Grias purpuripetala (Lecythidaceae), a new purple-flowered

species from southern Colombia

SCOTT A. MORI1, J. D. GARCÍA-GONZÁLEZ2, S. P. ANGEL3, AND C. ALVARADO4
1
Institute of Systematic Botany, The New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, New York 10458-5126,
U.S.A.; e-mail: smori@nybg.org
2
Laboratório de Morfo-Taxonomia Vegetal, Departamento de Botânica, Centro de Ciências
Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, 50670-901, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil
3
Herbario Forestal UDBC, Facultad del Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales, Universidad
Distrital Francisco José de Caldas, Avenida Circunvalar, Campus El Vivero, Santafé de Bogotá,
D. C., Colombia
4
Herbario Nacional Colombiano, Instituto de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de
Colombia, Apartado Aéreo 7495, Santafé de Bogotá, D. C., Colombia

Abstract. A new species, Grias purpuripetala, is described. It is the only species of

the genus known to have the combination of monocaulous growth form; short inflores-
cence rachises; purple, erect petals at anthesis; anthers with small thecae and slightly
apiculate connectives; and an intrastaminal disc. It is described based on collections from
the western slopes of the Andes in the state of Nariño in southern Colombia. The authors
hypothesize that this spectacular species is bat- or beetle-pollinated because the flowers
are nocturnal. This is the only species of the genus with purple petals―all others are either
white or yellow.
Key Words: Bat pollination, beetle pollination, Colombia, Grias, Lecythidaceae,
Nariño, Neotropics.
Resumen. Describimos Grias purpuripetala, una nueva especie. Esta es la única
especie del género que presenta la combinación de hábito monocaule, raquis de la
inflorescencia corto, pétalos púrpura, erectos en la antesis, anteras con tecas pequeñas,
conectivos apiculados y un disco intraestaminal. La nueva especie es descrita con base
a colecciones realizadas en las elevaciones occidentales de los Andes en el estado de
Nariño, en el sur de Colombia. Se hipotetiza que esta espectacular especie podría ser
polinizada por murciélagos o escarabajos debido a que sus flores son nocturnas. Esta
es la única especie en el género que tiene pétalos púrpura, todas las demás tienen
pétalos blancos o amarillos.

Several years ago it was pointed out to one
of us (J. D. García-González) by Nelson
Salinas that collections of a species of Grias,
incorrectly determined as Grias haughtii by
the senior author, had unusually large flowers
and purple petals, a petal color heretofore not
recorded for the genus. On a field trip to the
Reserva Natural Río Ñambí on the 23rd and
24th of April 2009 taken as part of the
program of the V Congreso Colombiano de
Botánica held in San Juan de Pasto, Nariño,
Sonia Angel et al. found this species in flower
along the main trail leading to the reserve
headquarters. Access to fresh flowers made it
immediately apparent that this population
represents a species new to science.
This species is being described in con-
junction with the publication of Grias
theobromicarpa Cornejo & S. A. Mori in
this issue of Brittonia. For additional com-
ments on the morphological features of
Grias see the description of that species
(Cornejo & Mori, 2010). Field images of G.
purpuripetala can be seen on the Lecythidaceae

