Casearia marquetei Nepom. & M.Alves, 2017

Nepomuceno, Francisco Álvaro Almeida & Alves, Marccus, 2017, A new Casearia (Salicaceae) from the Atlantic Forest of Brazil, Phytotaxa 311 (3), pp. 297-300 : 297-299

Casearia marquetei Nepom. & M.Alves , sp.nov. ( Fig. 1 )

Type:─ BRAZIL. Paraíba: João Pessoa, Jardim Botânico Benjamim Maranhão, Mata do Buraquinho, 7º08’17”S, 34º50’53”W, 50 m elev., 7 November 2016, F. A. A. Nepomuceno 288 (fl., fr.) (holotype: UFP!, isotype: RB!).

C. marquetei is morphologically related to C. souzae R. Marquete & Mansano (2013: 51) but differs by the absence of glands in the leaves, sepals and ovaries (vs. leaves, sepals and ovaries with glands), absence of apicule at the leaf apex (vs. apex of the leaf with apicule); sepals oblong (vs. sepals obovate), internal surface of the sepals glabrous (vs. internal surface of the sepals adpressed-pubescent); lobes of the nectariferous disc oblong and densely pilose (vs. lobes of the nectariferous disc clavate and tomentose at the apex to glabrescent at the base) and stigma glabrous (vs. stigma hirsute).

Trees 4–6 m tall. Branches ca. 45 cm long, cylindrical, pubescent, densely lenticellate, lenticels round to oblong, whitish. Stipules 4.0–5.0 × 0.5–1.0 mm, narrow-elliptical, tomentose. Leaves alternate, leaf blade 7.5–10 × 2.8–3.5 cm, oblong-elliptical to elliptical, glabrous, chartaceous to subcoriaceous, punctate and translucent lines scattered throughout the leaf blade, glands absent, base cuneate, apex acuminate, margin glandular-serrulate, leaf glabrous with primary vein prominent on the abaxial surface, sparsely pubescent and imprinted on the adaxial surface, glabrous, secondary veins 7–9 pairs, alternate to subopposite, slightly prominent on the abaxial surface and imprinted on the adaxial surface, glabrous; petiole 0.8–1.0 cm long, cylindrical to slightly flattened, pubescent. Inflorescences umbelliform, 8–10 umbels, peduncle 4–6 mm long, rounded, tomentose to pubescent. Flowers with pedicels 4–5 mm long, round, tomentose to pubescent, articulated at the middle; bracteoles surrounding the pedicels, tomentose to pubescent; calyx 5-merous, sepals 3.0–3.5 × 1.2–1.5 mm, oblong, persistent in the capsule, erect to patent, glands absent, internal surface glabrous, external surface slightly puberulous, margin scabrous; stamens 10, glabrous, filament 2.5–3.0 mm long, cylindrical to flattened, anthers globular, with apical gland, glabrous; lobes of the nectariferous disc 10, alternate with the stamens, connate to the filaments at the base, oblong, densely pilose; ovary 2.0–2.5 × 3.0– 3.2 mm, ovoid, glands absent, surface rough and glabrous, style 1.2–2.0 mm long, cylindrical, glands absent, pilose at ovary insertion and sparsely pilose toward apex, stigma capitate, glabrous. Capsules 2.0–3.0 × 3.0– 3.5 mm, ovoid, glabrous. Seeds 2.0 × 1.0 mm, oblong, glabrous, brownish, testa reticulate-foveolate, partially covered by a white aril.

Distribution and Ecology:— Endemic to the Atlantic Forest and known from the states of Paraiba and Pernambuco, occurring in Coastal Lowland Forest and areas of Sub-montane Forest locally called “Brejos de Altitude” ( Silva & Casteleti 2003). Casearia marquetei is found along the edges of forest fragments and is classified as a heliophilous or semi-sciophilous species ( IBGE 2012).

Etymology:— The name honors a Brazilian botanist, Dr. Ronaldo Marquete, who works on the taxonomy of Salicaceae .

