DECEMBER 1990 MEMOIRS OF THE NEW YORK BOTANICAL GARDEN 64:229-234

Tapirira bethanniana () and piresii subsp. viridipetala (Lecythidaceae), Two New Taxa from Central French Guiana

SCOTT A. MORl AND JOHN D. MITCHELL

Abstract

MORI, S. A. AND J. D. MITCHELL (New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, NY 10458-5126, U.S.A.). Tapirira bethanniana (Anacardiaceae) and Eschweilera piresii subsp. viridipetala (Lecythidaceae), two new taxa from central French Guiana. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 64: 229-234. 1990. Continuation of the botanical exploration program of the New York Botanical Garden in the Guianas has revealed two new taxa from central French Guiana. Descriptions and illustrations are provided for Tapirira bethanniana Mitchell, sp. nov. (Anacardiaceae) and Eschweilera piresii Mori subsp. viridipetala Mori, subsp. nov. (Lecy­ thidaceae). The relationships of the new taxa are discussed and a key to the neotropical species of Tapirira is provided.

232

Eschweilera piresii Mori subsp. viridipetala Mori, Eschweilera piresii subsp. viridipetala Mori ab subsp. nov. Type. French Guiana. Saiil, 3°37'N, . omnibus generis speciebus petalis 5 (nec 4 nec 53°12'W, top of La Fumee Mountain, in vi­ 6), viridibus (nec albis, ftavis, roseis, nec rubris), cinity ofjunction ofthe main La Fumee Trail cortice fissurato incisura rubra (cortis interni in­ and Antenne Nord ofthe La Fumee Trail, ca. cisi color), et fructo relative minore (ad 2.5 x 400 malt., 4 Sep 1989 (fr), S. Mori et al. 20800 4.5 cm operculoexcluso), necnon calycis cica­ (holotype NY, isotype CAY). Fig. 2. tricibus evidentibus et lignosis differt. 1990] MORl AND MITCHELL: NEW TAXA FROM FRENCH GUIANA 233

lem.

FIG. 2. Eschweilera piresii subsp. viridipetala. A. Habit and infructescence. B. Top view offlower. C. Medial section ofandroecial hood. D. Bottom offmit. A, D (Mori et al. 20800), B, C (Mori et al. 20805).

Trees, to 40 m x 65 cm, with steep, thick largest 2.5 x 4.5 cm (excluding operculum), the buttresses. Bark fissured, the outer bark 1-2 mm calycine ring inserted slightly above middle, the thick, the inner bark 10 mm thick, red, the sap­ calyx lobes persisting as woody knobs. wood yellow. Leaves widely elliptic, obtuse to Distribution and ecology. Known only from rounded, base obtuse to rounded, 5-7 x 3-5 cm, the type locality in central French Guiana. Esch­ glabrous, without punctae, coriaceous, with 8­ wei/era piresii subsp. viridipetala is apparently a 11 pairs of lateral veins, margins entire; petiole rare subspecies found in the lowland moist, non­ 5 mm long. Infructescence axillary, unbranched, flooded forest surrounding Saiil, French Guiana. the rachis to 4 cm long, glabrous, the fruits ses­ This vegetation has been described in detail by sile. Flowers 15-20 mJ;Illong x 13-15 mm wide Mori and Boom (l987a). The new subspecies is at anthesis; petals 5(-6), two cucullate, these erect known by only two individuals located several or arched over posterior (closed) end ofandroe­ hundred meters off the trail system to the north­ cium, three flattened, these oriented toward an­ east ofthe junction between the main La Furore terior (open) end ofandroecium, widely obovate, Trail and Antenne Nord of this trail (see fig. V­ 7-14 x 5-10 mm, green; hood of androeciuro I in Mori & Boom, 1987b). lOx 10 rom, broad at base, pointed at apex, forming double, inward coil, white; staminal ring Specimens examined. FRENCH GUIANA. SaUl, with ca. 150 stamens, these extending all the way 3°37'N, 53°l2'W, top of La Fumee Mountain, in vi­ up ligule, the filaments ca. 1mmlong, the anthers cinity of junction of the main La Fumee Trail and ca. 0.3 mm long. Fruits broadly cup-shaped, the Antenne Nord of the La Fumee Trail, ca. 400 malt., 234 MEMOIRS OF THE NEW YORK BOTANICAL GARDEN [VOL. 64

