Ocotea bella Reveles & Ortiz-Rodr., 2025

Ocotea bella Reveles & Ortiz-Rodr. sp. nov.

Type.

Mexico • Veracruz, Uxpanapa, 700 m southwest from Progreso Chapultepec village , 17°14'12.1"N, 94°18'23.4"W, 73 m, 14 Apr 2024, Hurtado-Reveles L. 1994 (holotype: MEXU; isotypes: NY, MO) GoogleMaps .

Diagnosis.

Similar to Ocotea congregata in having clustered leaves with slightly bullate upper surface and condensed inflorescences, but differs from it in its narrowly elliptic to obovate leaves with acute to cuneate basis and shorter petioles, and by its smaller flowers with white tepals and reddish stamens (Table 1 View Table 1 ).

Description.

Trees, evergreen, 10–20 m tall, 15–20 cm DBH, bark smooth to slightly striate; twigs terete, densely covered with erect and adpressed, brown to light – brown trichomes, terminal buds 5–10 × 5–7 mm, densely covered with erect and adpressed golden sericeous trichomes. Leaves alternate-verticillate, clustered near the apex of branches (pseudo-verticillate), 3–8 × 13–30 cm, chartaceous, narrowly elliptic to obovate, apex acuminate to caudate, base acute to cuneate, often asymmetrical, upper surface slightly bullate, sparsely covered with erect light – brown trichomes, lower surface densely covered with erect light – brown trichomes, midrib slightly raised on the upper surface, prominently raised on the lower surface; secondary veins 9–12 on each side, slightly impressed above, prominently raised below; petiole swollen, 7–14 mm long, densely covered with erect and adpressed, brown to light – brown trichomes. Inflorescences condensed panicles, borne in the axils of distal leaves on recent growth, ca. 10 cm long, peduncles ca. 3 mm long, pedicels minute, the main axis, peduncles, pedicels and bracts densely covered with erect light – brown trichomes. Flowers bisexual, ca. 6 mm in diam.; tepals 6, subequal, white in anthesis, oblong, 2–2.5 × 1–1.5 mm, outer surface sparsely covered with adpressed, light – brown trichomes, inner surface glabrous or with trichomes only at the base; stamens 9, in three whorls, reddish in anthesis, ca. 1.5 mm long, filaments a third to half the length of the anther, densely covered with long hairs, as long as the filaments or as long as the stamens, anthers 4 – locular, pollen sacs arranged in two pairs, one above the other, those in the outer two whorls introrse, those of the third whorl latrorse-extrorse, stamens of the third whorl with two globose glands at the base, staminodes minute, stipitiform, sometimes absent, pistil glabrous, ovary ovoid, 1 mm long, 0.6 mm in diam, style glabrous, ca. 0.1 mm long, stigma barely trifid. Fruits (immature), ellipsoid, 5–7 × 6–8 mm, cupule trumpet-shaped, 15–20 × 6–9 mm, some tepals persistent.

Phenology.

This species has been found with flowers in April and with fruits in June and July.

Etymology.

The specific epithet refers to the remarkable beauty (from Latin bella = beautiful or pleasant) of the flowers and leaves of this species.

Distribution.

Ocotea bella is known only from the Uxpanapa region in Veracruz, in Southern Mexico (Fig. 4 View Figure 4 ).

Ecology and habitat.

Ocotea bella inhabits tropical rainforests on reddish clay-rich soils, with a mean annual temperature of 25 ° C and a mean annual precipitation of 3450 mm. It has been collected at the base of north-facing hill slopes near a small stream.

Conservation status.

We currently lack the necessary information to assess definitively the conservation status of Ocotea bella . However, based on application of the criteria established by the IUCN ( IUCN 2012, 2024), we conclude tentatively that the species is Critically Endangered [CR B 2 ab (ii, iii)]. Its area of occupancy (AOO) is 4.0 km, within the limits of Critically Endangered status under criterion B. The species is known from a single location (sensu IUCN 2024), also within the limit of the Critically Endangered status. In addition, the species appears to be rare. We found only one mature individual within an area of approximately 2 km 2. Moreover, this species is not found within any protected natural areas, and it faces threats from deforestation and unsustainable practices such as logging, fires, and illegal settlements. Thus, we project that the ongoing loss of its habitat will induce a strong continuous decline of its AOO.

Notes.

Among the species of Ocotea helicterifolia group, the reddish stamens of Ocotea bella are unique and distinguish it very well from any other species. It is an unusual character among neotropical Lauraceae . Additionally, the clustered leaves in this group seem restricted to northern Mesoamerica, ranging from Mexico to Honduras. Among the species with clustered leaves, the species most similar to Ocotea bella is Ocotea congregata van der Werff , endemic to Chiapas, Mexico (Fig. 4 View Figure 4 ). Vegetatively, Ocotea congregata is distinguished from Ocotea bella by its smaller, broadly elliptical leaves, with rounded basis, obtuse to acute apex, and long petioles (Table 1 View Table 1 ). Additionally, Ocotea congregata prefers montane forests (around 1500 m altitude) whilst Ocotea bella is restricted to lowland forests (200–300 m altitude).