Piper neovenezuelense M.A.Jaram., stat. nov et, 2023

Jaramillo, M. Alejandra, Rodriguez-Duque, Dayro & Escobar-Alba, Magda, 2023, A new species of Piper (Piperaceae) with peltate leaves from Serrania de las Quinchas, Colombia, PhytoKeys 227, pp. 9-24 : 9

Piper neovenezuelense M.A.Jaram., stat. nov et nom. nov.

Basionym.

Piper veraguense C. DC. var. venezuelense Steyerm. Fl. Venez. 2(2): 590 (1984). Type: Venezuela, Edo. Trujillo, 16 km de Boconó a lo largo de la carretera a Biscucuy, 1850 m, 11 aug 1964, F. Breteler 4082 (Holotype; VEN; Isotype: MER). Non Piper venezuelense C.DC., J. Bot. 4: 216 (1866).

Note.

The epithet P. neovenezuelense is proposed here to replace Piper veraguense C. DC. var. venezuelense Steyerm. Because Piper venezuelense C. DC. ( De Candolle 1866: 216) is already in use.

Etymology.

The new epithet neovenezuelense honors the intention of J. Steyermark to highlight the occurrence of this species in Venezuela.

Steyermark (1984) synonymized under P. veraguense C. DC. various distinct species: P. albert-smithii Trel. & Yunck., and P. mutisii Trel. & Yunck., and proposed that P. veraguense C. DC. has three varieties: P. veraguense var. veraguense , P. veraguense var. mutisii (Trel. & Yunck.) Steyermark, and he added P. veraguense var. venezuelense Steyermark ( Steyermark 1984). These species are similar in their overall morphology and potentially form a species complex. Unfortunately, we do not have sequence data to test the latter hypothesis. Here we consider them separate species. P. veraguense has glabrous leaves with nerves puberulent on the abaxial surface, not pellucid dotted ( Callejas-Posada 2020); P. albert-smithii is distinct because it has fleshy warts below the nodes, and leaves are glabrous ( Trelease and Yuncker 1950); and P. mutisii has fleshy warts below the nodes, nerves are dense velvety puberulent on abaxial surface; P. neovenezuelense has glabrous internodes without warty outgrowths, and nerves pilose on abaxial surface.