Tribe Freziereae differs from Ternstroemieae, the other major group in the family, by the presence of several to many-flowered inflorescences, rarely one-flowered (vs. always solitary), and small seeds that are hard and ornamented (vs. relatively large seeds that are smooth with a distinct red to purple sarcotesta; Barker 1980; Corner 1976; Luna & Ochoterena 2004; Weitzman & al. 2004). Freziera, its type genus, is closely related to Cleyera Thunb. and Eurya Thunb. (cf. Kobuski 1941b), and their generic circumscription remains problematic; characters presently employed to delimit these genera, once considered under Eurya s.l. (Szyszyłowicz 1893; Melchior 1925) are, in fact, subtle and, at least in some instances, ambiguous (cf. Kobuski 1937, 1941a, 1941b; Prince & Parks 2001; Luna & Ochoterena 2004; Weitzman 1987; Weitzman et al. 2004). They include phyllotaxis, petiole, fruiting pedicel, style morphology, flower size, degree of fusion of petals, stamen arrangement, anther pubescence, seed number, and sexuality of plants. As it is currently circumscribed, Freziera includes functionally dioecious plants with a well-developed pistillode in male flowers, distichous leaves, serrate leaf margins, urceolate corollas, free and glabrous stamens, styles that are entire and reduced with short lobes, baccate fruit, rarely a drupe (and thence with as many pyrenes as seeds), and a sub-hippocrepiform, rarely straight, embryo (Weitzman & al. 2004). Despite a rich recent literature on new species and nomenclature (summarized in Santamaría-Aguilar & Monro 2019), the taxonomy of this genus, with c. 63 species in the Neotropics, is still poorly understood.

This new series, Sertulum Ternstroemiacearum, aims to update the taxonomy of family Ternstroemiaceae worldwide. As here circumscribed, the family excludes Pentaphylax Gardner & Champ., which is the sister group of the monophyletic Ternstroemieae plus Freziereae (Weitzman & al. 2004 [as “Ternstroemiaceae”]; APG IV 2016; Tsou & al. 2016; Stevens 2001 onwards; Rose & al. 2018). The genus Pentaphylax, from Southeast Asia, is in fact both different and ancient enough to represent a distinct family (i.e., Pentaphylacaceae s.s.) (Grande Allende, ined.), and in the case they are considered together as a sole taxon (as in APG IV 2016), the name Pentaphylacaceae s.l. should be used.

The new species here described (Freziera polita) was included in the current catalogue of the Venezuelan flora (Berry & Weitzman 2008) as an unpublished name along with the name F. serrata A.L.Weitzman, ined., which was later published as F. guaramacalana (Cuello & Santamaría-Aguilar 2015). Besides the new species description, this work summarizes the current knowledge on the genus Freziera in Venezuela, including the first key to all the species occurring in the country. Additional information on the genus is available in Kobuski (1941b), Weitzman (1987), and Santamaría-Aguilar & Monro (2019).

Specimens of Freziera housed at INPA, MER, MERC, MERF, MY, MYF, and VEN were carefully studied with the aid of a stereoscopic microscope Leika MZ6. The relevant literature was reviewed and type material of similar species was consulted in the cited herbaria and through the Jstor Plant Sciences (https://plants.jstor.org/). Conservation status was assessed following the IUCN Red List criteria (IUCN 2012). Specialized terminology follows the foundational reviews of Kobuski (1941b) and Weitzman (1987). Since in the genus there are only either functionally male or functionally female flowers, “staminate” and “pistillate” (Kobuski, 1941b) or “carpellate” (Weitzman 1987) flowers are here treated just as “male” and “female”. No hermaphroditic flowers were seen.

Freziera polita A.L.Weitzman ex J.R.Grande, sp. nov. Type: Venezuela, Táchira, Dtto. Uribante, 13 km S of El Portachuelo, on small road to Pregonero off Bailadores-La Grita road; heavily disturbed cloud forest along road; 08°07’N, 71°53’W, 2650 m, 27 Nov. 1983, fl., ♀, A.L. Weitzman & C. Sobrevila 33 (holo-: VEN 203691!; iso-: MERF s.n.!). Fig. 1.

