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Tabebuia karsoana (Bignoniaceae), a new species from the northern karst of Puerto Rico

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Summary

Tabebuia karsoana is a shrub or small tree species from the northern karst of Puerto Rico, where it is confined to ridges and hilltops. Its habit and general flower appearance are similar to those of T. haemantha (Bertero ex Spreng.) A. DC. However, T. karsoana is distinguished by leaflets densely covered with white peltate scales on both sides, the corolla fuchsia with a white microscopically papillose throat, the stamens with arcuate filaments, and the anthers divaricate and connivent, among other features. In addition, the two species’ distributions do not overlap and their habitats are contrasting. According to IUCN criteria, the new species can be defined as “endangered” and consequently needs legal protection.

Resumen

Tabebuia karsoana es una especie de arbusto o árbol pequeño del karso norteño de Puerto Rico, donde crece sobre riscos y cimas. Es similar a Tabebuia haemantha (Bertero ex Spreng.) A. DC., en la forma de crecimiento y en la apariencia general de las flores. Sin embargo, T. karsoana es distinguible por sus hojuelas densamente cubiertas de escamas blancas y peltadas, sus corolas fucsia con la garganta blanca y microscópicamente papilosa, sus estambres con filamentos arqueados, y sus anteras divaricadas y coniventes, entre otras características. Además, las áreas de distribución de las dos especies no se traslapan y sus hábitats son contrastantes. Con base en los criterios de la UICN, la nueva especie puede definirse como “en peligro”, y consecuentemente amerita protección legal.

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References

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Acknowledgements

This study was financed by project USDA-FS-IITF-00CA11120105001 under cooperative agreement with Ciudadanos del Karso Inc., supervised by Ariel Lugo and Abel Vale, respectively. Funding toward the finishing of this manuscript was provided by COPREMIA, S.C.P. (México). Laboratory work was based at the UPR Herbarium, with the support of Eugenio Santiago. Several herbaria (see Specimens Examined) kindly prepared digital images, or granted loans of specimens for study at UPR. The outstanding illustration is by Bobbi Angell. Translation into Latin of the species diagnosis was done by Duane Kolterman. George Rosario and Germán Carnevali assisted in English writing. The calculation of geographical parameters was done with Sebastián Martinuzzi and William Gould, using a landforms model developed at the Geographical Information Systems Laboratory (USDA -FS-IITF). Esther Rojas gave administrative support. James Ackerman, Duane Kolterman, Maarten Christenhusz, and Pedro Acevedo revised previous drafts of the manuscript.

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  1. J. Carlos Trejo-Torres

    Present address: SelvaKarst — Compañía de Investigación para las Selvas Kársticas, Calle 53-D # 258 x 44 y 46, Fracc. Francisco de Montejo, Mérida, Yucatán, México, 97203

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Ciudadanos del Karso, 497 Emiliano Pol (Box 230), Urb. La Cumbre, San Juan, 00926-5636, Puerto Rico

    J. Carlos Trejo-Torres

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  1. J. Carlos Trejo-Torres
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Correspondence to J. Carlos Trejo-Torres.

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Trejo-Torres, J.C. Tabebuia karsoana (Bignoniaceae), a new species from the northern karst of Puerto Rico. Kew Bull 64, 295–299 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12225-009-9107-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12225-009-9107-5

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