Pelliciera benthamii (Planch. & Triana) N.C.Duke, 2020

1. Pelliciera benthamii (Planch. & Triana) N.C.Duke View in CoL , comb. nov. & stat. nov. — Fig. 1 View Fig , 3 View Fig ; Map 1

Pelliciera rhizophorae Planch.& Triana (‘ Pelliceria ’) var.(ss) benthamii Planch. & Triana in Triana & Planch. (1862) 381. — Type: Sutton Hayes 76 (holo K!), Panama, Pacific entrance to the Canal, Rio Grande.

Pelliciera rhizophorae View in CoL auct. non Planch. & Triana: Triana & Planch. (1862) 381, p.p.; M. Howe (1911) 61, f. 16–23,p.p.; E.Calderón (1982) 102;(1983) 102; Von Prahl (1987) 118, p.p.; Castillo-Cárdenas et al. (2015b) 503, t. 2, as ‘Variant B’, p.p.

Etymology. The epithet ‘ benthamii ’ honours the 19th century botanist

George Bentham.

Trees, to 5 m high. Foliage comprised of 9–11 leaves, apical shoots 6.4–9.8 cm long. Leaves 9.5–12.2 by 2.8–3.2 cm, 3.4–4 times longer than wide, widest 5.0– 6.4 cm from base, wide-side 1.7–1.9 cm wide, margins dentate with glands, 13–15 per 20 mm in central part of blade, often shed with age, distance of furthest gland from leaf base 0.9–1.1 cm ( Fig. 1 View Fig ). Bracts 8.2–9.2 by 2.9–3 cm, 2.7–3.2 times longer than wide, widest 2.8–3.9 cm from base, narrow-side dentition often present, wide-side dentition present, length of non-dentate portion 1.6–1.7 cm, teeth 12–22 per 2 cm ( Fig. 1 View Fig ); bracteoles narrow, 7.3–8.9 by 2.5–3 cm, 2.9–3.1 times longer than wide, widest 4.1–4.4 cm from base, narrow-side dentition absent, wide-side dentition present mostly towards distal end ( Fig. 1 View Fig ), mostly red or rarely whitish green. Flowers: sepals 1.7–2.2 by 1.3–1.7 cm, 1.3–1.4 times longer than wide, glands 99–280, gland-free margin at apex 5.6–7.7 mm wide, gland-free margin at sides 2.9–3.1 mm long; petals lanceolate, 6.3–7.4 by 1.4–1.6 cm, 3.8–5.2 times longer than wide, widest 0.9–1.3 cm from base, pink or red with a white midvein, rarely white; anthers 2.6–3.3 cm long; pistil 5.9–7.5 cm long, ovary 2.8–4.1 by 5–5.2 mm, style 3.2–3.4 cm by 2.6–2.8 mm, surface percentage ribbed vs smooth 47–54 %. Fruits c. 9.3 by 5.5 by 4 cm, c. 1.7 times longer than wide, less than 1.5 cm in width; wall to 6 mm thick at base. Paired cotyledons c. 5.5 by 4.7 by 3 cm, c. 1.2 times longer than wide, individually c. 1.6 cm wide, plumule base c. 0.7 cm wide, stem base c. 0.6 cm wide.

Distribution — Pelliciera benthamii has a restricted distribution (less than 15 sites) in the Atlantic-East Pacific region, partly on the Pacific coast of Panama, but also on the Atlantic coast of northern Colombia.

Habitat & Ecology — Pelliciera benthamii often grows in closed canopy stands, or as undercanopy in forests dominated by other species like Rhizophora racemosa G.Mey. and P. rhizophorae . It occurs mostly in estuarine locations within larger freshwater dominated tidal systems. Plants are evergreen with leaf emergence and leaf fall occurring all year round. Flowering:April to June; fruiting: November to December ( Duke & Pinzón 1993a –b). Flowers were visited by various nectar eating birds, moths, bats and hummingbirds. Hummingbirds were observed gathering nectar from individual stand patches by way of trapline foraging. The sugar content of flower nectaries was around 11.8 ± 1.6 % w/w fructose, 14.4 ± 1.5 % w/w glucose and 15.7 ± 3.7 % w/w sucrose. In addition, there were extra-floral nectaries at the base of each leaf, the use of which appeared to support ants and other insects, as well as hummingbirds ( Von Prahl 1987, Gutiérrez et al. 1989).

Conservation status — Populations of P. benthamii are often distant from each other, and propagules are buoyant and considered likely to be dispersed by water ( Rabinowitz 1978a –b). Genetic evidence indicates that there has been minimal gene flow between populations ( Castillo-Cárdenas et al. 2015a –b). The total area of occupancy is less than 100 km 2. The quality of habitat for this rare mangrove species is seriously threatened where it occurs close to human development. The conservation status of this newly recognised taxon is best listed as Vulnerable and Threatened (see http://www.iucnredlist.org/).

Additional specimens examined. COLOMBIA, Atlantic coast,near Cartegena, N10°08' W75°35', 6 Aug. 1985, Zarucchi JL 3971 ( MO, PMA) GoogleMaps ; Atlantic coast, Bolivar, Isla Baru, N10°08' W75°42', 6 Aug. 1985, Zarucchi & Cuadros 3971 ( K, MO) GoogleMaps . – PANAMA, Pacific coast, Chame, Chame Point, 2014, Ramirez & Castillo 100446, 99753 ( PMA) ; Canal Zone , Balboa, Dec. 1909, Howe n.s. ( NY) ; Canal Zone , Pacific entrance to the Canal, east of Santa Fe east, 16 July 1966, Tyson, Dwyer, Blum & Duke 4678 ( K) ; Canal Zone , Diablo Heights, 2014, ‘ Variant B’, Buitrago & Castillo 109428, 99839 ( PMA) .