Revision of Carapichea (Rubiaceae–Psychotrieae) in the Guianas, with two new combinations and transfer of three species to Notopleura

• Published in: Plant ecology and evolution Vol. 155; no. 2; pp. 275 - 300
• Main Authors: Lachenaud, Olivier, Delprete, Piero G.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Meise Royal Botanical Society of Belgium 02.08.2022; Pensoft Publishers; Botanic Garden Meise and Royal Botanical Society of Belgium; Meise Botanic Garden
• Subjects: Biodiversity and Ecology; Carapichea; Cratons; Environmental Sciences; Flora; Guiana Shield; New combinations; New records; Psychotria; RESEARCH ARTICLE; Revisions; Rubiaceae; Species; Stachyococcus; Synonymy; Taxonomic revision; Taxonomy; Uragoga; New York; Venezuela; French Guiana; Texas; Brazil; Guyana; United Kingdom; Suriname; Stachyococcus; French Guiana; Guiana Shield; Uragoga; Psychotria; Guyana; Carapichea; Suriname; Neotropics
• ISSN: 2032-3913; 2032-3921
• DOI: 10.5091/plecevo.90936

Background and aims – The genus Carapichea (Rubiaceae), recently resurrected and separated from Psychotria , currently includes 24 Neotropical species and is morphologically heterogeneous. A revision of the genus in the Guianas is presented here, as part of the authors’ work on the Rubiaceae treatment in the Flora of the Guianas series. Material and methods – This paper is based on a study of herbarium specimens from BBS, BM, BR, BRB, CAY, INPA, K, P, P-JJR, and U; type specimens from other herbaria were consulted online. Some of the species were also studied in the field by the authors. Normal practices of herbarium taxonomy have been applied. Results – Three species previously included in Carapichea ( C. altsonii , C. nivea , and C. sandwithiana ) show aberrant characters for the genus and are transferred to Notopleura ; new combinations are published for the former two ( N. altsonii and N. nivea ). Eight species of Carapichea , one of them still imperfectly known, are recorded from the Guianas; a ninth species, C. araguariensis , is included in this revision as it is expected to occur in the region. New combinations are published for two species: Carapichea galbaoensis and C. squamelligera , based on Psychotria galbaoensis and P. squamelligera , respectively; the former species was previously included in synonymy of C. guianensis , which is here redefined in a narrower sense. The delimitation of C. ligularis is expanded to include C. pacimonica as a synonym. The first records of C. adinantha in French Guiana – and the Guiana Shield – are documented. The taxonomy of the two remaining species, C. tillettii and C. urniformis , is left unchanged. For every species a complete description is presented, as well as data on distribution, ecology, phenology, local names (when known), and a list of collections studied.