Brittonia, 62(2), 2010, pp. 105–109 ISSUED: 1 June 2010

© 2010, by The New York Botanical Garden Press, Bronx, NY 10458-5126 U.S.A.
106 BRITTONIA
Pages at http://sweetgum.nybg.org/lp/taxon.
php?irn=291492.
Grias purpuripetala S. A. Mori & J. D.
García-González, sp. nov. Type: Colombia.
Nariño: Municipio de Barbacoas, Vereda El
Barro, Corregimiento de Altaquer, Reserva
Río Ñambí, 01° 17′ 13′′ N, 78° 04′′ 26′′ W,
1350 m, 23 Apr 2009 (fl), S. P. Angel, S.
Mori, P. Berry, L. Raz, R. Cortés, S.
Madriñán, J. Richardson, M. Diazgranados,
J. Barber, T. Andres, A. Ávila, M. Flores y C.
Alvarado 282 (holotype: UDBC; isotypes:
UDBC-5, PSO-6). (Fig. 1)
Species nova monocaulis, inflorescentia cum rhachi
brevi, floribus cum petalis purpureis, sub anthesi erectis,
antheris cum thecis brevibus, connectivo leviter apiculato
et disco intrastaminato praesenti; Griadi theobromicar-
pae Cornejo & S. A. Mori affinis, a qua differt floribus
majoribus, corolla purpura (adversum alba), antheris
apice apiculatis (adversum non apiculatis), et lamina
latiore, 42–75 (non 28–42) cm.
Unbranched, pachycaulous trees (mono-
caulous in plants observed), 3−10 m ×
6−15 cm, the trunk cylindric to base. Bark
without fissures or scallops, appearing
smooth but on close inspection somewhat
rough, the outer bark thin (<1 mm thick), the
inner bark 5−10 mm thick, pale yellow.
Leaves clustered at apices of branches, pale
green, sometimes tinged with pink when
newly flushed, the flush subtended by con-
spicuous, large, whitish flushed with pink
cataphylls; petioles short in relation to overall
leaf length, ca. 5 cm long, semi-elliptical in
cross section at base of leaf blade, the section
showing lower arc of ca. 12 circular bundles,
a middle area free of bundles, and an adaxial
arc with a single large elliptical bundle in the
middle flanked by a smaller circular bundle
on each side; blades oblanceolate, somewhat
spathulate in some leaves, 100−200×42−
75 cm, chartaceous to coriaceous, glabrous,
dark green adaxially, paler green abaxially,
with scattered dark green punctations abax-
ially, the base usually obtuse to sometimes
rounded, the margins entire, the apex abruptly
acuminate; venation brochidodromous, the
midrib markedly carinate, the secondary
veins in ca. 45 pairs in largest leaves, salient,
rounded adaxially, the tertiary veins finely
percurrent, joining the secondaries at 90°
[VOL 62
angles, the higher order venation obscure.
Inflorescences cauline along entire trunk to
near ground, appearing fasciculate but with
short rachis ca. 1 cm long concealed beneath
moss; pedicel ca. 2 mm long below articulation,
6 mm long above articulation, subtended by
narrowly ovate bract 5−7×3−3.5 mm, with 2,
small (ca. 2 × 0.5 mm), caducous bracteoles
inserted ca. 5 mm above articulation. Flowers
5−6 cm diam. when petals oriented upward as
seen on tree, ca. 12.5 cm when artificially
spread horizontally; calyx splitting in 2–3,
somewhat cucullate lobes, the lobes 12−14×
9−16 mm, glabrous, rose to light purple; petals
elliptic to somewhat oblong, curved inward at
apices, oriented with axis of flower at anthesis
(i.e., not spreading), ca. 60×40 mm, carnose,
glabrous; androecium actinomorphic, forming
carnose tube, ca. 20 mm long, the tube
externally rose-colored, the stamens 34−31,
inserted in more-or-less three levels, one level
along rim, another level just below rim, and
another level just below that, the top level
stamens 4-6 mm long, the lower levels some-
what shorter, all reflexed downward, white at
base, rose toward apex, the filaments tapered
into anthers, the anthers ca. 3 mm long, with
lateral dehiscence, slightly apiculate at apices of
thecae, the thecae much smaller than connec-
tives; ovary inferior, the summit more-or-less
truncate, with an intrastaminal disc ca. 0.1 mm
high, and a shallow depression between disc
and style, the style narrowly triangular, red, ca.
0.5 mm tall, the locules 3 (in two flowers
observed), the ovules pendulous from apex of
each locule. Fruits widely fusiform, when dry
ca. 8.5×6.5 cm, with visible but not prominent
ridges, the pericarp ca. 6 mm thick; seed one
per fruit, the seed coat very thin, separates from
embryo in dried seed.
Common name.—Hoja cuero (Spanish,
Angel et al., 282; Franco et al. 5109), huevo
de gallo (Spanish, Franco et al. 4925).
Distribution.—Known only from the state
of Nariño, Colombia in the vicinity of the
Reserva Natural Río Ñambí on the western
slopes of the Andes.
Ecology.—A common understory tree of
primary premontane wet forest. Although we
noted approximately ten individuals of this
species, only a single fertile plant was
encountered in late April when the type was
2010] MORI ET AL.: GRIAS PURPURIPETALA 107