Species haec Frezierae guaramacalanae affinis, sed lenticellis minoribus remotisque, pedicellis longioribus, foliis margine inconspicue serrulato-crenulatis (non conspicue serratis) et corolla minus quam dimidio longitudinis sepalorum sub anthesi exerta, vero differt.

Treelet to 5 m tall, rarely trees to 15 m tall and 20 cm DBH. Fertile (terminal) twigs with internodes to 0.5 cm in diameter, subterete, more or less fractiflex, slightly angulate, slightly pruinose, blackish toward apex and greyish-glaucous toward base, conspicuously lenticellate, the lenticels generally < 1 mm diam. and clear brown when mature. Leaves distichous, with petioles slender, (1.2–) 1.3–4.3 cm long, subentire (more or less sinuate), flattened toward margins, conspicuously involute, the base slightly widened and undulate, adaxially glabrous, abaxially sparsely pubescent; leaf blades coriaceous, 5.1–16.8 × (1.5–) 2.5–6.3 cm, ovate-elliptic, rarely oblong, the base rounded, truncate or subcordate, sometimes obtuse, margin serrulate-crenulate, flat, the apex slightly acuminate, adaxially glabrous, more or less shiny, seldom glaucous, brown-olivaceous to brown-purpureous, abaxially yellowish-brown to ochraceous, with fine and appressed pubescence relatively inconspicuous and dense, more or less sericeous, of fragile aspect under magnification, hyaline; main vein adaxially slightly impressed, very prominent abaxially, the secondary venation prominent on both sides, the tertiary veins prominule all along abaxially and only in the distal half adaxially. Inflorescences axillary, 1–4-flowered, glomerular, supported by a reduced axis (scarcely defined, c. 1 mm long), bracts disposed toward base of the inflorescence, chaffy, with margins serrulate-crenulate and with conspicuous colleters, oblong, to 3.3 mm long, the pubescence similar to that of the leaf blade; peduncles to 0.8 cm in fructification, with pubescence similar to that of the abaxial side of the leaf blade, but somewhat sparser; bracteoles ovate-orbicular or orbicular, 3.3–3.8 × 3.3–3.5 mm. Sepals more or less orbicular, persistent, externally more or less pubescent, 3.5–4 × 3.2–4 mm (reaching 5 mm long in fructification), the margins ciliolate, otherwise pubescent toward base and center, sometimes the pubescence extending beyond, along the central nerve, to the apex; sepal apex obtuse with the margins thinner, ciliate, sometimes bifid in fructification. Corolla whitish, 4.8–5.5 × 5 mm, connate at the very base, slightly exceeding the sepals during anthesis; petals glabrous, conspicuously imbricate, the pistil scarcely exceeding to just reaching their length, glabrous. Staminodes subequal, c. 20, free, linear, dorsi-ventrally flattened, c. 3 mm long, apically acute or rounded; ovary narrowly pyriform, c. 5.5 × 2.5 mm, 4-locular, with c. 100–140 ovules; stigmatic lobes erect, c. 0,5 mm long. Fruit subspherical, conspicuously rostrate, c. 0.6 cm in diameter and 0.85 cm long, glabrous, subtended by the sepals and the bracteoles, only slightly concrescent. Only female flowers examined; seeds not seen.

Etymology.—The epithet polita means polished (Stearn 2013), but also accomplished, refined, cultivated and polite (Numen-The Latin Lexicon 2017). It is retained for the sake of nomenclatural stability and because of its mnemotechnic value. At least among Venezuelan species, this is one of the most polished in aspect, with leaves inconspicuously nerved and (to the naked eye) with an indistinguishable pubescence, which gives the plant a very elegant appearance. This name is included in many databases and several herbaria, including the last catalogue of the vascular flora of Venezuela (Berry & Weitzman 2008).

Distribution and Ecology.—According to the data available in the herbarium labels, the new species is known only from the Venezuelan Andes, growing both in cloud forest and cloud forest-páramo vegetation ecotone, even within regrowths, at 2500–2850 m elevation.

