Table Of ContentTWO NEW
TAXONOMICA
FOLIA OF
SPECIES BESLERIA
6.
FROM
THE VENEZUELAN GUAYANA
(GESNERIACEAE)
new
This paper the of a series describing species of Gesneriaceae from the Venezuelan Guayana.
is first
This region of Venezuela includes the states of Amazonas, Bolivar, and Delta Amacuro, totaling 454,000
km
50% new
2 The two
that represents of the area of Venezuela. species of the subfamily Gesnerioideae
&
Link described herein belong to Besleria L., tribe Beslerieae Bartl. H.L. Wendl., and were collected in the
Beskria
neblinae
Feuillet, sp. nov. (Fig. 1). VENEZUELA. Amazonas. Dept. Rio Negro: near Cerro de Neblina, swamp
Type: la
m
0.3-2 with Stem
Suffrutescent herb, often spreading, sub-horizontal branches. densely
slender,
tall, vil-
lous. Leaves of a pair mostly unequal: smaller leaves with petioles about 1/5 the length of those of the larger
leaves, blades about 1/3 the size of the larger; mature larger leaves with petioles 1.5-4.5 cm, densely villous;
9-19
blades x 3-5.5 cm, asymmetric, base
lanceolate often acute obtuse, occasionally nearly
to to
elliptic,
rounded, apex acute acuminate, margin serrulate and both surfaces with appressed trichomes,
to
ciliate,
indumentum loose between veins, dense and spreading on midrib and main veins, 8-12 main veins on each
mm
3-5
Inflorescences 1-2-flowered; pedicels densely Flowers with calyx
side. sessile, long, villous. hirsute,
mm
mm,
5.5-6
tube 1.5 long, lobes lanceolate, x 1.2-1.5 attenuate apex, slightly longer in corolla
at fruit;
mm,
white, horizontal in the calyx, glandular puberulent outside, prominently spurred, spur 5-5.5 x 2-3
mm mm mm
oblong, rounded, prolonging the tube base, tube 25-35 long, 3 wide base and 6
at at at throat,
mm
&
4x4
mm;
lobes yellow Davidse Miller 26864), suborbicular, 4 stamens about 25 long, anthers
(fide
mm
with thecae reniform encircling a round connective; staminode 3 long, with a linear anther;
1 sterile
Journal of the Botanical Research Institute of Texas 2(1)
&
Beslerianeblinae Stem with flowers, Gentry Stein 47253 (holotype: US); insets, flowers, id. (isotype: MO).
Feuillet.
Fig. 1
.
New
Feuillet, species of Besleria 271
dorsal glands fused into one, semi-annular, tongue-shaped, emarginate; ovary superior, ovoid, glabrous, 3
mm
mm
9x3
mm.
20 Young
long, style long, glabrous. fruits green, narrowly ovate, long-tapering,
—
hummocks swamp
grows wet and on
Distribution. Besleria neblinae in forests in forests in the southern
Amazonas
part of the Municipio Rio Negro, (Venezuela) near base Cerro de 100-140
the of Neblina,
la at
m
elevation. The Neblina massif is on the border with Brazil and possible that populations of this new
is
it
species are present in nearby
Brazil.
—
Blooming documented
Phenology. probably not seasonal, in February-March, May, November.
July,
0-20°
have
Besleria neblinae corollas a spur the base that prolongs the tube a angle
at at Fig. inset)
1
(cf.
and
displaces the attachment the receptacle in According Morton
to a lateral position. to (1939), this char-
acter places B. neblinae in sect. Neobesleria C.V. Morton. Furthermore, obsolete inflorescence peduncle
its
and
the size of the corolla limb indicate the species belongs to subsect. Axillares C.V. Morton, one of the two
subsections remain were
of sect. Neobesleria that after five transferred to the reinstated genus Gasteranthus
Benth. In the same subsection and from Amazonian and Venezuelan Guayana,
Brazil gibbosa (Poepp.)
B.
Hanst. also has white corollas, but B. neblinae differs by: the leaf blades which are clearly unequal in pair
a
1)
and
(versus equal or subequal) narrower, 2) the calyx lobes that are longer, narrower, and hirsute (versus
and
glabrous), 3) the dorsal glands that are smaller. In the specimen Liesner 17300, most pairs of leaves are
subequal but the smaller petioles are 1/2 as long as the larger ones which distinctive from gibbosa. The
is B.
&
made
collection TYiomas 3396 was in the same locality and the same day as the type collection, Gentry
Stein 47253. Although a different collection (W. Thomas, pers. com.), possible that both represent the
is
it
same
was and
population. This species Besleria "sp. B" in Feuillet Steyermark (1999).