FIG. 1. Grias purpuripetala. A. Leaf showing size in comparison to a person about 1.7 m tall. B. Detail of part of
the abaxial leaf blade surface. C. Part of the stem showing the leaf attachments. The inset shows a cross-section of the
petiole at its juncture with the leaf blade. D. Apex of a plant showing a leaf flush. E. Inflorescence with one flower in
bud and two very immature fruits from which the petals and androecium have fallen. F. Apical view of a flower
showing four petals and the well-developed staminal tube of the androecium. G. Medial longitudinal section of the
androecium showing the well-developed tube and the re-flexed anthers. The inset shows the well-developed
connective, one of the two apiculae at the apex of the connective, and one of the two small thecae barely visible on the
lower part of the anther. H. Ovary in medial longitudinal (above) and cross (below) sections. I. Seed (left) and fruit
(right). (A−H, drawn from Angel et al. 282; I, from Franco et al. 4925.)
108 BRITTONIA
collected. Franco-Rosselli et al. (1997) found
three individuals of this species less than
10 cm DBH (determined by them as G.
neuberthii J. F. Macbr.) in a 0.1 hectare plot
in the Ñambí reserve.
Phenology.—Trees as short as 3.5 m have
been collected fertile. Collected in flower or
bud in April, July, and November and in fruit
in April and December. The manager of the
Nambí Research Station, Mauricio Florez,
told us that this species is fertile year around
but this needs to be confirmed with additional
observations.
Pollination.—The pollinators are unknown
but this species is hypothesized to be either bat-
or beetle-pollinated because flowers were seen
on the ground at 2:00 p.m. and 11:00 a.m.
suggesting that the flowers are nocturnal; the
flowers are unusually large for the genus; what
were judged to be bat feces were found under
the tree; and the androecium of a flower was
partially eaten. However, the relatively small
number of stamens, the small thecae, and
inward facing thecae are not consistent with
bat-pollination; thus, beetle-pollination is also a
possibility. The presence of an intrastaminal
disc and a circular depression between the disc
and the base of the style suggest that nectar is
produced as a pollinator reward and may
accumulate in large quantities in the depression
and the androecial tube. Knudsen and Mori
(1996) have noted that fatty acid derivatives are
abundant in Grias peruviana Miers, less com-
mon in G. neuberthii J. F. Macbr., and found
only in traces in the other Lecythidaceae
studied by them. The presence of fatty acid
derivatives in Grias is consistent with beetle
pollination but there have been only occasional
observations of beetles in the flowers of species
of Grias. If nocturnal beetle pollination does
occur in the genus, those species could have set
the stage for the evolution of a bat-pollinated
species. It is obvious that Grias is a prime
candidate for a phylogenetically based pollina-
tion study.
Dispersal.—No observations recorded but
the mesocarp is probably eaten by animals.
Observations based on mature fruits in the
field are needed to determine the thickness,
texture, and color of the mesocarp, the type of
seed coat, and the way the seeds are attached
to the fruit wall.
[VOL 62
Field characters.—The pachycaulous,
monocaulous growth form; very large leaves
grouped at the ends of stout branches; large
flowers with purple petals; well-developed
androecial tube with reflexed stamens inserted
on the rim and the upper inside of the tube;
and broadly fusiform fruits with visible but not
prominent ridges (at least when the fruits are
dry) make this species easily recognized in the
field. The dark purple flowers separate it from
all other known species of Grias.
Uses.—The Awa Indians are reported to
place the leaves in campfire smoke to make
them more pliable for use as blankets when
they spend nights in the forest (M. Florez,
pers. comm.).
Etymology.—The epithet refers to the dark
purple color of the flowers.
Additional specimens examined. COLOMBIA.
Nariño: Municipio Barbacoas, Corregimiento Altaquer,
Vereda El Barro, Reserva Natural Río Ñambí, 01° 17′′ 13′′
N, 78° 02′ 26′′ W, 1350 m alt., 23 Apr 2009 (st), S. P. Angel
et al. 308 (UDBC-6), vertiente Andina, 01°18′ N, 78°08′W,
1325 m, 5 Dec 1993 (fr), Franco et al. 4925 (NY), 10 Dec
1993 (fr), Franco et al. 5109 (NY), 1100−1400 m, 24 Jul
2003 (fl), Salinas 286 (COL), 01°17′N, 78° 04′W, 1200-
1400 m, 20 Apr 2004 (fr), Salinas 523 (COL); Espino to
Tumaco Rd., on forested plain on pass between Altaquer
