Tuesday, September 1, 2020

[Botany • 2020] Sciodaphyllum zarucchii (Araliaceae) • A New Species from Antioquia, Colombia [Studies in Neotropical Araliaceae. V]


Sciodaphyllum zarucchii M. M. Mora, Lowry, Idárraga, Jiménez-Mont. & G. M. Plunkett 

 in Mora, Lowry, Plunkett, ... et Raven, 2020.

 Abstract
Sciodaphyllum zarucchii M. M. Mora, Lowry, Idárraga, Jiménez-Mont. & G. M. Plunkett (Araliaceae) is described as a new species in honor of James L. Zarucchi (1952–2019). It occurs in humid premontane and montane forests on the western slope of the Cordillera Occidental in the department of Antioquia, Colombia, where it is known from only two localities, one of which is highly threatened by forest clearing. A risk of extinction assessment using the IUCN Red List criteria reveals that S. zarucchii is Endangered. 

 KEYWORDS: Andes, Araliaceae, conservation status, Neotropics, new species, Schefflera, Sciodaphyllum


Figure 2. Holotype of Sciodaphyllum zarucchii M. M. Mora, Lowry, Idárraga, Jiménez-Mont. & G. M. Plunkett (Zarucchi, Brandt & Castaño 5634, MO). 


Figure 1. Photos of Sciodaphyllum zarucchii M. M. Mora, Lowry, Idárraga, Jiménez-Mont. & G. M. Plunkett.
-A. Branch with young infructescence. -B. Leaf (note absence of stipular ligule at the base of each of the three petioles, indicated by arrows). -C. Inflorescence branch with flower buds (note yellowing stipular ligule about to abscise from petiole base of the uppermost leaf, indicated by an arrow). -D. Heads with immature fruits.
From Jiménez et al. 2295 (HUA). Photographs by J. Jiménez-Montoya.

 Sciodaphyllum zarucchii M. M. Mora, Lowry, Idárraga, Jiménez-Mont. & G. M. Plunkett

Etymology. This tree is named in honor of James L. Zarucchi (1952–2019), who joined the staff of the Missouri Botanical Garden in 1983. Both in the course of his doctoral studies at Harvard University (Ph.D.,1982) and for his first 13 years at the Garden, Jim concentrated on Latin American plants. He notably collected and encouraged studies of the flora of the Andes, especially in the departments of Antioquia and Vaupes, Colombia, coincidentally describing the genus Quiotania Zarucchi (Apocynaceae), its name an anagram for that of the Colombian Department of Antioquia. In 1996, Jim was named Managing Editor of the Flora of North America project, making an extensive contribution of great importance in that role for the remaining 23 years of his life (Ulloa et al., 2019). 


M. Marcela Mora, Porter P. Lowry II, Gregory M. Plunkett, Álvaro Idárraga-Piedrahíta, Jáider Jiménez-Montoya and Peter H. Raven. 2020. Studies in Neotropical Araliaceae. V. Sciodaphyllum zarucchii (Araliaceae), A New Species from Antioquia, Colombia, Honoring James L. Zarucchi (1952–2019). Novon: A Journal for Botanical Nomenclature. 28(2); 94-99. DOI: 10.3417/2020540