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- Title
Axinaea fernando-cabiesii and A. reginae spp. nov. (Melastomataceae) from upper Amazonia of Peru, with notes on the conservation status of A. flava.
- Authors
Bussmann, Rainer W.; Gruhn, Jennifer; Glenn, Ashley
- Abstract
Two new Peruvian species of Axinaea (Melastomataceae) are described. Axinaea francisco-cabiesii and Axinaea reginae are small trees, endemic to the cloud forest zone in the northern Andean region of Peru. The border region of Peru and Ecuador is one of the Earth's most biologically diverse areas. The Huancabamba depression of the central Andean Cordillera allows for dispersal of flora and fauna between the Amazon Basin and the Pacific lowlands. Additionally, the region is characterized by a fast transition between the humid mountain forests of the northern Andes and the dry, deciduous forests of the northern Peruvian lowlands, making it a hotspot for endemic species. Field observations indicate that both new Axinaea species have small population sizes, occurring in a very restricted habitat. Axinaea flava was described only a few years ago from the cloud forest - paramo transition zone in southernmost Ecuador between 3400 and 3800 m a.s.l. This small tree is the only yellow-flowered species of the genus. The original assessment counted about 100 individuals. In the last decade, livestock grazing and widespread burning have intensified in the region, and a new assessment yielded only 10 individuals, four of which were damaged by fire. This puts the species in danger of extinction. We encourage search for other populations in southern Ecuador and northern Peru.
- Subjects
HUANCABAMBA Mountains (Peru); PERU; MELASTOMATACEAE; PLANT species; FORESTS &; forestry
- Publication
Nordic Journal of Botany, 2010, Vol 28, Issue 5, p518
- ISSN
0107-055X
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1111/j.1756-1051.2010.00891.x