NoteS oN the FLoWer, FrUit, aNd the reprodUctive pheNoLogy oF the eLUSive OTTOSCHULZIA RHODOXYLON EUGENIO SANTIAGO-VALENTÍN1, 2 AND ELSON VIRUET-OQUENDO1 Abstract. We present a morphological description of the flower and fruit of Ottoschulzia rhodoxylon based on material collected at Hacienda La Esperanza Nature Reserve, Puerto Rico, cultivated material, as well as on data in herbarium specimens. Plants of Ottoschulzia rhodoxylon bear hermaphrodite flowers, and at least some appear to be fully functional. We also summarize phenological data for the species: flowering occur at the beginning of the rainy season, especially June; fruits develop further, until November. Resumen. Se presenta una descripción morfológica de la flor y el fruto deOttoschulzia rhodoxylon, con base en material recolectado en la Reserva Natural Hacienda La Esperanza, Puerto Rico, en material cultivado, así como de datos de especímenes de herbario. Las plantas de Ottoschulzia rhodoxylon producen flores hermafroditas, algunas de las cuales parecen completamente funcionales. También se resumen datos fenológicos para la especie: la floración ocurre a comienzo de la época de lluvias, especialmente en junio; los frutos se desarrollan posterior- mente, hasta noviembre. Keywords: floral morphology, greater antilles, icacinaceae, Ottoschulzia, phenology The genus Ottoschulzia (Icacinaceae sensu of the genus. Unfortunately, fertile specimens stricto, Kårehed, 2001; Lens et al., 2008) available at that time were sparse, and prevented was established by Ignatz Urban (1912), the author from completing the morphogical and comprises four species of trees from the description of reproductive structures in O. Greater Antilles (O. cubensis Urb. in Cuba, O. rhodoxylon and O. domingensis. In 1982, domingensis Urb. in Hispaniola, O. rhodoxylon Liogier published the first volume of his “Flora Urb. in Hispaniola and Puerto Rico) and de la Española,” in which was included a Southern Mexico-Guatemala (O. pallida treatment of the Icacinaceae from that island, Lundell). The Greater Antillean species were and a description of the fruit of O. domingensis the first to be described and for a long time, (Liogier, 1982). This left O. rhodoxylon as the the genus was considered endemic to that least documented in the botanical literature. A archipelago (Howard, 1942; Lundell, 1975). century has elapsed since Urban’s description of Urban described Ottoschulzia rhodoxylon in O. rhodoxylon and very little has been reported 1908 (originally as Poraqueiba) on the basis of regarding the reproductive characteristics of the sterile material, and described O. domingensis species (U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 1994; in 1912 with flowering material only (Urban, Axelrod, 2011). It is striking, because at least 1908, 1912). A later study on the Icacinaceae a handful of specimens with flowers or fruits of the New World by Howard (1942) included have been collected since Howard’s treatment a treatment for the three species of the genus of 1942. Furthermore, we have acquired that were known by then (i.e., the Antillean additional understanding on the reproduction species). This valuable contribution includes of the species, as the result of phenological detailed vegetative descriptions, vegetative observations carried out by us. Here we aim keys, and agglutinated taxonomic knowledge to summarize existing data on the flower, the This work received the support of voluntaries of the project “citizen Science Laboratory at hacienda La esperanza Reserve,” and the Conservation Trust of Puerto Rico. Thanks to the University of Puerto Rico for time and facilities. We are grateful to the staff of herbaria GH, MAPR, SJ, UPR, and UPRRP for access to examine specimens, especially to Melinda peters (gh), Jeanine vélez (Mapr), José Sustache (SJ), James ackerman (Uprrp), and Franklin axelrod (Uprrp). alberto López provided photos of fresh flowers ofOttoschulzia rhodoxylon. rodrigo duno de Stefano (centro de investigación científica de yucatán) kindly provided important references and commentaries. this project was supported by NSF grant ehr-0638966 to the conservation trust of puerto rico and NSF grant hrd-0734826 to the center for applied tropical ecology and conservation of the University of puerto rico. any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation or the conservation trust of puerto rico. this is scientific contribution number 007 of the herbarium of the University of Puerto Rico Botanical Garden (UPR). 1 departamento de Biología, Universidad de puerto rico-río piedras, apartado 23360, San Juan, puerto rico 00931-3360 2 Author for correspondence; [email protected] Harvard Papers in Botany, vol. 18, No. 1, 2013, pp. 61–65. © president and Fellows of harvard college, 2013. 