Tovomita nervosa L. Marinho

43. Tovomita nervosa L. Marinho View in CoL in Willdenowia 49: 346. 2019. – Holotype: Venezuela, Amazonas, lower part of Río Baria   GoogleMaps , inundated forest along river, 01°27'– 01°10'N, 66°32'– 66°25'W, 80 m, 22–23 Jul 1984, G. Davidse 27596 (NY [ NY02859716 ]!; isotypes: MO [MO-1593215] photo!, MO [MO-1593216] photo!, VEN).

Description — Trees up to 8 m tall, prop roots not seen; exudate yellow, abundant. Petioles 1.3–2.5 cm long, coloration not seen, transversely striate, lenticels absent. Leaf blades 7.6–16.8 × 3.5–7.5 cm, greenish to yellowish in sicco, black dots sparsely distributed, coriaceous, oblong to obovate, base convex, apex acuminate to rounded; exudate canals inconspicuous. Venation: secondary veins 27–30 pairs, 3–4 mm apart from each other, forming angle 70°–75° to midvein, strongly prominent in both surfaces, straight near margin; intersecondary veins present, one rarely two per intercostal area, similar to secondary veins, distal course reticulating,> 50 % of subjacent secondary length; tertiary veins percurrent sinuous; intramarginal vein present. Inflorescences: ♂ lax cyme with 3 basal branches and up to 27 flowers, lacking terminal flower, ♀ dichasium, lenticels absent. Pedicels 9–15 mm long, coloration not seen, distal and proximal portion with same gauge, proximally articulated in lateral flowers of dichasia. Floral buds 8.5–12 mm long, ovoid to oblong, apex rounded to acute, lenticels absent. Sepals 4, 8.5–12 × 5–6.5 mm, oblong to obovate, apex rounded to acute, greenish to white; petals 4, 12–18 × 6–9 mm, spatulate to obovate, reflexed, apex rounded, white. Staminate flowers: stamens 70–75, 5–7 mm long, isodynamous; filaments terete, white; anthers 1.5–1.7 mm long, connective not exceeding thecae; pistillode not seen. Pistillate flowers: staminodes 40–45, 3.5–4 mm long, white to pale yellow; gynoecium not seen. Capsules fleshy, 1.9–2.3 × 2.2–3.5 cm, 5-septate, spheroid when closed, not costate, slightly lobed, fused portion of styles, 3–5 mm long, free styles portion, 3.5–6.5 mm long, epicarp smooth, green when immature, mature fruit and mesocarp coloration not seen; sepals and petals caducous, staminodes and stigmas persistent. Aril coloration not seen.

Iconography — Illustration available in Marinho & al. (2019b: 347).

Distribution — Colombia (Guainía), Venezuela (Amazonas). Fig. 66.

Conservation status — Data Deficient (DD, Marinho & al. 2019b).

Recognition and discussion — Tovomita nervosa was recently described based on specimens previously identified as T. clarkii , a sympatric and closely related species. Together with T. calophyllophylla , these three species share transversely striate petioles, coriaceous to subcoriaceous leaves, and 5-carpellate ovaries. These three species differ from each other by floral bud shape (ovoid to oblong in T. nervosa vs spheroid in T. clarkii and T. calophyllophylla ), and stamen/staminode number (70–75 in T. nervosa vs <50 in the other two).

Specimens examined — COLOMBIA: GUAINÍA: Puerto Inirida, corregimiento Cacahual, localidad de Chaquita, 03°24'59"N, 67°40'38"W, 100 m, 28 Mar 2022, fr., J. F. R. Ortiz 2012 ( COAH!) GoogleMaps . — VENEZUELA: AMAZONAS: Departamento Río Negro, lower part of Río Baria, inundat- ed forest along river, 01°27'– 01°10'N, 66°32'– 66°25'W, 80 m, 22–23 Jul 1984, G. Davidse 27716 ( MO photo!, NY!); ibid., middle part of Río Baria , forest around small laja, margin of flooded forest, 01°05'N, 66°25'W, 80 m, 29 Jul 1984, G. Davidse & J. S. Miller 26796 ( MO photo!, NY!, VEN photo!) GoogleMaps .