Meriania judithiae M.M.Jiménez & H.Garzón, 2024

Meriania judithiae M.M.Jiménez & H.Garzón View in CoL , sp. nov. ( Figs. 1 View FIGURE 1 , 2 View FIGURE 2 , 4 View FIGURE 4 , 5A View FIGURE 5 – 7 View FIGURE 7 )

Type:— Ecuador. Morona Santiago: San Juan Bosco. San Juan Bosco, Jungle Dave’s sendero al Cerro PDA, 3°34’10.18” S, 78°24’41.92” W, 1818 m, 22 Julio 2023 (fl.), H. Garzón & M. Jiménez 216 (holotype: HUTPL 14847!).

Diagnosis. This species is most similar to Meriania cuneifolia subsp. cuneifolia but differs by the sparse furfuraceous indumentum (vs. hirsute), the much shorter petioles 0.3–1.0 cm long (vs. 2.0–3.0 cm long), the leaf blades with attenuate bases extending into the petiole as wings (vs. long-cuneate), the shorter calyx lobes 0.5–1.3 mm long (vs. 8.5 mm long) each with a conical projection that does not surpass the apex of the lobe (vs. distinct claw-shaped projections extending further the lobes), and the isomorphic stamens (vs. dimorphic).

Description. Shrub up to 4 m tall; indumentum consisting of a combination of very short, brownish, caducous trichomes, 0.2–0.9 mm long, elongated hairs with greatly roughened (substellate) base and dendritic hairs with short axis and few-moderate number of terete arms, these arranged sparsely on young branches, petioles; or with a stellate, scaly base, sparsely on the underside of leaf blades, densely on inflorescences, hypanthia and calyces. Young branches terete, 3.2–5.8 mm in diameter, furfuraceous becoming glabrous with age, nodes with faint interpetiolar lines, without flaps. Leaves opposite, anisopyllous, decussate; petioles very short, terete, 0.3–1.0 cm long, furfuraceous; blades coriaceous, large leaves 15.5–27.1 × 3.8–8.2 cm, small leaves (35–60% smaller) 6.1–17.7 × 1.2–5.0 cm, elliptic, apex long-acuminate, base attenuate continuing down the petiole as slightly revolute wings; margin crenulate at the apical half, venation acrodromous and suprabasal, with 2 pairs of lateral (secondaries) nerves, first pair diverging 7–41 mm from the base of the blade, second pair diverging 15–80 mm from the base of the blade, an additional pair of faint submarginal veins running up to leaf apex, tertiary (transversal nerves) 40–60 on each side of the primary veins, percurrent, 2–7 mm distant from each other; midvein, secondary and tertiary veins strongly impressed adaxially, salient abaxially, adaxial surface bullate, dark green, shiny, glabrous, olive-green when dry; abaxial surface greenish dirty white when dry, puberulous. Inflorescences terminal or rarely pseudolateral (overtopped by developing axillary bud), erect, 4.3–6.1 cm long, few-flowered to multiflorous (18–130 flowers) panicles, consisting of 4–6 levels of branching nodes; axis densely pubescent, becoming glabrate in certain parts. Peduncle when present 1.2–2.5 cm long, terete. Main axis 4.3–6.1 cm long, quadrangular, the proximal node with 1 pair of basal paraclades, the supraproximal with 1 pair of paraclades, the subdistal and distal with an umbel of 4–8 flowers arising from more or less the same point on the pedicel. Paraclades simple to branching, 1.3–2.2 cm long; flowers in regular pendulous, umbels of 4–8 flowers at the end. Bracts foliaceous, persistent, 14.0–19.6 × 4.0– 6.1 cm, petioles 0.7–1.1 cm long, shape and indumentum similar to principal leaves; sometimes with one pair of additional bracts on proximal nodes of the main axis, 6.1–12.4 × 1.2–3.5 cm, petioles ca. 0.7 cm long. Bracteoles absent. Flowers 2.3–2.4 × 0.9 cm, 5–merous, pendant, with campanulate corollas. Pedicels 4.8–6.1 mm long, straight to slightly arcuate, puberulent. Hypanthium 3.4–3.9 × 3.1–3.6 mm, cupuliform, slightly costate, outer surface puberulent, inner surface glabrous; torus glabrous. Calyx opening regularly, outer surface puberulent, inner surface glabrous; tube 0.5–1.5 mm long; lobes 0.5–1.3 mm high, 2.5–3.0 mm wide, subtruncate, margin sinuate, each lobe with a conical projection, 0.4–0.5 mm long free from the apex of the lobe and not surpasses it. Corolla campanulate, petals pinkish orange, obscurely multiveined in the adaxial surface, glabrous, concave, 11.1–11.3 × 10.2–11.4 mm, 2.0– 2.4 mm wide at base, transversely obovate and slightly asymmetric, apex rotund, margin entire, somewhat revolute, base rotund to truncate, concave. Stamens 10, isomorphic, all bent to one side at anthesis giving the flower a zygomorphic appearance; filaments 4.4–5.8 mm long, reddish-purple, paler to the base, flat, glabrous; connectives prolonged below the thecae, reddish-purple, glabrous, with one dorsal conic, crown-shaped appendage, 0.2 mm long, acute, red to red-purple consisting of short, several blunt, irregular projections; anther 5.4–5.8 mm long, lanceolate, dark purple, glabrous, straight, opening by one dorsally inclined pore, thecae surface slightly corrugated. Ovary 5-locular, superior, free, 3.3 × 1.9 mm, oblong, purple, glabrous, truncate to the apex, whitish to the base, not exceeding the hypanthium length, separated 0.5 mm from the sinuate, glabrous torus; style 14.1–15.3 mm long, red, glabrous, slightly incurved at the apex and opposite to the anthers at anthesis; stigma punctiform and minutely papillate, 0.5 mm wide, purple. Fruits capsular, with persistent sepals and slightly costate hypanthium, mature ovary 4.0–4.7 × 4.1–4.9 mm, spheroid, sepals 1.6–1.8 mm high; fruiting pedicels 28.0– 29.8 mm long. Seeds not seen.

