Species Description

Tree 6–20 m tall; mature branches terete, the bark reddish brown, sometimes drying blackish or whitish in herbarium specimens, finely striate, shortly pubescent or hirsute; unilacunar C-shaped nodal anatomy; leaf-bearing branches cylindrical to slightly angular, densely hirsute, the hairs persistent, golden reddish, to 2–4 mm long, bark smooth or rarely lenticellate, the lenticels, if present, ovate or circular, whitish. Terminal bud conduplicate-involute, 4.1–8.1 mm long, densely hirsute, hairs 2–4 mm long, reddish brown or golden. Leaves petiolate; petiole (1.7–)2–2.4(–2.8) cm long, winged, adaxially canaliculate, abaxially rounded, hirsute throughout, wings often with black setae on their margins, the setae erect or slightly curved, embedded within trichomes, the trichomes 1–3 mm long; colleters absent; lamina (14.7–)15.2–28 × 6–10.6 cm, ovate to elliptic, base rounded, truncate or sometimes slightly cordate, sides equal or slightly asymmetrical, apex acuminate, bearing a black, caducous seta; margin subentire, revolute or not revolute, with 64–137 minute teeth per side, each tooth bearing a terminal black or reddish brown seta, setae conical, caducous, ringed by trichomes; adaxial surface glabrous or villous, densely pubescent in young leaves, hairs 1–2.5 mm long; abaxial surface densely hirsute or hirsute-villous, not papillate, the hairs reddish brown or golden, 1–3.5 mm long; midrib adaxially canaliculate, densely villous or sometimes glabrous, papillate, abaxially rounded, densely hirsute or hirsute-villous; secondary veins 18–30 pairs, weakly canaliculate on adaxial surface, conspicuous and raised on abaxial surface. Inflorescences axillary, fasciculate, bearing 1–3 flowers each. Flowers urceolate, pedicellate, pedicel 9–15(–22) mm long, erect or sometimes curved, cylindrical, densely hirsute-villous; bracts 3–5 × 1.5–2 mm, at base of pedicel, persistent, triangular-lanceolate, not carinate, apex acute, without setae, margin entire, adaxial surface hirsute, abaxial surface glabrous, sometimes sparsely pubescent; bracteoles 2, persistent, opposite or subopposite, at apex of pedicel, 3.3–11 × 6.5–11 mm, unequal, broadly elliptic, not carinate, adaxial surface hirsute-villous, abaxial surface glabrous or sometimes sparsely pubescent from c.2 mm from the apex to the base, margin entire, apex rounded, usually breaking, without setae; flower buds globose, 6.5–15 mm wide; sepals 5, imbricate; outer sepals 6.5–12.5 × 6–9 mm; inner sepals (4–)5–11 × 4–6 mm; outer and inner sepals broadly ovate, adaxial surface densely pubescent, abaxial surface glabrous, margin entire, ciliate, apex rounded, without setae; petals 5, imbricate, (4.5–)5–9 × (2.7–)3–7.5 mm, white, cream or greenish white, free, ovate or widely ovate, apex rounded, margin entire; stamens 25–30, ± uniseriate, free, unequal; anthers 2–4 mm long, not moniliform, generally hastate, base subcordate, apex apiculate; gynoecium 4–9 mm long, glabrous, ovate or conical, 3- or 4-locular; style undivided apically; stigma 2- to 4-lobed. Fruits c.9–16 × 7–9 mm, round, colour unknown, glabrous; walls c.0.5 mm thick; seeds c.511, reddish brown to brown-black, shiny, c.0.1–0.2 mm long, not very defined or ± cuneiform to reniform, foveolate.

Fig. 1.

Freziera grandiflora. A, Branch showing phyllotaxy, terminal bud and leaves (both abaxial and adaxial surfaces); detail to left shows setae surrounded by trichomes, and detail to bottom right depicts leaf margin, pubescence and abaxial venation. B, Longitudinal section of flower. C, Floral bud showing bracts, sepal and petal morphology. D, Petals and stamens. E, Stamens showing both anther and filament. F, Gynoecium, including a longitudinal view of the ovary, a transverse section showing locules and placentation, and a detail of the stigma lobes. Drawing by Bobbi Angell from J. Jaramillo & V. Zak 7846 (NY) (A), V. Zak & J. Jaramillo 694 (isotype – NY) (B) and V. Zak 1169 (NY) (C–F).

Etymology

The specific epithet refers to the relatively large size of the flowers.

