New genera and species of ericaceae (Vaccinieae) from Costa Rica and Panama

Two new monotypic genera,Didonica andUtleya, are described, withD. pendula from Panama andU. costaricensis from Costa Rica.Disterigma trimera (Panama),D. utleyorum (Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, and Ecuador),Lateropora santafeensis (Panama),Lysiclesia panamensis (Panama),Macleania talamancensis (Costa Rica),Themistoclesia costaricensis (Costa Rica) andT. horquetensis (Panama),Vaccinium costaricense andV. orosiense (both from Costa Rica) and V.jefense (Panama) are all described as new. New combinations are provided for the PanamanianVaccinium floccosum (=Symphysia floccosa) and the West IndianVaccinium racemosum (=Symphysia racemosa). Keys are provided for the Central American species ofDisterigma andThemistoclesia, the species ofLateropora andLysiclesia, and the Costa Rican and Panamanian species ofVaccinium. Six new species are illustrated.     

Three new Mesoamerican species of Topobea (Melastomataceae)

Three new species ofTopobea are described from species-rich, humid forest environments in Costa Rica and Panama. Discussions, diagnostic illustrations, phenological notes, and a distribution map are provided forTopobea intricata, T. lentii, andT. mephersonii.     

Two new species and two new combinations in Mesoamerican Ericaceae

Satyria ventricosa andVaccinium monteverdense from Panama and Costa Rica, respectively, are described and illustrated.Gonocalyx megabracteolatus andVaccinium talamancense are new combinations. Relationships of the new species are discussed. Keys are provided for the entire genusGonocalyx, and forSatyria in Mesoamerica.

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Resumen  Se describenSatyria ventricosa yVaccinium monteverdense de Panamá y Costa Rica, respectivamente, con sus ilustraciones. Se hace una nueva combinación deGonocalyx megabracteolatus yVaccinium talamancense. También se discuten las relaciones entre las nuevas especies. Se incluyen claves para el género completoGonocalyx y para el géneroSatyria en Mesoamérica.

     

Three new species in the neotropical genus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Clidemia</Emphasis> (Melastomataceae: Miconieae)

We here propose and describe three new species of Clidemia: C. aguilarii from Costa Rica and Panama; C. aurantiaca from Costa Rica, Panama, and Ecuador; and C. subpeltata, a Costa Rican endemic. Phenological notes, distribution maps, line drawings, color images of the live plants in the wild, and discussions comparing the new species to their presumed closest relatives are provided.     

A new species of Columnea and range extension in the Gesneriaceae from Costa Rica

Columnea lariensis is described and illustrated as a new species from the Talamanca Mountains, Costa Rica. It is similar to C. canarina from Panama. Alloplectus weirii is here reported for the first time from Mesoamerica and an illustration is provided.

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Resumen   Columnea lariensis de la Cordillera de Talamanca, Costa Rica, es descrita e ilustrada. Es similar a C. canarina de Panamá. Alloplectus weirii se reporta para Mesoamérica por primera vez y se incluye una ilustración de la misma.

     

Some Entolomataceae (Agaricales) from Costa Rica

A preliminary account of Entolomataceae from Costa Rica is presented. Three new taxa are described, two inClitopilus, one inRhodocybe, and three new combinations are proposed inInocephalus. Five taxa ofClitopilus are reported for the first time from Costa Rica and a key to species is provided. Four species ofRhodocybe are discussed and a key to the six species known from Costa Rica is also provided.Alboleptonia earlei, Inocephalus murraii, Inocephalus quadratum, Rhodocybe incarnata andRhodocybe pseudonitellina are now known to occur in Costa Rica.     

Two new species of Blechnum (Blechnaceae) from the neotropics

Blechnum moranianum is a new species similar toB. loxense, andB. nigrum is segregated from theB. fragile complex. Both are described and illustrated as result of the author's taxonomic fern work in Costa Rica. Blechnum moranianum es una especie nueva similar aB. loxense, yB. nigrum es segregada del complejoB. fragile. Ambas son aquí descritas e ilustradas como resultado de los trabajos taxonómicos del autor en los helechos de Costa Rica.     