Morphological affinities:— Casearia marquetei belongs to Casearia sect. Casearia Jacq. , for having lobes of the nectariferous disc alternate with the stamens and connate to the filaments at the base and stigma capitate. Casearia sect. Casearia includes several informal groups proposed by Sleumer (1980) and this new species belongs to the group Arboreae for having persistent sepals in the capsule, which are erect to patent, and seeds with reticulate-foveolate testa. Currently 15 species are recognized in the group Arboreae, six of them occur in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. Among the species of the group Arboreae, C. marquetei is morphologically related to C. souzae and C. arborea , which also occur in the Atlantic Forest of Brazil. Illustrations with diagnostic characters for Casearia arborea and C. souzae can be found in Marquete & Mansano (2013, 2016). Casearia marquetei is morphologically close to C. souzae due to the shape of the leaf blade, pedunculate inflorescence, number of sepals and stamens and presence of glabrous glands in the anther. It differs from C. souzae by the absence of glands in leaves, sepals and ovaries (vs. leaves, sepals and ovaries with glands), apicule at the apex of the leaf lacking (vs. apex of the leaf with apicule); sepals oblong (vs. sepals obovate), internal surface of the sepals glabrous (vs. internal surface of the sepals adpressed-pubescent); lobes of the nectariferous disc oblong and densely pilose (vs. lobes of the nectariferous disc clavate and tomentose at the apex to glabrescent at the base) and stigma glabrous (vs. stigma hirsute). Additionally, C. souzae is restricted to the states of Espírito Santo and Rio de Janeiro ( Marquete & Mansano 2013; 2016).

Casearia marquetei is also morphologically similar to C. arborea , but it can be distinguished from it by its densely lenticellate and pubescent branches (vs. sparsely lenticellate and velutinous branches); stipule narrowly-elliptical (vs. stipule narrowlyovate); petiole pubescent (vs. petiole velutinous); adaxial surface of the leaves glabrous (vs. adaxial surface of the leaves tomentose, rarely glabrous), sepals oblong (vs. sepals ovate); internal surface of the sepals glabrous (vs. internal surface of the sepals adpressed-pubescent); anthers with apical glabrous glands (vs. anthers with apical glands barbed); lobes of the nectariferous disc oblong (vs. lobes of the nectariferous disc clavate), stigma glabrous (vs. stigma hirsute) and seeds with white aril (vs. seeds with yellow aril). Casearia arborea has a wide distribution in Central and South America ( Marquete & Mansano 2016). In Brazil, the species occurs in almost all states, in the phytogeographical domains of the Atlantic Forest, Amazon Forest, Cerrado and Caatinga ( Marquete & Mansano 2016).

Additional specimens examined (Paratypes): ─ BRAZIL. Paraíba: João Pessoa, Mata do Buraquinho , 25 May 1990, fl., O. T. Moura 436 ( JPB) ; 13 February 1992, fl., M. R. Barbosa 1259 ( JPB) ; 21 May 1993, fl., P. C. G. Neto 38 ( JPB) ; 27 July 1993, fl., O. T. Moura s/n ( JPB 19145 ) ; Pernambuco: Bonito , 10 February 1967, fl., D. Andrade-Lima 67-4933 ; 67-4940 (IPA).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Casearia marquetei Nepom. & M.Alves. A. Abaxial surface of the leaf. B. Adaxial surface of the leaf. C. Floral branch. D. Leaf. E. Apex of branch. F. Estipule. G. Bracteoles. H. Detail of inflorescence. I. Floral bud. J. Detail of flower. K. Ovary, stamens and lobes of the nectariferous disc. L. Detail of capsule. M. External face of the sepals. N. Internal face of the sepals. O. Detail of stamens and lobes of the nectariferous disc. P. Detail of ovary. Q. Detail of seed. [Drawing from F.A.A. Nepomuceno 288 (UFP)].