Many species around the world are facing a significant threat due to habitat loss. This has made the description and evolutionary understanding of the world's biodiversity a priority. If we are unable to understand the diversity that exists, how do we protect or conserve that diversity. Accurate systematic studies of many remote tropical areas are imperative. The species of the genus Monopyle are dispersed by a splash cup type fruit and are typically endemic to specific drainages.

Monopyle Moritz ex Benth. (Gloxinieae: Gesneriaceae) is a group of terrestrial or epiphytic herbs distributed from Guatemala southward through northern South America. The genus currently comprises 26 known or described species^[1], and has been studied little since Morton's revision of the genus^[2]. The morphologically complexity of the genus has led to the misinterpretation of many species. The need for a more thorough treatment of the genus has been the impetus for a revisionary study (Keene, unpublished data). The genus is characterized morphologically by strongly anisophyllous opposite leaves, campanulate flowers, and the presence of uncinate trichomes^[3]. In depth study of the genus shows that these characters along with indument type, an osmophore, and inflorescence architecture are diagnostic for the genus. The travel by John L. Clark into many new or remote areas has allowed for the comparison of rare new material and has allowed for the recognition of many new species. Here I describe a morphologically distinct species from Ecuador. This taxon has been improperly assigned to Monopyle sodiroana Fritsch due to a limited understanding of the morphological complexity of the genus. Monopyle sodiroana during times of stress switches from inflorescence to stem development. This can be seen in a couple other species in the genus. The terminal inflorescence will flower then at the apex start forming a leafy stem, which could be mistaken as axillary flowers. This has caused confusion and several species with axillary inflorescences have been interpreted as the terminal flowering species. I have provided a description of the species and illustration along with a dichotomous key to aid in the identification of the new species.

Monopyle erythrochaete Keene, sp. nov. TYPE: ECUADOR. Morona-Santiago:Cantón Huamboya, Shankaimi, 01° 58' N, 77° 49' W, 850 m, September 1993, Walter Palacios 11423 (HOLOTYPE:MO; ISOTYPE:SEL). (Fig. 1)

Differs from all other Monopyle by the presence of dark red pubescence, reduced axillary inflorescences, and lanceolate leaves.

Terrestrial herb, roots fibrous, shoots brown to dark red, 40-60 cm tall, densely villous with long straight eglandular, distinctly red trichomes; lateral shoots absent in the axils of leaves. Leaves opposite, strongly anisophyllous; larger leaf with petioles (2.1-) 3.4-5.6(- 7.1) mm long (occasionally appearing subsessile), indument same as the stem lamina asymmetrical lanceolate to oblong, base oblique, apex acuminate, (6.4-)8.1-11.1(-13.4) × (1.7-)2.4-4.1 cm, serrate to deeply serrate, spherical gland at the tip of most teeth; adaxially dark green to maroon, villous to densely villous with long straight trichomes intermixed with intermediate uncinate trichomes, abaxially maroon, villous with long eglandular (occasionally uncinate) trichomes (mostly on the veins); smaller leaf with petioles (0.9 -)1.4-2.8 mm long, some appearing sessile, indument same as the stem; lamina orbicular to elliptic, base oblique (appearing equilateral), apex acuminate to cuspidate, (0.6 -)1.0-2.5 × (0.8-)1.0-2.0 cm, shallowly serrate to serrate; adaxially same as the large leaf; abaxially same as large leaf. Inflorescence axillary with one to two flowers per axil; peduncles up to 2.0 mm long, densely villous with long straight red trichomes, floral bracts, 1.1-2.0 × 0.6 mm, persistent, opposite, adaxially densely villous, abaxially villous; pedicel 2.2-5.8 mm long, indument same as the peduncle. Calyx green to maroon, lobes five, (5.4 -)8.8-12.1(- 14.2) × 0.7-1.2(- 2.1) mm, connate 3.2-7.0(-9.3) mm from base, apex attenuate to acuminate, abaxially villous with long straight red trichomes intermixed with intermediate uncinate trichomes, adaxially same as adaxial surface.Corolla white with varying amounts of violet spots, 15.5-17 × 10.1-11.8 mm, villous with long straight trichomes intermixed with glandular trichomes on the outer surface of tube, short gland-tipped papillae on the inner surface of the tube confined to the dorsal surface of the throat; limb glabrous, dorsal lobes 5.6-7.6 × 3.1- 4.6 mm, ventral lobe 8.0-9.6 × 5.2-6.8 mm.Androecium stamens four, 5.1-8.4 mm long, didynamous, included, filaments 4.7-6.2 mm long, adnate to corolla, anthers 1.1 × 1.8 mm, connivent for up to 1.5 mm. Nectary usually absent, some flowers with small amounts of raised tissue at the base of the ovary.Gynoecium ovary half-inferior to subinferior, to 2.3 mm wide, densely puberulent with small uncinate trichomes (mainly at the apex near the base of the style), style to 4.5-6.7 mm long, glabrous, stigma stomatomorphic. Fruits 9.8×4.7 mm, accrescent, dehisc-ing along dorsal surface, calyx persistent in fruit; seeds numerous, ovoid, smooth or with some undulate ridges, 0.4-0.5×0.3-0.4 mm, dark brown to black.

