Prioria Peninsulae (Leguminosae, Detarioideae), a new species from the Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica

A new species of Prioria (Leguminosae: Detarioideae) is described and illustrated from the mountains of the Osa Peninsula, Piedras Blancas National Park, and the ridges at Playa Cativo in the southern Pacific region of Costa Rica. Prioria peninsulae is recognized by its short pedicellate flowers, ovoid-ellipsoid fruits and seeds, and massive, ruminate cotyledons. This new species was confused with P. copaifera, a species that occurs mainly on the Caribbean slope of its geographic range, and is characterized by sessile flowers with large bracteoles, laterally compressed fruits with conspicuous venation, observable as prominent vertical lines running through the pericarp, and a lenticular or concave-convex seed. This species represents the second species for the American continent.

Automated summary

This article describes a newly discovered species of Prioria, a genus of legumes found in the southern Pacific region of Costa Rica. The species is distinct from others in its characteristics and was previously mistaken for a different species.