and Junín, somewhat elfin looking forest, 01°15′N, 78°09′
W, 1300 m, 18 Nov 1986 (fl buds), Hammel & Bernal
15740 (NY).
The pachycaulous growth form is found in
all species of Grias but other species are often
branched, especially when they reach the size
of the flowering individual we collected; thus,
it would not be a surprise if further explora-
tion revealed branched plants of this species.
The observation that the ovaries are 3-locular
is based on a single cross section of an ovary
and the presence of three stigmatic lines in
another flower; but, because the ovaries of
other species of Grias are mostly 4-locular
this needs to be confirmed with additional
observations. Our description of the fruit and
seed is based on a single, dried specimen
(Franco et al. 4925 at NY) and, although
ridges are apparent in this specimen they may
not be so apparent in fresh fruits. This species
is morphologically similar to G. theobromi-
carpa of northwestern Ecuador from which it
differs in the wider leaves, larger flowers,
dark purple instead of white petals, apiculate
2010] MORI ET AL.: GRIAS PURPURIPETALA
anther connectives, and fruit ridges that are
only slightly developed as compared to the
very conspicuous ones of G. theobromicarpa.
They are, however, closely related as sug-
gested by the erect petals, similar anther type
(i.e., filaments that grade into the anthers and
very large connectives in comparison to the
thecae), and very well-developed staminal
tube (Cornejo & Mori, 2010).
This new species of Grias is markedly
different from any other species heretofore
known for the genus (Cornejo & Mori, 2010).
It has only been collected in southern Colom-
bia in the state of Nariño near the border with
Ecuador where it has been most often found in
the Reserva Natural Río Ñambí (http://www.
felca-colombia.org/), a private reserve of 1400
hectares of premontane pluvial forest between
1100 and 1900 m. The Ñambí reserve is best
known for its 29 species of hummingbirds,
which is claimed to be the greatest number of
species of hummingbirds occurring in any
similar-sized locality in the world.
A study of the Ericaceae from the Pacific
slope of the Andes in Nariño by Salinas and
Betancur (2005) documented 53 species of
this plant family among which are three
considered to be endemic to this region. Their
study and our discovery of this very distinct
new species indicate that the Pacific slopes of
Nariño and the Ñambí reserve in particular
should be given top conservation priority in
order to protect the unique species of plants
and animals it harbors.
Acknowledgments
We are grateful to Nelson Salinas for point-
ing out this spectacular new species to the
second author, Rocío Cortés for organizing the
field trip and for finding a plant of this species
109
in flower. The senior author thanks Lauren Raz,
Rocío Cortés, and Santiago Madriñán for
inviting him to participate in the symposium
Evolución de Plantas Neotropicales: La
Perspectiva Filogenética V which was part of
the fifth Congreso Colombiano de Botánica
held in San Juan de Pasto on 21 April 2009.
We thank Mauricio Florez for hosting our
visit to the Reserva Río Ñambí, guiding us
along the trails, and sharing his love and
knowledge of this natural history paradise
with us. We are grateful to Tom Andres for
several of the photos used by our artist to
illustrate the species, Xavier Cornejo for con-
tributing the Latin diagnosis and for his review
of the manuscript, Nathan P. Smith and John
L. Clark for their reviews of the manuscript,
and Bobbi Angell for drawing the illustration.
We thank the Herbario Florestal UDBC de la
Universidad Distrital Francisco José Caldas
and the Instituto de Ciencias Naturals de la
Universidad Nacional de Colombia for helping
with the preparation and archiving of the
specimens and the latter institution for support-
ing the visit of the senior author to their
herbarium.
Literature Cited
Cornejo, X. & S. A. Mori. 2010. Grias theobromicarpa
(Lecythidaceae), a new species from northwestern
Ecuador. Brittonia 62: 99–104.
Franco-Rosselli, P., J. Betancur & J. L. Fernández.
1997. Diversidad florística en dos bosques subandi-
nos del sur de Colombia. Caldasia 19: 205–234.
Knudsen, J. & S. A. Mori. 1996. Floral scents and
pollination in neotropical Lecythidaceae. Biotropica
28: 42–60.
Salinas, N. R. & J. Betancur. 2005. Las Ericáceas de la
Vertiente Pacífica de Nariño, Colombia. Primera
edición. Instituto de Ciencias Naturales and the Instituto
de Investigación de Recursos Biológicos Alexander von
Humboldt, Bogotá D. C., Colombia. 212 pp.