Passiflora franciscoi C. Aguirre & M. Bonilla, 2016

Aguirre-Morales, Adriana Carolina, Bonilla-Morales, Miguel Macgayver & Caetano, Creucí Maria, 2016, Passiflora franciscoi, a new species of Passiflora subgenus Astrophea (Passifloraceae) from Colombia, Phytotaxa 252 (1), pp. 56-62 : 57-61

Passiflora franciscoi C. Aguirre & M. Bonilla , sp. nov., Figs. 1 , 2 and 3

Type: — COLOMBIA. Department of Vichada: Puerto Carreño, Bojonaw Reserve, Caño Negro, 58 m, 2 September 2005, Francisco Castro 2345 (holotype LLANOS!).

Passiflora franciscoi differs from P. candida and P. sclerophylla by its leaf-blade, deeply emarginate at the apex and cordate at base, a long peduncle (2.7 cm) and a flower corona with two series of filaments, 1.2 cm long, dolabriform, with a swelling in the middle, orange with dark red spots.

Liana to 8m. Stem terete, glabrous, green when young and brown-greyish when lignified. Tendrils present, green or brown. Leaf simple, obovate with entire margin, base cordate, apex deeply emarginate, coriaceous, adaxial surface dark green, abaxial surface pale green, 9–11 × 7.5–7.8 cm, 14–16 pairs of major lateral veins. Petiole stout with two glands, cleft, in lateral position at apex, 23–30 × 1.5 mm. Stipules not seen. Peduncles solitary, 2.7 cm long. Bracts absent. Flower erect, white, 2.8 cm long, 3.8 cm diameter. Androgynophore 1.2 cm long. Sepals white at the bundle, the underside with a thin green line along its middle part, three green and two white, oblong, 1.7 × 0.7 cm. Petals white, subequal in form and dimension to sepals. Corona filaments in 2 series, the outermost dolabriform, laterally compressed, apex wavy, 1.2 cm long, with internal face yellow-orange with red spots and dark red appendix halfway up each filament, the external face orange with base yellow. Filaments of the inner series small and filiform. Ovary glabrous, 6 mm long. Fruit widely ovate, wider at the base than at the apex, green with white spots in form of freckles. Seed fusiform, shield-like, dark brown.

Distribution and habitat: — Passiflora franciscoi is distributed in three Departments of Colombia, in the Orinoquia region: Casanare, Meta and Vichada ( Figure 4). The locality of the type specimen is Vichada, Puerto Carreño, Bojonaw Reserve, Caño Negro, where it occurs in a flooded savanna forest. In the three Departments, the occurrence of P. franciscoi is associated with humid zones.

Etymology: —Named in honor of the botanist Francisco Castro Lima, who collected the type specimen. He has been researching the flora of the Colombian Orinoquia since the 1980’s.

Conservation status: —The species has been found in six localities in the Colombian Orinoquia. Under the criteria B, C and D of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature Red List (2014), this species is considered Endangered (EN).

Aditional specimen examined (paratypes):— COLOMBIA. Meta: San Martín, Puerto Castro, Palmeras herd, 27 November 2014, Francisco Castro 20164 ( LLANOS!) ; Palmeras herd, 28 November 2014, Marcela González 567 ( LLANOS!) . Casanare: Orocué, La Esmeralda, Parabare ranch, 29 September 2013, Francisco Castro 16992 ( LLANOS!) ; La Virgen, San José property, 2 April 2013, Francisco Castro 16588 ( LLANOS) ; Paz de Ariporo, Caño Chiquito, La Esperanza property, 27 April 2009, Francisco Castro 7689 ( LLANOS) . Guaínia: Puerto Inírida, Caño Bocon, Santa Rosa community, 20 Novmber 2015, Francisco Castro 21371 ( LLANOS) .

