Two New Species of Sciodaphyllum (Araliaceae) from the Andes of Northwestern Colombia

Álvaro Idárraga Piedrahíta; Jáider Jiménez Montoya; Porter P. Lowry II; M. Marcela Mora; Gregory M. Plunkett

doi:10.3417/2021626

Álvaro Idárraga Piedrahíta Fundación Jardín Botánico de Medellín
Jáider Jiménez Montoya Universidad de Antioquia
Porter P. Lowry II Missouri Botanical Garden https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8047-5019
M. Marcela Mora Missouri Botanical Garden
Gregory M. Plunkett New York Botanical Garden

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3417/2021626

Keywords: Antioquia, Neotropics, Schefflera, taxonomy

Abstract

Sciodaphyllum montanum Idárraga, Jiménez-Mont. & Lowry and S. undulatum Jiménez-Mont., Idárraga & Lowry (Araliaceae) from the northern region of the Central and Western Cordilleras of the Andes in Colombia are described and illustrated. Sciodaphyllum montanum differs from other members of the genus mainly by a bulging disc up to 1.1 mm in height and a 3- to 4-carpellate ovary, and S. undulatum is distinguished by its undulate leaflet margin and the conspicuous scarlike amorphous lenticel 4.9–11 mm in diameter located abaxially on the base of the petiole. Notes are provided on possible taxonomic affinities of each species, as well as on their ecology and geographic distribution. Extinction risk assessments are given following the IUCN Red List categories and criteria, which indicate that both S. montanum and S. undulatum are Near Threatened (NT).