Aristolochia gorgona (Aristolochiaceae), a new species with giant flowers from Costa Rica and Panama

Aristolochia gorgona is described from the Atlantic watershed of Costa Rica and central and eastern Panama. It is similar toA. grandiflora Sw., with which it has been confused in the past. The extensive reported synonymy ofA. grandiflora is reviewed and compared with the new entity. Some new terms are proposed for better describing floral structure in this species complex, and suggestions are made for its collection and study.Aristolochia gorgona is one of the largest-flowered plant species (in terms of perianth area) in the Neotropics.

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Resumen   Aristolochia gorgona se describe de la vertiente Atlántica de Costa Rica y del centro y este de Panamá. Es similar aA. grandiflora Sw., con la cual se ha confundido en el pasado. La extensa sinonimia reportada paraA. grandiflora es revisada, y comparada con la nueva entidad. Se proponen algunos términos nuevos para describir mejor la estructura floral en éste complejo de especies, y se ofrecen sugerencias para su recolección y estudio.Aristolochia gorgona es una de las especies vegetales con flores más grandes (en cuanto al área del perianto) en el Neotrópico.

     

Two new species and a new combination in Frantzia (Cucurbitaceae)

The monotypic genusPolakowskia is reduced to a section ofFrantzia. Two new species from Costa Rica,F. villosa andF. talamancensis, are described. The new nomenclatural combination,F. tacaco (Pittier) Wunderlin, is proposed.     

Dos especies nuevas de <Emphasis Type="Italic">Quararibea</Emphasis> (Malvaceae) del sur de México

Two new species in the genus Quararibea from southern Mexico are described and illustrated, and information on their distribution and habitat is provided. Quararibea lopezperaltae is distinguished by its glabrate branchlets, its obloid, shallowly bilobed fruit, with a conspicuously depressed apex lacking a mammilla, and by the presence of a calyx that is not accrescent in fruit. Quararibea mayarum is distinguished by its densely villous-tomentose branches, petioles, and leaves, and by the presence of an ellipsoid, mammillate fruit that has a depressed apex when dry, and a calyx that is not accrescent in fruit. The relationships of these species are discussed further and a key to separate the Mexican species of Quararibea is presented.     

A distinctive new species of vireo (Passeriformes: Vireonidae) from the Western Andes of Colombia

On the basis of field observations and two specimens from two localities in the Chocó biogeographic region of western Colombia, we here describe Vireo masteri, sp. nov. This species appears to be most closely related to Vireo carmioli of Costa Rica and west Panama but is much smaller and has a distinctive long superciliary stripe, a feature otherwise unknown in the subgenus Vireo, of which it is the southernmost known taxon. Vireo masteri appears to be restricted to a narrow belt of premontane pluvial forests from 1200 to 1600 m on the Pacific slope of the Western Andes. We present notes on the behaviour, ecology and conservation of this new species. Con base en observaciones en el campo y dos especímenes de dos localidades en la región biogeográfica del Chocó colombiano, describimos una nueva y distintiva especie de vireo o chiví, Vireo masteri, sp. nov. Esta especie parece mas afin a Vireo carmiloi de Costa Rica y Panamá que a cualquier otra especie, pero es de menor tamaño y tiene una lista superciliar larga y llamativa, caracteristica única en la subgénero Vireo, del cual es la forma más sureña. Vireo masteri aparentemente se restringe a una faja altitudinal angosta (1200–1600 msnm) de bosque pluvial premontano en la vertiente del Pacífico de la Cordillera Occental de los Andes colombianos. Presentamos anotaciones sobre la ecología, el comportamiento, y la conservación de esta neueva especie.     

A synopsis of the neotropical genus Pentaplaris, with remarks on its systematic position within core Malvales

Pentaplaris davidsmithii from Peru and Bolivia andP. huaoranica from Ecuador are described and compared to the only other species previously known in the genus,P. doroteae from Costa Rica. Morphological and palynological characters support the inclusion ofPentaplaris in core Malvales while suggesting that the original assumption that the genus belonged in Tiliaceae-Brownlowieae cannot be maintained.Pentaplaris, which comprises three isolated and evidently rare species, probably belongs to the malvoid-bombacoid alliance, but its position within this clade ramains unresolved.     

