Francisco Tobar’s research while affiliated with Instituto Nacional de Biodiversidad (INABIO), Ecuador and other places

Bomarea quitensis, a new endemic species from Pichincha Province, is described. Due to its long pedicels (11.0–12.5 cm), this new species belongs to B. subgenus Bomarea. Bomarea quitensis is related to B. longipes and B. crinita but differs from these species in leaf shape and size, number of flowers and colour of the sepals. Photos of all its structures and a distribution map are presented; additionally, the conservation status of B. quitensis is assessed.

Comparatively few species of the insectivorous genus Pinguicula L. have been recognized in South America so far. In recent years, a number of narrowly endemic taxa from the Andes have been described that simultaneously refined the broad taxonomic concepts of the “historical” species. Here, we describe two striking new species from Southern Ecuador that further condense the circumscription of Pinguicula calyptrata Kunth. Pinguicula jimburensis sp. nov. and P. ombrophila sp. nov. are clearly beyond the taxonomic scope of the known species and consequently described as new to science. The deviating morphological features of the two new taxa are described and illustrated and the remaining morphological spectrum of P. calyptrata in Ecuador is outlined. The two new species add to the exceptional biodiversity in the Amotape-Huancabamba Zone and underline its importance as a biodiversity hotspot in urgent need of protection.

Among global change drivers, deforestation not only erodes biodiversity but also the functions that species play in an ecosystem. The maintenance of many ecosystem functions, such as pollination, depends on the functional roles fulfilled by interacting plants and animals. Given that plants and animals respond differently to deforestation, a perspective that considers the functional roles of both interacting partners is needed but rarely considered. The contribution of species to an ecosystem function, i.e. the functional role, can be measured from the traits of its interacting partners. The functional role of a pollinator is based on the traits of the plants it visits and, conversely, the functional role of a plant species can be measured from the traits of its pollinators. Using 24,554 interactions between 33 hummingbird and 289 plant species, and their functional traits, collected across 14 sites and two years of sampling, we quantified species individual functional roles, the diversity of functional roles as the combination of all species functional roles, and the functional redundancy as the overlap in functional roles. We then evaluated the influence of habitat and elevation on the diversity and redundancy of functional roles. Deforestation disproportionally reduced the diversity and redundancy of functional roles of plants compared to their hummingbird pollinators, implying loss of plant functional roles with deforestation. Although deforestation had no effect on the diversity of functional roles of hummingbirds, the composition of their functional roles changed between habitats. By evaluating both trophic levels we found that deforestation more strongly influences the contribution of plants to ecosystem function. Given that ecosystem functions depend on the functional roles fulfilled by species in the two trophic groups, the reduced diversity of functional roles fulfilled by plants will likely affect the delivery of pollination function. Our evaluation of the functional roles of all species engaged in trophic interactions helped us to unravel an asymmetric effect of deforestation on plants and hummingbirds. Our approach to evaluate species’ functional roles in trophic networks can be extended to other ecosystem functions, in order to gain a holistic understanding on how ecosystem functions are affected by drivers of global change.

Exploratory field expeditions to the Chocó forests in the northwestern slopes of the Ecuadorian and Colombian Andes resulted in the discovery of two new species of Columnea (Gesneriaceae). Columnea fluidifolia J.L.Clark & F.Tobar, sp. nov. , is described as a narrow endemic from Bosque Protector Mashpi and surrounding areas in the province of Pichincha in northern Ecuador. Columnea pendens F.Tobar, J.L.Clark & J.F.Sm., sp. nov. , is described from recently discovered populations in the provinces of Carchi and Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas (Ecuador) and the departments of Cauca and Nariño in southwestern Colombia. The two new species are pendent epiphytes with elongate shoots and shallowly bilabiate to nearly tubular corollas. Descriptions, complete specimen citations, and a distribution map are provided. Based on IUCN guidelines, a preliminary conservation status of Critically Endangered (CR) is provided for C. fluidifolia and Endangered (EN) is provided for C. pendens .