Additional specimen examined (related species):— Passiflora candida . BRAZIL. Amazonas: Manaos, A. Ducke 23559 ( B) ; Distrito agropecuário, Fazenda Dimona of the WWF / INPA MCS project ca 72 km N of Manaus, 21October 1988, B. Boom, M. Pacheco 8483 ( NY) Ducke Manaus-Itacoatiara Forest Reserve , 20 August 1997, M. Costa, E. Pereira da C., C. da Silva R 757 ( MO) ; 17 February 1995, J. Nascimento, C. Fernandes da Silva 750 ( MO) ; 17 July 1997, P. Costa Lima Assunção, E. Pereira da C., C. Fernandes da Silva 549 ( MO). Acre: Cruzeiro do Sul, BR 307 , Rod. Cruzeiro do Sul-Benjamin Constance. Km 32, 23 October 1984, C. Cid Ferreira et al. 5216 ( NY). Amapá: BR156 , road under construction which will connect Macapá with Monte Dourado , 81km WSW of Macapá, ca. 11km SW of Rio Preto, 19 December 1984, S. Mori , J. Cardoso 17454 ( NY). FRENCH GUIANA. Cayenne: Roura , Montagnes de Kaw , 13 km from Roura , 07 March 2009, C. Feuillet 17056 ( MO) ; Montagnes de Kaw , along route to Montagne Favard, in vicinity of jet to Fourgrassie, 23 February 1993, T. Croat 74340 B ( MO) ; Route RN 2 Cayenne- Regina, 1 km before white cove, forest edge, 09 February 1993, F. Billiet, B. Jadin 5721 ( MO). Montsinéry: pistes FRG, bord de piste, 21 April 1985, C. Feuillet 2117 ( HUA). GUYANA. Alto Essequibo: U. Takutu-U. Essequibo. Wassarai Mts., summit of highest peak, 14 km S of S. Kassikaityu R., 13 September 1999, H. Clarke, R. Williams, C. Perry 8520 ( MO).— Passiflora sclerophylla . GUYANA. Cuyuni-Mazaruni: Mt. Holitipu , below peak, 01 June 1990, T. McDowell, D. Gopaul 3046 ( MO). VENEZUELA. Amazonas: La Esmeralda, Parque Nacional Duida Marahuaka, November 1928, G. Tate 521 ( NY) ; Atures, Parú highlands, central plains, SW sector, 05–07 March 1991, P. Berry et al. 4942 ( MO). Bolívar: Rápidos de Kamoiran, Sandrock outcrop near Kamoiran , 17 December 1984, R. Kral 72134 ( MO) ; El Dorado, N of the Gran Sabana. Approx. 100 kms to the S of El Dorado straight. Road El Dorado-Sta. Elena, 3 April 1985, B. Holst, J. Steyermark, B. Manara 2164 ( MO).— Passiflora phaeocaula . COLOMBIA. Guainía: Maimachi, Serranía del Naquén. Caño Culebra. Cerro del Helipuerto-17, 02 April 1993, S. Madriñán, C. Barbosa 893 ( GH). Vaupés: between Mitú and Javerete, Yútica, 14–24 May 1953, Schultes , Cabrera 19355 (US) ; Inirida River banks, flood Guacamayo, left riverside, 02 April 1957, P. Fernández 2150 ( COL) BRAZIL. Amazonas: Yútica, left bank Río Vaupés, 15 November 1952, Romero-Castañeda 3502 ( NY). Arauca: Arauca, Lipia River , Forest on the Lipa River , 05 June 2010, R. Cortés 2732 ( COL).— Passiflora skiantha . COLOMBIA. Vaupés: Caño Grande, forest between Calamar and San José del Guaviare, 01 November 1939, J. Cuatrecasas 7366 ( COL). ECUADOR. Orellana: Tiputini River , road Repsol-YPF, km 7, 14 September 2000, G. Villa 481 ( F). PERU. Loreto: Canchahuayo hill, without date, D. Huber 1424 ( MG) ; Maynas, Iquitos, Nanay river , 14 February 1985, M. Rimachi 7755 ( MO) .

Discussion: — Passiflora franciscoi is part of the subgenus Astrophea , supersection Pseudoastrophea , section Pseudoastrophea , which includes 17 species ( Ulmer & MacDougal, 2004) and only two occurring in Colombia: P. skiantha and P. phaeocaula . Passiflora franciscoi is not closely related to the other Colombian species included in section Pseudoastrophea . The newly described species is morphologically more similar to P. candida and P. sclerophylla . Nevertheless, P. franciscoi differs from these species in several characters: the deeply emarginated apex of its leaves; a longer peduncle; the number of filaments of the corona and their shape and color; and, the shape and color of the fruit ( Table 1).

In comparison, P. candida and P. sclerophylla have acute and/or subacute foliar apexes.Additionally, these species have peduncles shorter than 0.5–0.8 cm ( P. candida ) and 1–1.5 cm ( P. sclerophylla ) while P. franciscoi has peduncles up to 2.7 cm long. The corona of P. candida has four series of liguliform and yellow filaments while the one to three series of corona filaments of P. sclerophylla are warty and yellow with purple spots. In P. franciscoi the corona has two series of filaments which are dolabriform, wavy at the apex, orange with red spots distributed across all filaments, being of a more intense color at the base than at the apex. At the middle of each filament, there is a short widening appendix-like structure similar to a character which is also present in P. candida (Escobar, 1994, unpublished). The fruit is ellipsoid and yellow greenish in P. candida and P. sclerophylla while widely ovate and green with multiple white spots in P. franciscoi .

Taxonomic key to Passiflora subgenus Astrophea supersection Pseudoastrophea section Pseudoastrophea for Colombia

1. Liana with woody and stout stems, tendrils; leaf obovate, emarginated at the apex and cordate at the base; peduncle long (2–3 cm long); petiolar nectaries (2), cleaved; corona with two series of filaments orange with red spots; ovary oblong, stout ..................... ......................................................................................................................................................................................... P. franciscoi

- Liana with slight stems and persistent tendrils; leaf elliptic-oblong, acute at the apex and round at the base; peduncle shorter; petiolar or laminar nectaries; corona with two or more filaments series; ovary oblong, pubescent........................................................2

2. Plant glabrous; leaf 5.5–11.2 × 2–5 cm, margins entire, slightly revolute; nectaries adaxially attached to the leaf blade; flower belllike with two series of filaments.................................................................................................................................... P. phaeocaula

- Plant pubescent; leaves 10.8–19 × 4.4–8.7 cm, slightly revolute at margins; petiole 3.2–3.7 cm long; petiolar nectaries (2); flowers tubular with 4–5 series of filaments .................................................................................................................................. P. skiantha

Figures

FIGURE 1. Passiflora franciscoi C. Aguirre & M. Bonilla. A. Plant habit and leaf in adaxial and abaxial positions; B. Open flower and floral bud after anthesis; C. Petiolar nectary; D. Longitudinal view of the dissected flower. Illustration: Carolina Aguirre-M. & Miguel Bonilla-M.

FIGURE 2. P. franciscoi C. Aguirre & M. Bonilla. A, Open flower. B, Side view of outer corona filaments. C, Leaves and tendrils. D, Fruit. Photos by Francisco Castro Lima.

FIGURE 3. P. franciscoi C. Aguirre & M. Bonilla in situ. Photo: Francisco Castro Lima.