Distribution and habitat: — A population of approximately 8 individuals of Meriania judithiae has been found in the evergreen lower montane forests at the Southeastern Cordillera of the Andes, coded as BsBn02 according to the Ecosystem Classification System from Continental Ecuador (Ministerio del Ambiente del Ecuador, 2013). This presents a complex hilly topography consisting of steep slopes, valleys, and ravines, with an average annual rainfall shy of 2600 mm ( Báez et al. 2013). The population of the new species is located at about 1800 m a.s.l., within a private reserve near San Juan Bosco in the southern part of Morona Santiago Province, southeastern Ecuador ( Figs. 3 View FIGURE 3 , 4 View FIGURE 4 ). The local flora is represented by Cabralea canjerana (Vellozo 1829: 176) Martius (1843: 38) ( Meliaceae ); Blakea subvaginata Wurdack (1979: 347) and Meriania neillii H. Mendoza (2021: 85) ( Melastomataceae ); Ceratostema charianthum A.C. Smith (1950: 360) , Ceratostema sp. and Disterigma utleyorum Wilbur & Luteyn in Luteyn & Wilbur (1977: 259) ( Ericaceae ).

Conservation status: — Meriania judithiae is known only from the Siete Iglesias Municipal Conservation Area (ACMSI) type locality near San Juan Bosco. At present, only a few individual living specimens are known. The regions in the eastern foothills of the Andes are acutely threatened by deforestation carried out for cattle pastures, mining activities, slash-and-burn agriculture and infrastructure works. Nonetheless, the new species might be protected because it grows within or near the ACMSI. For a better assessment of its conservation, additional data on its distribution and abundance are required. We recommend Meriania judithiae be characterized as Data Defficient (DD) according to the IUCN red list ( IUCN 2024).

Etymology: —The new species is named after Judith A. Steck, mother of David R. Goucher who has been actively supporting botanical research, environmental education and conservation in the south of Morona Santiago province, Ecuador.

