Three new species of Monstera (Araceae: Monsteroideae: Monstereae) from the Cordillera de Talamanca in Costa Rica, threatened by the expansion of coffee plantations

Abstract

Monstera alfaroi Croat & M. Cedeño, M. tarrazuensis Croat & M. Cedeño and M. wilsoniensis M. Cedeño & Grayum, all apparently endemic to central and southern Costa Rica at middle elevations on the Pacific slope, are described as new species. Monstera alfaroi is characterized by having warty light brown petioles with undulate sheaths, very large adult leaves and inflorescences with warty peduncles, and externally light green spathes. Monstera tarrazuensis is characterized by its smooth, light green petioles with white dots and deciduous sheaths, coriaceous, entire leaf blades and inflorescences on hanging stems. Monstera wilsoniensis is characterized by its deciduous petiole sheaths, cordate or subcordate, weakly or not fenestrated leaf blades with entire margins and numerous primary lateral veins, and inflorescences in ascending or hanging stems. The three novelties are compared, respectively, with M. buseyi Croat & Grayum, M. luteynii Madison and M. adansonii Schott, and all are illustrated with color photos of living material.

Matelea tarrazuana (Apocynaceae, Asclepiadoideae), a new critically endangered ocellate species from Central Pacific of Costa Rica

“…This new species proposed here was found in a remnant forest surrounded by paddocks and especially coffee plantations. Unfortunately, the Zona de los Santos's region has been slowly deforested by coffee plantation in the last decades in less than one year, other three new and narrowly endemic species were published from this area (Cedeño et al 2020, Juárez & Morales 2021. Mate-lea tarrazuana is the sixteen species of the genus documented for the country.…”

Columnea blancoi (Gesneriaceae), a New Species from the Central Pacific Region of Costa Rica

“…1). Despite this, new endemic plant species have recently been found and described in this region, which is now threatened by the expansion of coffee plantations (Estrada and Santamaría, 2010; Jiménez et al, 2016; Morales, 2018a; 2018b; Cedeño et al, 2020; Jiménez and Hidalgo-Mora, 2021; Juárez and Morales, 2021).…”