Annona oleifolia Westra & H.Rainer, 2019

Maas, Paul J. M., Westra, Lubbert Y. Th., Chatrou, Lars W., Verspagen, Nadja, Rainer, Heimo, Zamora, Nelson A. & Erkens, Roy H. J., 2019, Twelve new and exciting Annonaceae from the Neotropics, PhytoKeys 126, pp. 25-69 : 28-30

Annona oleifolia Westra & H.Rainer sp. nov. Figs 4 , 5

Diagnosis.

When using the key of the Flora Neotropica Monograph of Rollinia (Maas, Westra et al. 1992) Annona oleifolia keys out to the SE Brazilian Annona neosericea H.Rainer by an indument of appressed hairs on the lower side of the lamina, non-gibbous sepals, and narrow wings, but it is very distinct from that species by the very low number of carpels (≤25 vs. ≥100, respectively), very narrow leaves (leaf index ≥5 vs. 2.5-3) and the slightly recurved instead of horizontal to erect wings in Annona neosericea .

Type.

ECUADOR, Napo: La Joya de los Sachas, Parroquia Pompeya, Campamento de Maxus , Carretera Maxus km 1-4, 00°25'S, 78°36'W, 235 m, 10-18 Aug 1993 (fr), Grijalva et al. 637 (holotype: QCNE! [QCNE75007]; isotype: U! [U1567540]) .

Description.

Small tree 2-3 m tall, to 3.5 cm diam.; young twigs rather densely to sparsely covered with appressed, brownish hairs <0.5 mm long, soon glabrous. Leaves: petioles 4-8 by 5 mm, sparsely covered with appressed hairs similar to hairs on twigs to glabrous; lamina narrowly elliptic to narrowly elliptic-oblong, 10-17 by 1-2 cm (leaf index 5-8.5), membranous, greenish brown above, somewhat lighter so below, glabrous above except for primary vein densely to sparsely covered with more or less curved hairs, sparsely covered with appressed hairs to mostly glabrous and the primary vein rather densely so to glabrous below, base acute to attenuate, apex long-acute to long-acuminate (acumen 10-30 mm long or not distinct), primary vein impressed above, secondary veins distinct to rather indistinct, 15-17 on either side, often loop-forming, shortest distance between loops and margin 1-2 mm, tertiary venation reticulate, domatia absent. Flowers solitary, among leaves, supra-axillary; pedicels ca. 30 by 1 mm, to 50 by 2 mm in fruit, sparsely covered with appressed hairs, soon glabrous; bracts minute, all basal; sepals free, broadly ovate, to ca. 2 mm long, appressed; corolla tube ca. 5 mm high, ca. 7 mm in diam., wings slightly recurved, ca. 10 by 3 mm, ≥ 2 mm thick, free part of inner petals sagittate-triangular, ca. 2 mm long and wide. Fruit green to yellow, globose or irregularly so, ca. 2.5 cm diam., glabrous, carpels 20-25, areoles cushion-shaped, slightly protruding. Seeds 6-7 by 6 mm, brown.

Distribution.

Ecuador (Napo), Peru (Loreto), Bolivia (Beni) (Fig. 3 ).

Habitat and ecology.

In forest. At elevations of 100-300 m; flowering: May, June; fruiting: August and September.

Notes.

The flower had to be described from photographs. Annona oleifolia falls within the former concept of Rollinia because of the characteristic shape of the corolla, with the outer petals wing-like, and the whole flower suggesting a miniature propellor (see Maas et al. 1992).

Using the key to the species in the monograph of Rollinia ( Maas et al. 1992), Annona oleifolia ends near Rollina sericea = Annona neosericea , but it is immediately distinct from that species by the very low number of carpels (≤25 vs. ≥100, respectively).

Etymology.

‘Oleifolia’ = with leaves resembling those of Olea europaea L., the Olive Tree.

Preliminary IUCN conservation status.

EN B2ab(iii). The EOO (126.356 km2) was too large to classify as threatened, but AOO (24 km2) would classify as Endangered. It was determined that this species occurs in 5 locations. Although the species occurs within national parks in Ecuador, it is also found in heavily fragmented forest regions. Since the current population size and population trend of this species are unknown, we have classified it as Endangered.

Other specimens examined.

ECUADOR. Napo: La Joya de los Sachas, Canton Pompeya , 00°25'S, 78°37'W, 14 Sep 1992, Gudiño & Grefa 1775 (MO, QCNE) . PERU. Loreto: Prov. Maynas, Distr. Sargento Lores, Constancia Norte , 04°07'S, 72°55'W, 11 Apr 1997, Vásquez et al. 22963 (MO) . BOLIVIA. Beni: Prov. Vaca Diez, Cachuela Esperanza, along Rio Beni , 10°32'S, 65°36'W, 9 Nov 2001, Chatrou et al. 417 (U) .

Figures

Figure 3. Distribution map of Annona caput-medusae, A. oleifolia, Guatteria attenuata, G. kamakusensis, G. pseudoferruginea, Klarobelia rocioae, and Xylopia longicaudata.

Figure 4. Annona oleifolia Westra & H. Rainer. Fruiting specimen (Grijalva et al. 637, holotype QCNE).

Figure 5. Annona oleifolia Westra & H. Rainer. A Leaves B flowering branch C flower with part of the corolla removed to show the interior. Photographs by H. Rainer.