Taxonomic discussion: — Meriania judithiae belongs to a group of species distinguished by the campanulate, reddish-orange corollas and the lobed calyx, usually with claw-shaped dorsal projections ( Fernandez-Hilario et al. 2021) ( Fig. 5 View FIGURE 5 ). The new species is distinguished from other members of the group by the attenuate base of the leaves continuing down the petiole as wings and the presence of conical projections in the lobes of the calyx ( Figs. 6 View FIGURE 6 ). It is most similar to M. cuneifolia subsp. cuneifolia by the distant suprabasal venation and gradually tapering base of the leaves ( Fig. 7 View FIGURE 7 ); nevertheless, M. judithiae can be distinguished from the latter by the elliptic, long-acuminate leaves (vs. oblanceolate, abruptly acuminate), adaxially bullate (vs. flat) foliar surface, the shorter hypanthium (3.4–3.9 vs. 5.2 mm long), the calyx lobes that are not ruptured to the torus (vs. irregular ruptured to the torus), the shorter petals (11.1–11.3 vs. 13 mm long), the isomorphic (vs. dimorphic) stamens with shorter filaments no longer than 4.4–5.8 mm long (vs. 6.4–8.5 mm long), and the shorter thecae of up to 5.4–5.8 mm long (vs. thecae up to 5.3–8.3 mm long) ( Gleason 1947).

Both species have been reported in the southeastern Ecuadorian Andes and have not been found growing sympatrically. Meriania judithiae grows at elevations around 1800 m where it is restricted to the lower montane forests near the township of San Juan Bosco in Morona Santiago Province. On the other hand, according to the specimens of J. Steyermark 53543 (NY-00547958) mentioned by Wurdack (1980) and C. Chimbo & C. Chamba 89 (MO-1183106), M. cuneifolia subsp. cuneifolia inhabits higher elevations from 2100 to 2200 m where it grows in wet montane forests of the Morona Santiago and Zamora Chinchipe provinces. Considering the different ecological preferences, it is improbable there will be consistent gene flow between the two locations despite both being present in southeast Ecuador.

The new species is also similar to the Peruvian Meriania bongarana and the Colombian M. dimorphanthera , as they are also characterized by leaves mostly elliptic, anisophyllous, acuminate, with two pairs of secondaries (lateral nerves) and the acrodromous and suprabasal venation. However, M. judithiae is distinguished from M. bongarana by the attenuate leaf base (vs. cuneate), the bullate adaxial surface of the leaves (vs. flat), the shorter hypanthium of 3.4–3.9 mm long (vs. 6.5–7.0 mm long), the calyx with subtruncate lobes (vs. acute), each with a conical projection (vs. claw-shaped dorsal projection), the reddish-purple petals (vs. pink), the stamens with shorter filaments 5.4–5.8 mm long (vs. 8.0– 8.5 mm long), and the red, shorter style 14.1–15.3 mm long (vs. magenta, 25.5–27.0 mm long) ( Fernandez-Hilario et al. 2022).

Finally, Meriania judithiae is distinguished from M. dimorphanthera by the narrower, bullate leaf blades (vs. smooth) with the base being attenuate (vs. obtuse to rounded), the shorter hypanthium 3.4–3.9 mm long (vs. 3.5–6.0 mm long), the calyx lobes being subtruncate, not ruptured to the torus (vs. broadly triangular, subcalyptrate) with a conical projection in the apex (vs. dorsal teeth exceeding or not the lobe), the isomorphic stamens (vs. dimorphic) with shorter filaments 4.4–5.8 mm long (vs. 6.0– 10 mm long), the dorsal appendage of the connective crown-shaped (vs. dentiform), the shorter thecae 5.4–5.8 mm long (vs. 4.8–8.0 mm long), and the shorter style 14.1–15.3 mm long (vs. 14.0–23.0 mm long) ( Mendoza-Cifuentes 2021). A summary comparing these morphological characters between M. judithiae and the other species as mentioned above is provided in Table 1.

Additional specimen examined (paratype): — ECUADOR. Morona Santiago: San Juan Bosco. San Juan Bosco, Jungle Dave’s sendero al Cerro PDA, 1815 m, 22 Julio 2023 (fl.), M. Jiménez & H. Garzón 1810 (HUTPL 15146!).