62 harvard paperS iN BotaNy vol. 18, No. 1 fruit and the phenology of O. rhodoxylon. for its conservation, because the species was the information is of significance for the designated as federally-endangered in 1990 (U. systematics of the taxon, but it is also important S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 1994). MATERIALS AND METHODS Phenology the four major herbaria in puerto rico (Mapr, Monthly phenological observations were SJ, UPR, and UPRRP), as well as specimens carried out from december 2008 to November at GH. We also examined material of the other 2009 in trees occurring at the top of a limestone three species in the genus deposited in these knoll or mogote, within the Hacienda La herbaria. The oldest herbarium specimens of Esperanza Nature Reserve (HLENR). The Ottoschulzia rhodoxylon with fertile material area was classified by ewel and Withmore examined date from 1940 (L. E. Gregory (1973) as a subtropical moist forest. Additional 437), and 1950 (E. L. Little 13239). Both observations were carried out throughout 2010 were overlooked because they were originally and until June of 2011. We also examined misidentified and filed as Maytenus laevigata specimens in Herbaria GH, MAPR, SJ, UPR, (vahl) grisebach ex eggers. in the 1990’s and Uprrp to assess flower and fruit phenology. fertile material was collected (Breckon 4245, Flower and Fruit Morphology 4272, 4280; Santiago 128a, 128b) as part of We examined flower material collected at field surveys on the species supported by the HLENR in the Municipality of Manatí, Puerto U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service (1994). Labels rico, flowers from cultivated material at Upr- in specimens by Breckon include general Río Piedras Campus, specimens deposited in descriptions of the flower. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Phenology hairs; the peduncles 4.5–9.8 mm long; with the flowering period of Ottoschulzia small lanceolate-ovate bractlet at apex below rhodoxlon was short. Few buds and flowers each flower (Fig. 3). pedicels short, 0.5–1 occurred from April to May, but there was an mm long, thick, articulate at base, flowers of explosive flowering in June. this pattern inflorescences of 1–3(–5) flowers sometimes coincides with the beginning of the rainy sessile. Calyx campanulate, 1–1.4 mm long, season in Puerto Rico in May. We have found, fleshy, strigose in the outer surface, with reddish as part of ongoing studies on the vegetation or chestnut brown hairs, the inner surface of HLENR, that many plant species of this glabrous; the 5 sepals slightly imbricate at base, moist karst initiate their reproduction at the deltoid to ovate-deltoid, 0.8–1. mm long, with beginning or during the rainy season (from obtuse apex, ciliolate. Corolla with 5 lobules, May to december). No flowers were recorded fleshy, valvate, united at the base into a short in other months of the year at the reserve. tube (gamopetalous) 0.5–0.7 mm high, the Our observations are similar to data from tube glabrous. The petals ovate to narrowly herbarium specimens examined, in which buds ovate, 3 mm long, 1.5–1.8 mm on its widest and flowers were present in May, June, and part, reflexed, densely strigose-pubescent, with July. an exception is a specimen with flow- chestnut brown-colored malpighiaceous hairs ers and buds in december (L. E. Gregory 437). on the outer surface, except on the short tube Young fruits were observed in August formed at the base of the corolla; petals glabrous at HLENR. Seedlings from previous years inside, the inner surface with a prominent were observed in the reserve, indicating that narrow keel, and two longitudinal furrows recruiting is occurring at the site. The species along sides of the keel (Fig. 2), the inner margin has been collected in fruit elsewhere in and the keel minutely papillate. Stamens 5, Puerto Rico in March (Liogier 34035), July alternate with petals, borne at apex of corolla (Proctor 39361), September (Axelrod 2949, tube, 2–2.2 mm long; filaments 0.5 mm long, Proctor 47167), October (Monsegur 240), and thick, 0.5 mm wide; anthers basifixed, sagittate, November (Monsegur 252). 1.8 mm long, tapering from base to the acute- Flower and Fruit Morphology acuminate apex, the anthers arching inward and Inflorescence reduced axillary panicle-like overlapping at apex (Figs. 1–2), sparse minute or raceme-like cyme, with 1–3 (–5) flowers papillate apically, with minute malpighiaceous (Figs. 1–2); the inflorescences finely pubescent, hairs dorsally, dehiscent along lateral edges. with reddish brown or chestnut brown short pistil with no disk, 1–2mm long; ovary ovate, 2013 SaNtiago aNd virUet, NOTES ON OTTOSCHULZIA RHODOXYLON 63 glabrous, smooth, thick and conical above, about apiculate, the peduncles usually short, thick; 0.7–1.5 mm long, 1-loculate; ovule pendulous calyx persistent at base, the pericarp thin, the (Fig. 4). Fruit an ovoid drupe, up to 2.5 long locule pubescent inside; 1-seeded, the seed up and up to 2.2 cm in width, smooth, obscurely to 2 cm long. FIGURES 1–2. Ottoschulzia rhodoxylon. 1, inflorescences; 2, flower, exhibiting a prominent narrow keel in the inner side of the petals, along two longitudinal furrows along sides of the keel.