A new epiphytic species of Notopleura (Rubiaceae) from Chucantí Nature Reserve, eastern Panama

ABSTRACT

The new species Notopleura sallydavidsoniae R.Flores & C.M.Taylor is here described and illustrated. It can be recognised by the following combination of characters: epiphytic habit, succulent stems and leaves, stipules sheathing at base and free portion ligulate with c. 8–10 glandular setae or appendages, well-developed bracts, five-merous flowers, rather well-developed calyx and fruits with two pyrenes. Eastern Panama is not well known botanically, but is part of the region that is the centre of species diversity for the epiphytic subgenus of Notopleura as well as for the genus overall.

RESUMEN

Se describe e ilustra la nueva especie Notopleura sallydavidsoniae R.Flores & C.M.Taylor. Se reconoce por la combinación de los siguientes caracteres: hábito epífito, tallos y hojas suculentos, estípulas soldadas en la base con una porción libre ligulada con c. 8 a 10 setas o apéndices glandulares, brácteas bien desarrolladas, flores pentámeras, cáliz bien desarrollado y frutos con dos pirenos. El este de Panamá es botánicamente poco conocido, sin embargo forma parte de la región que es el centro de diversidad de especies del subgénero epífito, así como también del género Notopleura.

KEYWORDS:

• Cerro Chucantí
• eastern Panama
• Notopleura subg. Viscagoga
• Palicoureeae

Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank the Ministerio de Ambiente (Ministry of Environment) for facilitating this research through issuing the collecting permits (SE/P-42-09, SC/P-20-12) and Guido Berguido, who invited us to carry out a botanical survey in Chucantí. Thanks are due also to the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI), ADOPTA, Rainforest Trust, and Missouri Botanical Garden for supporting logistical aspects of this work; to the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) for funding two of the authors (Flores & Ibáñez) through the International Cooperative Biodiversity Groups (ICBG) programme, and to the staff of the PMA, UCH and MO herbaria. We would also like to thank Esteban Jiménez for preparing the plates used for this article, María Cordero Pagoaga for her excellent line drawing of the species published in this article. We are also grateful to Juvenal Batista, Fermín Hernández, José Gudiño, Kelvin Morales, Melisa Ayala, Ángela Celis and Salvador Peris, who participated in several field trips to the Chucantí Private Nature Reserve.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.