New species of Anthurium (Araceae) from the Cordillera del Cóndor, Ecuador

Publication Type:Journal Article
Year of Publication:2010
Authors:Croat, T. B., JACKSON, A. L. A. N. A., Kostelac C. V.
Journal:Willdenowia. Mitteilungen aus dem Botanischen Garten und Museum Berlin-Dahlem. Berlin-Dahlem
Volume:40
Start Page:123
Pagination:136
ISSN:0511-9618
Keywords:aroids, Morona-Santiago Province, taxonomy, Zamora-Chinchipe Province
Abstract:

Seven new species of Anthurium, A. achupallense, A. bogneri, A. clarkei, A. collettianum, A. miaziense, A. nangar itense and A. patens, and one new variety, A. versicolor var. azuayense, are described as new to science from the Cordillera del Cóndor, an isolated mountain range in SE Ecuador along the border of Peru.

URL:http://dx.doi.org/10.3372/wi.40.40106
DOI:10.3372/wi.40.40106
Full Text

The Cordillera del Cóndor is a massive outcrop of lime stone overtopped by sandstone, which lies along the Peruvian border in SE Ecuador and is isolated from the remainder of the Ecuadorian Cordillera Oriental and the Andes. It is bordered on the west and the north by the Rio Nangaritza, which flows into the Rio Santiago. The latter river system borders the Cordillera del Condor to the east. The elevation ranges from 1000 to 2500 m. This isolated region has been shown to have many endemic species, especially on the upper nutrient-poor sandstone cap, which lies roughly between 1500 and 2000 m and overlays a thick layer of karst limestone. It has been poorly explored due to the incredible difficulty in reaching the summit owing to the nearly perpendicular sides of the massif. The senior author has collected eight times in the vicinity of the Cordillera del Cóndor, with the last five trips involving penetration into the lower slopes of the massif. The first trip to the region was in May 1980, followed by trips in March 1992, August 1999, September 2002, May 2003 (taken with student Mark Menke), July 2004 (taken with Lynn Hannon, Greg Walhert and Tuntiak Kua), April 2006 and in September 2007 (with Geneviève Ferry, Chris Davidson and Sharon Christoph). This paper is the first of several describing new species from the Cordillera del Condor region and adjacent areas in SE Ecuador. Classification of the forest vegetation in the habitat notes of the new species follows Holdridge & al. (1971).

Scratchpads developed and conceived by (alphabetical): Ed Baker, Katherine Bouton Alice Heaton Dimitris Koureas, Laurence Livermore, Dave Roberts, Simon Rycroft, Ben Scott, Vince Smith