DOI: 10.5091/plecevo.160648

Authors: Diego Villar-Morales, Alejandra Moreno-Letelier, Marcelo Rodrigo Pace, Miguel Ángel Pérez-Farrera

Abstract: Background and aims – Chamaedorea is the largest genus of neotropical palms distributed mainly in lowland rainforests and montane cloud forests from Mexico to Bolivia. Species delimitation in this genus remains problematic due to high morphological variation and inconsistent taxonomic treatment of such variation. Chamaedorea elatior, a climbing species from southern Mexico and northern Central America, exemplifies these challenges with several historical synonyms and informally recognized morphotypes. This study evaluates the morphological variation in vegetative characters between this species’ most characteristic two morphotypes, cespitose and solitary, to evaluate their taxonomic distinctiveness. Material and methods – Six populations of C. elatior were sampled in Mexico and Guatemala, representing both solitary and cespitose morphotypes. Thirteen morphological leaf characters were measured from mature individuals. Data were examined using univariate and multivariate analyses (NMDS, k-means clustering, PCA, MANOVA, LDA) to evaluate morphological variation between the morphotypes and populations. Discriminant analyses were also used to assess classification into either morphotype. Key results – Univariate analyses revealed significant differences between morphotypes in most measured characters, mainly those associated with leaf size. Similarity analyses recovered both morphotypes as being distinct from each other. PCA showed notable separation of the morphotypes along the first component that summarized leaf and median leaflet size. Both MANOVA and LDA confirmed significant differences between morphotypes and resulted in high accuracy classification. Conclusion – Leaf morphology clearly distinguishes the solitary and cespitose morphotypes of C. elatior, supporting their potential delimitation as separate species. The branching habit of the cespitose form further reinforces this distinction. While current results support species-level recognition, additional evidence from reproductive characters, niche, and genetic divergence is recommended to confirm a possible species delimitation.

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DOI: 10.5091/plecevo.161641

Authors: Ivan Pančo, Paul Temple, Geovanys Rodríguez Cobas, Noel Coutin Lobaina, Ivana Matisova, Yoannis Domínguez

Abstract: Background and aims – Pinguicula is a cosmopolitan genus of carnivorous plants with more than 100 species, most of them distributed in two centres of diversity: Europe and the Central American-Caribbean region. Fourteen species are reported for Cuba. During fieldwork to study Pinguicula populations in eastern Cuba, a white-flowered taxon, previously misidentified as Pinguicula albida or Pinguicula jaraguana, was collected in the mountainous regions of the Alejandro de Humboldt National Park. This taxon represents a new species for which we present a full description, a distribution map, illustrations, photographs, and a conservation status. Material and methods – Living and preserved material of several populations of white-flowered Pinguicula from Cuba were analysed, measured, and described based on vegetative and reproductive characters. Statistical analyses were carried out to explore the differences among the collections. The preliminary conservation status of the new species was assessed based on the IUCN guidelines and criteria. Key results – Pinguicula panfetiae is described as a new species endemic to eastern Cuba. It thrives on permanently wet, ferritic soils derived from serpentine bedrocks, on slopes above the banks of the River Toa in association with surrounding semi-arid montane serpentine shrubwood (charrascal). It differs from the closely related species, Pinguicula albida and Pinguicula jaraguana, primarily by its smaller rosettes with obovate, suberect to erect leaves, non-involute leaf margins, smaller flowers up to 1–1.3 cm including the spur, longer (0.6–0.7 mm) and wider (0.18–0.22 mm) seeds, and that it grows in full sun. Conclusion – The newly described species increases the number of Pinguicula in the Cuban archipelago to 15. Pinguicula panfetiae is preliminarily assessed as Critically Endangered (CR) according to the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria.

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DOI: 10.5091/plecevo.127900

Authors: Jhon S. Murillo-Serna, Isabel Carmona-Gallego, Francisco J. Roldán, Julio A. Sierra-Giraldo, Fernando Alzate-Guarín

Abstract: Background and aims – Ongoing studies on Colombian mistletoes revealed an undescribed species of Maracanthus (Loranthaceae) endemic to the Colombian Eastern Cordillera (Cordillera Oriental). This species is described and illustrated here, and a checklist of the species accepted in Maracanthus is also provided, including a taxonomic key, references to the known iconography of the genus, and taxonomic and geographic comments. Material and methods – This study is based on a literature review according to the International Code of Nomenclature for Algae, Fungi, and Plants, examination of herbarium specimens using physical specimens and digital images, and morphological studies based on samples from dried and rehydrated specimens. Key results – A detailed morphological analysis revealed that the new species is part of the little-known genus Maracanthus. The dichotomous key, as well as the taxonomic and geographic notes, allow users to recognise the five known species in this genus, showing that they occur in restricted distribution areas.

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