Phenology—Collected in flower and fruit in March, April, May, July, September, and October.

Distribution and Ecology— Monopyle erythrochaete has been collected from areas noted on herbarium labels as intact humid forest and montane forest. This species is known from Morona-Santiago and Zamora-Chinchipe provinces in Ecuador as well as Amazonas department in Peru.

Conservation and IUCN Red List category— According to the IUCN Red List criteria^[4] for limited geographic range (B2a, less than 10 km² and known to exist at only a single location) and considering the uncertain future of habitat conservation in the area, Monopyle erythrochaete should be listed in the category CR (Critically Endangered). This species has only been collected once in the last decade.

Etymology—The specific epithet, erythrochaete, reflects the species having a conspicuous red indument.

Representative Specimens Examined—ECUADOR. Morona-Santiago: From Macas across Rìo Upana for about 15 km, then a km hike by foot into the Cordillera de Cutucú, 16 Apr 1988, Hans Wiehler, Mario Portilla Andrade & Gesneriad Research Foundation Study Group 8824 (US); Macuma, c. 50 km NE of Macas, 21 Mar 1973, Holguer Lugo S. 3651. Pastaza: 2 km NE outside Puyo at Río Pindo Grande, 1 May 1979, Hans Wiehler & D. Masterson 79232 (SEL). Zamora-Chinchipe: Cordillera del Cóndor, along road from EcuaCorriente camp to mine site, 03° 34'11'' S, 78° 25'38'' W, 1 400-1 600 m, 23 Oct 2006, H. van der Werff & W. Quizhpe 21645 (MO).

PERU. Amazonas:Prov. Condorcanqui, Cordillera del Condor, Puesto de Vigilancia Alfonso Ugarte (PV3), cabeceras del Rio Comainas, 03° 55' S, 78° 24.5' W, 1 000-1 100 m, Hamilton Beltran & Robin Foster 1098 (F); Cordillera del Condor, Puesto de Vigilancia Alfonso Ugarte (PV3), cabeceras del Rio Comainas, 03°54'54'' S, 78°25'45'', 1 200 m, Hamilton Beltran & R. Foster 1113 (US).

KEY TO DIFFERENTIATE THE NEW SPECIES FROM RELATED SPECIES

1.Inflorescences axillary.

    2.Stems pubescent with longer trichomes to 1 mm or more.

            3. Stems and calyx lobes densely pubescent with red trichomes, more than 1 mm long.

                                                          M. erythrochaete

            3'. Stems and calyx lobes moderately pubescent, pubescence not red, usually not more than 1 mm.

                                                          M. multiflora

    2'.Stems glabrescent or pubescent with short trichomes, less than 1 mm.

                                                       M. uniflora

1'. Inflorescences terminal.

                                                       M. sodiroana

Acknowledgments

Support for JK was provided by the Nellie Sleeth Scholarship from The Gesneriad Society, Inc. Special thanks to the reviewers for their careful reviews and helpful comments on the manuscript. I also thank Michael Terbush for his work on the illustrations for the new species and to all the herbaria that allowed me to visit and also loaned specimens for study.