Gurania calathina M. Nee & Gomes-Costa, 2015

Gomes-Costa, Géssica A., Nee, Michael H. & Barbosa, Maria Regina De V., 2015, Two new species of Gurania (Cucurbitaceae) from South America, Phytotaxa 208 (4), pp. 296-300 : 296-298

Gurania calathina M. Nee & Gomes-Costa , sp. nov. ( Fig. 1A–G )

Type: — COLOMBIA. Antioquia: Mpio. Amalfi, 8–15 km from Amalfi to Rumazón, sitios Salazar and La Playa , Cordillera Central , 1550 m, 06° 56’ N, 75° 04’ W, 28 September 1988 (♂ fl), J. Betancur et al. 773 (holotype HUA!; isotypes K!, MO!) .

Diagnosis:— Leaves simple, deeply 3-lobed, reticulate below, the basal lobes converging towards the sinus. Staminate inflorescence multi-flowered, the flowers along the entire rachis; hypanthium urceolate; anthers triangular, replicate basally, ca. 5–6 × 2–2.5 mm, the apical appendage short-filiform, ca. 1–2 mm long, glabrous.

Liana; stem angled or striate/ridged; bark thin and papery when dry, puberulent. Tendrils simple, robust, 90º to the leaf petiole. Leaves simple, deeply 3-lobed, the central lobe oblanceolate, the margin with regularly spaced minute subulate teeth ca. 0.5–1 mm long, attenuate to long-attenuate at the apex, cordate at the base, the sinus ca. 5 × 2.5 cm, truncate or oblique at the apex, the lobes closing towards the sinus, chartaceous, short appressed-pubescent above, the hairs ca. 0.2 mm long, densely pubescent below with hairs ca. 0.5 mm long, reticulate, 22–29 × 18.5–31 cm; petiole densely pubescent, 7–8 cm long. Staminate inflorescence racemose, with numerous flowers, usually arranged on up to half of the rachis, the rachis robust, 44–49 cm long, the bark and hairs like those of the stem; pedicels short-pubescent, 1–2 cm long, persistent after flowers fall; hypanthium and sepals orange, minutely appressed-puberulent; hypanthium urceolate, the base rounded, 7–10 × 7–8 mm, the sepals narrowly triangular, patent, thick, shortly appressed-puberulent, 6–8 mm long; petals yellow, free, erect, narrowly triangular-subulate, densely papillose, 6–8 mm long; anthers attached at the middle of the hypanthium, triangular, replicate below, ca. 5–6 × 2–2.5 mm, the connective large, the apical appendage short-filiform, ca. 1–2 mm long, glabrous. Pistillate flowers and fruits not observed.

Distribution and habitat: —Species found only in the Department of Antioquia, Colombia, between 550 and 1810 m elevation.

Etymology:—The specific epithet calathina refers to the cup-shaped hypanthium.

Phenology:—Staminate flowers were found in September. Pistillate flowers and fruits have not yet been observed.

Vernacular name:—Unknown.

Additional specimens examined (paratypes):— COLOMBIA. Antioquia: Mpio. Campamento, Vereda Llanadas, 6–12 Km west of Campamento in direction of Las Brisas mine, 7° 05 ‘N, 75° 20 ‘W, 1650–1810 m, 7 September 1989 (♂ fl), R. Callejas et al. 8278 (HUA, NY).

Gurania calathina can be distinguished from other species of the genus mainly by the robust inflorescences with flowers distributed along most of the rachis length (16–20 cm), the urceolate hypanthium, patent sepals and subulate and erect petals. When sterile, due to the shape and size of the leaves, it resembles G. lobata ( Linnaeus 1775: 15) Pruski (1999: 329) , which occurs in the same region. However, the flowers in G. lobata present a tubular hypanthium and are concentrated at the apex of subcapitate inflorescences.

Figures

FIGURE 1. A–G: Gurania calathina M. Nee & Gomes-Costa (Holotype:—J. Betancur et al. 773). A. habit; B. branch cross-section showing papyraceous bark; C. leaf, adaxial surface; D. leaf, abaxial surface; E. staminate flower; F. anther, front view; G. anther, dorsal view. H–L: Gurania jeffreyi M. Nee & Gomes-Costa (Holotype:—A. H. G. Alston 8437). H. habit; I. leaf, abaxial surface with prominent veins; J. staminate flower; K. anther, dorsal view; L. anther, front view. Illustrations by Regina Carvalho.