A new species of Glossoloma is described from the western Andean slopes of the Pichincha Province in northern Ecuador. Glossoloma wiehleri J.L.Clark & Tobar is differentiated from all other congeners by an epiphytic habit, elongate scandent shoots that exceed four meters in length, and coriaceous leaves with a velutinous indument on the lower leaf surface. The new species is illustrated, featured with field images from recent expeditions, and assigned the category of Endangered (EN) according to IUCN Criteria.

Salvia alata is reported as new record for Ecuador. This species belongs to S. sect. Macrostachyae, thus an updated identification key to species of this section is provided. The descriptions of Salvia alata and the species most morphologically similar to it (Salvia speciosa) are complemented with new information and photographs taken in the field. Salvia alata is distributed in Ecuador and Peru and can be distinguished from Salvia speciosa by its pilose vegetative organs, flowers with white stamens and styles, and mericarps with a deltoid apex. On the other hand, Salvia speciosa is endemic to Peru, and it has glabrescent vegetative organs, flowers with burgundy to deep purple stamens and styles, and mericarps with a bifurcate apex. Resumen Salvia alata se reporta como un nuevo registro para Ecuador. Esta especie pertenece a S. sección Macrostachyae, por lo que se provee una clave de identificación actualizada para las especies de esta sección. Las descripciones de Salvia alata y la especie que es más similar morfológicamente a ella (Salvia speciosa) son complementadas con nueva información y fotografías tomadas en el campo. Salvia alata se distribuye en Ecuador y Perú y se distingue de Salvia speciosa por sus órganos vegetativos pilosos, flores con estambres y estilos blancos, y mericarpos con un ápice deltoideo. Por su parte, Salvia speciosa es endémica a Perú, tiene órganos vegetativos glabrescentes, flores con estambres y estilos vináceos y mericarpos con un ápice bifurcado.

Three new species of Columnea (Gesneriaceae, tribe Gesnerieae) are described from the western Andean slopes of northern Ecuador and southern Colombia. Columnea angulata J.L. Clark & F. Tobar and Columnea floribunda F. Tobar & J.L. Clark are described from northern Ecuador. Columnea tecta J.L. Clark & Clavijo is described from southern Colombia and northern Ecuador. The three new species are facultative epiphytes with dorsiventral shoots and are readily recognized by bright red tips on the abaxial and adaxial leaf surfaces. The species described here are vegetatively similar to the sympatric species Columnea picta H. Karst. and are readily differentiated by floral features that are illustrated, described and featured with digital images.

Field guide of the Gesneriaceae of the Pichincha province in Ecuador

Scaphyglottis clavata is recorded for the first time in the Carchi province of Ecuador, this species is currently distributed in Ecuador and Panama between 800 to 1500 m. In addition, the rediscovery of Vanilla oroana is reported after 30 years of being collected for the first time, significantly broadening its range of distribution between 1000 to 1700 m for the provinces of El Oro, Imbabura and Pichincha. Clarifications are made to the nomenclature of Epidendrum pseudapaganum; and the presence of Sobralia turkeliae in Ecuador is confirmed. An update descriptions for Scaphyglottis clavata and Vanilla oroana are provided, images and distribution maps for all species are presented and their relationships with other taxa are discussed.

Recent exploration of the foothills of the Cordillera del Cóndor, southeastern Ecuador, led to the discovery of an unknown species of Sarcoglottis, and subsequent study in Peruvian herbaria permitted to record it in Peru. Here we describe it as Sarcoglottis neillii and provide a detailed drawing and color photographs taken from live plants. We compare its morphology with that of similar members of Sarcoglottis and conduct a preliminary assessment of its conservation status. Sarcoglottis neillii belongs to a small group of species including S. metallica, S. maroaënsis and S. stergiosii, differing from the former two species in leaf coloration and from the latter in flower size and labellum morphology. The single known Ecuadorian location of S. neillii was destroyed by extensive open pit-mining activities, but the several records from Peru suggest that the species is widespread; three locations occur within the Yanachaga-Chemillén National Park, but information on its actual range and potential threats is lacking and we suggest for it the category of Data Deficient (DD) until further field studies permit a better-informed assessment of its risk status.