35.16'W, 100 m, 6 Apr 2000, L.G. Acosta Vargas 826 (INB, MO); Camino a Coopecarara, 9°47.16'N, 84°36.16'W, 100 m, 11 Oct 1995, Q. Jiménez 2042 (CR, INB); Carara Biological Reserve. 15 minute walk from entrance of Carara taking trail winding right (counter-clockwise), 9°46'N, 84°31'W, 18 Feb 1991, R. Weinberg s.n. (MO-3842040).

Figures

Figure 1. Bignonia cararensis Zuntini A Flowering branch B Gland cluster at leaflet apex on adaxial surface C Calyx D Opened flower E Detail of internal flower base, showing the glandular stipitate trichomes at corolla F Detail of the internal sericeous indument of the corolla lobes G Ovary cross-section H Fruit. Illustrated from Zuniga 90 (MO) [A-G] and Weinberg s. n. (MO- 3842040) [H].

Figure 2. Distribution of Bignonia cararensis (red circles) and Bignonia uleana (green squares). Elevation in meters, following the scale on the right.