—
named
known
Etymology. Besleria neblinae for Cerro de Neblina near the base of which the
is la
all
have been made.
collections
[ay 1984, W.W. Thomas 3396 (NY, US); Upper Cano Baria, 0°52'N, 66°15'W, 130 m, 26 Mar 1984,
ca.
nov
a
Feuillet, sp. (Fig.
2).
i
&
2195722
2614591).
m
Suffrutescent herb, spreading branches. Stem somewhat succulent, appressed-pubescent. Leaves
1 tall, of
mostly up
a pair unequal; smaller leaves with petioles to 1/4 the length of those of the larger leaves, blades
than 3-5
less 1/2 the length of the larger; mature larger leaf with petioles cm, appressed-pubescent; blades
4-6
11-20
x cm,
lanceolate asymmetric, base apex long acuminate, margin
to elliptic, slightly acute, serrulate,
adaxially glabrous, abaxially glabrous except for the midrib and main veins sparsely appressed-short-pilose,
mm
9-10 3-6
secondary on
each
veins side. Inflorescences sessile, 1-2-flowered; pedicels long, appressed-
pubescent. Flowers with calyx minutely appressed-pubescent,
lobes free to base, lanceolate-linear, attenuate
at
mm;
6-10
apex, x
2.5 corolla horizontal in the calyx, white, sparsely to moderately pilose outside, trichomes
6x4
mm,
with
spherical glandular prominently spurred, spur ovoid-oblong, rounded, prolonging
tip, the
mm mm mm
mm;
tube at base, tube 25 long, 4 wide at base and 2 at throat, lobes suborbicular, 5-6 x 1.5
cm
4 stamens about 2.5 long, anthers orbicular-reniform; staminode not seen; dorsal glands fused into one;
mm
ovary
superior, ovoid, glabrous, 3 long. Fruits not seen.
Distribution.— type yatuana bloom was made December
-The collection of Besleria in in in the flooded
forests along the upper-most Rio Yatua in the southern part of the Municipio Rio Negro, Amazonas (Ven-
Besleria yatuana shares with B. neblinae the characters that places both of them in subsect.
Axillares.
Journal of the Botanical Research Institute of Texas 2(1)
&
36729 bottom: nodes with
ig unequal leaves in a pair, Maguire, Wurdack Bunting (holotype: US);
New
273
Feuillet, species of Besleria
and but from one having
vhite corollas like B. gibbosa B. neblinae, differs the first in leaves that are
and appressed-pubescent (versus glabrous) calyx lobes, and smaller dorsal gland Besleria yatuana
its
differs from B. neblinae in having the leaf blades adaxially glabrous (versus appressed pubescent), the calyx
minutely appressed pubescent (versus hirsute), calyx lobes free to the base, and the slightly shorter corolla
yatuana was C" and Steyermark
Besleria Besleria "sp. in Feuillet (1999).
>e.
—
named
Etymology. yatuana the Rio Yatua near which the type specimens have been
Besleria is for col-
gibbosa
Leaves a pair equal or subequal; calyx lobes glabrous
in B.
3.
3. Leaves in a pair, at least the petiole, strongly unequal in a pair; calyx lobes hairy.
Stems, petioles, pedicels, and calyx appressed pubescent; leaf blades glabrous except for the main
4.
mm,
x
veins underneath; calyx lobes free to base, 6-1 2.5 appressed-pubescent B. yatuana
mm
and up
4. Stems, petioles, pedicels, calyx densely villous with lax spreading trichomes to 2 long;
mm
mm,
x
leaf blades with appressed trichomes; calyx tube long, lobes 5.5-6 1.2-1.5 hirsute
1.5
neblinae
B.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
am
grateful for the suggestions of Larry Skog, Jim Smith and an anonymous reviewer. want to thank the
I I
MO
NY
and and Solomon (MO)
curators of the herbaria for lending the material in their care, especially Jim
and Wayt Thomas
(NY) for the information about the collections cited. This paper published as No. 135
is
Program
Guiana
in the Smithsonian's Biological Diversity of the Shield publication
series.
REFERENCES
C
JA
and and
Steyermark. 1999. Gesneriaceae. Steyermark, RE. Berry, Yatskievych, Hoist,
Feuillet, In: J.A., K. B.K.
the Venezuelan Guayana, Garden 542-573.
Flora of vol. 5. Missouri Botanical Press, St. Louis. Pp.
A
Morton, 939. revision of Contr. Herb. 26(9):395-474.
G.V. Besleria. U.S. Natl.
1