Castilleja (Scrophulariaceae) of Costa Rica and Panama

The mountains of Costa Rica and western Panama constitute a natural floristic region that is inhabited by six species ofCastilleja.Castilleja talamancensis, C. lentii andC. tayloriorum are described as new. The remaining three areC. arvensis,C. irasuensis andC. quirosii. All butC. arvensis are endemic to the area. The six species are keyed, described, illustrated, mapped and documented with literature and specimen citations.     

The effect of conspecific density,herbivory, and bamboo on seedling dynamics of a dominant oak in a Neotropical highland forest

Conspecific negative density dependence (CNDD) is one of the main mechanisms influencing diversity maintenance in tropical forests. Tropical highland forests, in contrast to most lowland forests, are commonly dominated by a few tree species, and testing the importance of density dependence effects on seedling establishment of dominant trees may provide insights on the mechanisms regulating population dynamics and forest composition of tropical highlands. We tested the effect of CNDD regulation on seedling survival and recruitment of Quercus costaricensis, a monodominant oak in the Talamanca highland forests of Costa Rica. We used Ripley's K and generalized linear mixed models to test the effects of conspecific density, distance to the nearest adult, density of Chusquea bamboo shoots, and herbivory on the annual survival probability of 3579 seedlings between 2014 and 2017. We did not find a significant effect of CNDD on seedling survival. However, bamboo density and herbivory both significantly decreased oak seedling survival. All seedlings had signs of herbivory and predator satiation may explain the lack of density dependent regulation in seedlings of this species. We argue that the lack of intraspecific density regulation at the seedling stage may contribute to explain the dominance of Q. costaricensis in the highland forests of Costa Rica. Local seedling dynamics of this endemic oak are instead regulated by herbivory and the density of Chusquea. Abstract in Spanish is available with online material.     

A synopsis of Costa Rican Ruellia (Acanthaceae), with descriptions of four new species

We describe four new species of Ruellia from Costa Rica; three from the Osa Peninsula, Puntarenas province (R. exilis, R. mira, R. odorata), and one from the southwestern corner of San José province (R. norvegigratiosa). Ruellia matagalpae is reported as a new record for the country. New combinations are made in Ruellia for the two Costa Rican species of Blechum (R. blechum and R. costaricensis). Three species are reduced to synonymy, and another species is considered doubtfully worthy of recognition. Notable range extensions are reported for two species. Corollas and fruits of all 22 Costa Rican species of Ruellia are shown and compared as easily used identification aids. An informal guide to species groups and a dichotomous key to the 22 species are presented.     

New species,new records,and neotypification of some Mesoamerican Ericaceae

Cavendishia davidsei Luteyn,Cavendishia gomezii Luteyn, andCavendishia limonensis Luteyn are described as new and their relationships are discussed;C. davidsei andC. limonensis are illustrated.Cavendishia chiriquiensis var.chiriquiensis and var.bullata, Sphyrospermum ellipticum, Themistoclesia horquetensis, and the genusAnthopterus (A. revolutus) are newly reported from Costa Rica;Orthaea brachysiphon is newly reported from Mexico. Belize, and Honduras;Pernettya prostrata is reported here from Honduras; andThemistoclesia costaricensis is verified from Panama.Cavendishia glutinosa (=C. endresii) andEmpedoclesia brachysiphon (=Orthaea brachysiphon) are neotypified.     

Blechnum obtusum (Blechnaceae), a new species from western Venezuela

Blechnum obtusum is described and illustrated as a new species. It grows in páramos of western Venezuela and most resemblesB. werffii of Costa Rica and Panama.     

Antlered richardiid flies: new species of Richardia (Tephritoidea: Richardiidae) with antler‐like genal processes

Within Richardiidae, Richardia infestans, from Colombia, is the only known species to have genal processes, which are structures formed by the extension of the cuticle on the lateral margin of the gena. In the present work, six new species, with different patterns of antler‐like genal processes, are described. An identification key and illustrations are provided. Richardia bella sp. nov. , R. modesta sp. nov. and R. vitta sp. nov. are recorded from Costa Rica; R. advena sp. nov. is recorded from Costa Rica and Panama; R. simplex sp. nov. is recorded from Panama; and R. ornatella sp. nov. is recorded from Ecuador.