4 Sep 1989 (fls from ground only), S. Mori et at. 20805 paring the Latin descriptions under the super­ (CAY, NY). vision of Rupert Bameby. We thank the Fund Relationships. Eschweilera piresii subsp. virid­ for Neotropical Research ofThe New York ipetala is unique in the because ofits green Botanical Garden for supporting our field work in French Guiana and for providing the funds petals, which are rare in neotropical Lecythidace­ ae. Until now, green petals were only known in for the preparation of the illustrations. We ap­ poiteaui Berg, a night-flowering, bat­ preciate the help Carol Gracie provided in typing pollinated species ofthe Guayana floristic prov­ and checking the manuscript. ince, and rimosa W. Rodrigues subsp. rimosa ofcentral Amazonian Brazil. This Literature Cited is also the first taxon of Eschweilera known to have five petals. The two posterior petals are Buck, W. R. 1990. Bassett Maguire-A perspective. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 64: 29-33. cucullate and are erect or slightly arched over the Cremers, G., C. FeuiIIet, J.-J. de Granville, M. Hoff, closed end of the andoecium. The three other C. A. Gracie & S. A. Mod. 1988. Inventaire des petals are more or less flattened and oriented phanerogames et des pteridophytes de la region de toward the open end ofthe flower (Fig. 2). Most SaUl (Guyane Fran~aise). Communication de species of Eschweilera have six petals, although "AUBLET"-La Banque de Donnees Botaniques de I'Herbier du Centre ORSTOM de Cayenne a few species (Eschweilera perumbonata Pittier (CAY), Communication 11: 1-73. and the three species ofEschweilerasect. Tetra­ Granville, J.-J. de. 1975. Projets de reserves bo­ petala) have four petals (Mori & Prance, 1990). taniques et forestieres en Guyane. Office de la Re­ In the field, E. piresii subsp. viridipetala is cherche Scientifique et Technique Outre-Mer. Centre ORSTOM de Cayenne. characterized by its fissured external bark and --. Manuscript. Priority conservation areas in reddish inner bark, a rare combination in those French Guiana. Manuscript prepared for work­ species ofLecythidaceae for which bark features shop on "A definition ofpriority conservation ar­ are known. eas in Amazonia," Manaus, Brazil, 11-20 January The leaves and fruit ofE. piresii subsp. viridi­ 1990. Lindeman, J. C. & S. A. Mori. 1989. The Guianas. petala are morphologically similar to those ofE. Pages 375-390 in D. G. Campbell & H. D. Ham­ piresii subsp. piresii, a subspecies ofeastern Am­ mond (eds.), Floristic inventory of tropical coun­ azonian Brazil (Mori & Prance, 1990). The sta­ tries. The New York BotanicalGarden, New York. mens of both subspecies extend from the sta­ Mori, S. A. & B. M. Boom. 1987a. The forest. In S. A. Mori & collaborators, The Lecythidaceae ofa minal ring up the ligule to the androecial hood. lowland neotropical forest: La Fumee Mountain, However, E. piresii subsp. piresii has white petals French Guiana. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 44: which are either five or six in number. The extant 9-29. collections of subsp. piresii lack sufficient flow­ --& --. 1987b. Location. In S. A. Mori & ering material to allow me to confirm my earlier collaborators, The Lecythidaceae of a lowland neotropical forest: La Fumee Mountain, French observation that petal number is six in this sub­ Guiana. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 44: 44-54. species. More complete collections of both sub­ --& G. T. Prance. 1990. Lecythidaceae':""'Part species are needed, especially those that include II: The zygomorphic-flowered New World genera observations on the bark, and collections of the (, Corythophora, Bertholletia, Coura­ flowers of subsp. piresii. tari, Eschweilera, & Lecythis). Fl. Neotrop. Mon­ ogr. 21(11): 1-375.

Acknowledgments

We are grateful to Bobbi Angell for the illus­ trations and to Maria Lucia Kawasaki for pre­