Distribution and habitat

Freziera grandiflora is endemic to Ecuador in the provinces of Carchi and Pichincha on the western slopes of the Western Cordillera of the Andes. It has been collected in cloud forest at 1500–2200(–2390) m, often in disturbed habitats including roadsides, pastures and secondary forests.

Conservation status

Because of its small area of occupancy, the small number of known localities and the threat of future deforestation in its habitat, we tentatively consider Freziera grandiflora to be Vulnerable, following the IUCN criteria: VU B2ab (IUCN Standards and Petitions Subcommittee, 2016).

Phenology

Freziera grandiflora has been collected with flowers in February, June, September, November and December. Fruits have been collected in February.

Freziera grandiflora has been filed in herbaria as F. reticulata Humb. & Bonpl. from Colombia and Ecuador, possibly because both species have conspicuous, reticulate venation on both leaf surfaces and dense pubescence on the abaxial leaf surface and inflorescences. These species can be distinguished, however, by the characters listed in Table 1. Given the relatively large size of the floral buds, mature flowers and fruits, the new species could also be compared with Freziera canescens Bonpl., from Colombia and Ecuador, which differs from F. grandiflora by its smaller leaves with cuneate, revolute bases and abaxial surface covered with whitish trichomes that are densely tomentose or villous. Freziera echinata A.L.Weitzman, known only from the type specimen from the Cauca department of Colombia, is another species with long, dense hairs covering its branches, leaves and inflorescences. Freziera echinata is readily separated from F. grandiflora by its smaller leaves (10.4–12.3 × 2.6–3.5 cm), shorter petioles (2–3 mm) and pedicels (1 mm), and smaller outer sepals (6–6.8 × c.2.9 mm) with tomentose abaxial surfaces.

Table 1.

Principal diagnostic characters of Freziera grandiflora and F. reticulata

The flowers of Freziera grandiflora appear to be hermaphroditic. Hermaphroditism is a very rare trait in Freziera, but see Weitzman (Reference Weitzman1987b). We observed that some flowers with normal, pollen-producing stamens had particularly small gynoecia, whereas all flowers with well-developed gynoecia had apparently normal, pollen-producing stamens. If the flowers with reduced gynoecia are functionally male, then Freziera grandiflora is potentially androdioecious (androdioecy is a mating system that is unknown in the family and is very uncommon across angiosperms; Pannell, Reference Pannell2002); however, we cannot rule out the possibility that the flowers are cryptically dioecious. Mating systems in the entire genus warrant further study, and this species is of particular interest.

Specimens examined. ECUADOR. Carchi: Espejo, Reserva Golondrinas, El Corazón, recorrido por el sendero a La Cortadera hasta El Mirador, 00°50′N 078′06″W, 2390 m, 23 i 2004 (fl bud), H. Vargas et al. 4361 (MO, QCNE); Mira Cantón, Norte del Carmen, camino a Chical, 00°17′N 078°48′W, 2000–2200 m, 10 ii 1992 (fl), W. Palacios et al. 9802 (MO, NY, QCNE); ibid., 2000–2200 m, 10 ii 1992 (fr), W. Palacios et al. 9681 (MO, QCNE). Pichincha: Reserva Florística–Ecológica “Río Guajalito”, km 59 de la carr. antigua Quito-Sto Domingo de los Colorados, 3.5 km al NE de la carretera, estribaciones occidentales del Volcán Pichincha, 00°13′53″S 078°48′10″W, 1800–2200 m, 29 vi 1985 (fl), J. Jaramillo & V. Zak 7846 (MO, NY, PMA, QCA); ibid., 1800–2200 m, 29 vi 1985 (fl bud), J. Jaramillo & V. Zak 7865 (MO, QCA); ibid., 1800–2200 m, 30 vi 1991 (fl bud), J. Jaramillo & E. Grijalva 13657 (MO, NY, QCA); entre Atenas–Sarapullo, km 17, 1750 m, 2 xi 1991 (fl), J. Jaramillo & E. Grijalva 14519 (MO, NY); carretera Quito-Nono-Tandayapa-Los Bancos, colecciones entre Tandayapa, la “Y” de Mindo y Los Bancos, bosque de vegetación nublado, 1800–2000 m, 7 ix 1986 (fl), V. Zak 1169 (GH, MO, NY); carretera Quito-Aloag-Sto Domingo de los Colorados, km 94, sector “La Esperie”, 00°20′S 078°50′W, 1500–1800 m, 2 xii 1987 (fl), V. Zak & J. Jaramillo 3076 (MO, NY, QCNE).