Jatropha chazaroi O. Sanchez, J. Jimenez Ram. & Arzaba 2023, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Sánchez-Sánchez, Odilón
name: Jiménez-Ramírez, Jaime
name: Arzaba-Villalva, Carlos
name: Francisco-Gutiérrez, Antonio
name: Rosales-Lara, Luis Ángel
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2023
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Plantae
Tracheophyta
Magnoliopsida
Malpighiales
Euphorbiaceae
Jatropha
Jatropha chazaroi

description: Jatropha chazaroi O. Sánchez, J. Jiménez Ram. & Arzaba, sp. nov. Figs. 1, 2.
Similar to J. podagrica but differing by an arborescent or shrubby habit up to 5 m tall (vs. shrubs 1–2 m tall), lacking a caudex (vs. caudex present), leaves with deciduous, non-spinescent stipules (vs. persistent and spinescent stipules), leaf blades 25–36 × 30–35 cm [vs. 14–22.5(–32) × 8.5–19 (–23.5) cm], petioles 25–39 cm long (vs. 16–28 cm long), inflorescences 4–14.4 cm long [vs. (6–) 12.5–36 cm long], connate calyces and corollas of flowers (vs. non-connate), and oblong-elliptic seeds, 1.1–1.3 cm long (vs. oval seeds, 0.55–0.6 cm long).
TYPE:— MEXICO. Veracruz: Municipality of Apazapan, Paraje de Poza Larga, por Las Carabinas, 600 m, 22 May 2021 (fl.), M. Cházaro B., C. Arzaba V. & O. Sánchez S. 11120 (holotype: FCME!; isotypes: CIB!, MEXU!, XALU!).
Trees or shrubs, deciduous, up to 5 m tall, monoecious, secondary branching sympodial; bark greenish-yellowish, smooth, with prominent lenticels (1 cm long). Leaves glabrous; stipules reduced to glands, one apical, bilobed, ca. 3 mm long, and two lateral, inconspicuous, ca. 0.5 mm long; petiole 25–39 cm long; blade obovate, 5–7-lobed, peltate, 25–36 × 30–35 cm, lobes 9–12 × 2–4 cm, apex acute-cuspidate, base hastate, margin entire, dark-green, lower surface glaucous-green, primary venation palmate with prominent main nerves, secondary venation brochidodromoussemicraspedodromous. Inflorescences corymbose cymes, axillary, monotelic, 4–14.4 cm long, peduncle 4–6(–9.8) × 0.5–0.58 cm, usually with an apical pistillate flower surrounded by numerous staminate flowers, basal pistillate bracts up to 1 cm long, hirsute, pink, paraclades 0.5–2.5 cm long, red-orange. Staminate flowers red-orange, 4.5–5 × 3–3.2 mm, pedicel 1.3–1.5 mm long; calyx connate, 3.6–3.8 mm long, lobes 5, 2.6–3.3 × 1.1–1.2 mm, oblong-lanceolate, purplish, apex acute; corolla connate, 4.7–5 mm long, lobes 5, 3.1–3.8 × 1.2–1.7 mm, pink, broadly oblong, apex rounded; disc with 5 ellipsoid glands, 0.7–0.9 × 0.45–0.5 mm; stamens 10, connate, uniseriate, filaments 2.45–2.75 mm long, anthers 1.1 × 0.4–0.5 mm. Pistillate flowers red-orange, 7.2–9 × 3.4–3.5 mm, pedicel ca. 1 mm long, calyx connate, 6.7–9 mm long, lobes 5, 6.7–9 × 1.4–1.5 mm, foliaceous, unequal, base keeled, apex acuminate; corolla connate, 6.2–6.9 mm long, lobes 5, 4.2–5.1 × 1.4–2 mm, upper surface pubescent; disc with 5 lenticular glands, 1.6–2 × 1–1.2 mm; pistil 5.4–6.7 mm long; styles 3, connate, stigmas 3, bifurcate. Capsules spherical, 21–21.3 × 24.7–25.5 mm, conspicuously trilocular, with (1–2–)3 oblong-elliptic seeds. Seeds beige, often with dark and linear marks, 1.1–1.3 × 1–1.16 cm, caruncle triangular.
Distribution and ecology:—The species is distributed in central Veracruz, at the Apazapan ejido, where it has only been collected in the Poza Larga canyon, which crosses the hills of Las Carabinas. It is a microendemic species, it could not be found outside the mentioned area despite intensive and careful exploration. It often occurs in sites close to intermittent water and places protected by north-south oriented walls on rocky volcanic soils. It grows in tropical deciduous forest, forming part of the tree canopy with Ficus cotinifolia Kunth (in Humboldt & Bonpland 1817: 49), Luehea candida (Mociño & Sessé ex de Candolle 1824: 517) Martius (in Martius & Zuccarini 1826: 102), Margaritaria nobillis Linnaeus (1782: 428), Acacia cornigera Willdenow (1806: 1080), Plumeria rubra Linnaeus (1753: 209), Beaucaernea recurvata Lemaire (1861: 59), Croton niveus Jacquin (1760: 32), and Bauhinia divaricata Linnaeus (1753: 374), among others.
Phenology:—It remains without leaves during the cold winter months (with temperatures oscillating between 14 and 16º C) and recovers its foliage during the first warm months. It begins flowering during the months of April or May; fruiting starts in mid-July, although it is most frequent from August to late October.
Etymology:—The species name honors Dr. Miguel Cházaro-Basáñez, professor at the Facultad de Biología of the Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa. He has been exploring and collecting botanical specimens for more than 40 years throughout the states of Veracruz and Jalisco. His work has allowed him to publish numerous articles on the vegetation and flora of both areas.
Local names and uses:—“Piñon” and “piñon de monte” are the common names. It has been documented that the seeds are used to make a type of stew called “pipián” in central Veracruz. The seeds of a non-toxic variety of Jatropha curcas are also traditionally used for the same purpose in the Totonacapan region located in the northern part of Veracruz (Sánchez-Sánchez et al. 2020). It is usually cultivated as an ornamental plant due to its very showy flowers, inflorescences and lobed leaves.
Conservation status:—There is only one known population of this new species with of 45 individuals located in the Poza Larga canyon (in the ejido of Apazapan, Veracruz). Therefore, it should be considered as a microendemic species and be included as a category EN species at the IUCN List of Threatened Species (Endangered) (IUCN 2022).
Additional specimens examined (paratypes):— MEXICO. Veracruz: Municipality of Apazapan, Ejido Las Carabinas, cañada de la Poza Larga, 600 m, 8 August 2015 (immat. fr.), L. Rosales-Lara 425 (CIB, FCME, MEXU, XAL); 1 May 2016 (fl.), L. Rosales-Lara 580 (CIB, FCME, MEXU, XAL), 1 May 2016 (fl.), L. Rosales-Lara 596 (CIB, FCME, XAL).
description: Published as part of Sánchez-Sánchez, Odilón, Jiménez-Ramírez, Jaime, Arzaba-Villalva, Carlos, Francisco-Gutiérrez, Antonio & Rosales-Lara, Luis Ángel, 2023, Jatropha chazaroi (Euphorbiaceae), an endangered new species from Apazapan, Veracruz, Mexico, pp. 130-136 in Phytotaxa 594 (2) on pages 131-134, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.594.2.4, http://zenodo.org/record/7893334