Conservation.—The ecology of the Venezuelan species of Freziera is very poorly known. The only species for which we have more or less accurate information is F. guaramacalana, and even in this case just for a limited area within the Guaramacal National Park. There, however, F. guaramacalana is one of the most important species in the Geissantho andini-Miconietum jahnii Cuello & Cleef association (Cuello & Cleef 2011), where it is restricted to a thin belt between cloud forest and páramo vegetation. Since human pressure is increasing even within such legally protected localities, with agriculture, ranching, tourism, urbanization, power lines establishment, and path openings (Cuello & Cleef 2015), we think it is better to recommend that both species be assigned to the Data Deficient category instead of the Least Concern category suggested by Cuello & Cleef (2015).

Notes.—The new species is somewhat similar to Freziera guaramacalana, from which it can be differentiated by the lenticels that are less densely disposed along the stems and less conspicuous, usually not exceeding 1 mm in diameter (vs. lenticels tightly disposed along stems, very conspicuous, generally > 1 mm in diameter), relatively long petioles, petiole length/total leaf length ratio > 1/6 (vs. generally < 1/6), leaf blades that are basally rounded, truncate or subcordate, sometimes obtuse (vs. rounded, sometimes obtuse or subcordate), inconspicuously serrulate-crenulate margins (vs. conspicuously serrate), and corollas that are exerted, at anthesis, less than half the length of sepals (vs. exerted more than half the length of sepals). The Little 15593 collection is somewhat different from the rest of the available specimens, having an arborescent habit, 15 m tall and 20 cm DBH, and leaf blades that are glaucous adaxially, smaller and oblong. Weitzman (1987) reported male flowers in bud, but we were unable to find them.

Additional specimen examined (paratypes).—VENEZUELA. Mérida: Mucuquí, bosques nublados de La Mosquera, 2560 m, 08 Dec. 1952, L. Bernardi 242 (MER 9782, 9795, 9796); La Carbonera, selva nublada, 2750 m, 02 Oct. 1953, L. Bernardi 1002 (MER 9797, VEN 234412); La Carbonera, 20 km NO de Ejido, selva templada alta, 2700 m, 02 Oct. 1953, E.L. Little Jr. 15593 (MER 9798, VEN 234411); camino de penetración Estánquez-Páramo de Las Coloradas, desvío camino vie [sic., “via”?, “viejo”?] Santa Cruz de Mora, 2750 m, 24 Nov. 1977, A. Quintero 2130 (INPA 97163, MER 26764); Dtto. Arzobispo Chacón, páramo El Molino, entre El Molino y San Isidro Alto, 2720 m, 07 Apr. 1966, L. Ruiz Terán 3027 (MER 33200 x 2, MERF s.n.); Dtto. Tovar, 37.4 km beyond beginning of dirt portion of road (at turn off in Guayabal) to San Isidro Alto and El Molino on SE facing slope of steep valley above Hacienda Betania, 08°18’N, 71°36’W, 2850 m, 02 Dec. 1983, A.L. Weitzman & C. Sobrevila 34 (MERF s.n., VEN 203690); Dtto. Tovar, 37.4 km beyond beginning of dirt portion of road (at turn off in Guayabal) to San Isidro Alto and El Molino from Santa Cruz de Mora, below El Molino on SE facing slope of steep valley above hacienda Betania, 02 Dec. 1983, A.L. Weitzman & C. Sobrevila 35 (MERF s.n., VEN 203692); 4 km W and below high point of road at Mesa del Trapiche (2850 m), along road to San Isidro Alto and El Molino, from Santa Cruz de Mora, 08°19’N, 71°35’W, 2500 m, 2 Dec. 1983, A.L. Weitzman & C. Sobrevila 36 (MERF s.n., VEN 203689); 700 m W and below high point of road at Mesa del Trapiche (2850 m), along road to San Isidro Alto and El Molino from Santa Cruz de Mora, disturbed cloud forest along edge of road cut cliff face, 08°19’N, 71°35’W, 2660 m, 02 Dec. 1983, A.L. Weitzman & C. Sobrevila 37 (MERF s.n., VEN 203688); idem, A.L. Weitzman & C. Sobrevila 38 (MERF s.n., VEN 203687); idem A.L. Weitzman & C. Sobrevila 39 (VEN 203686). Táchira: Dtto. Uribante, 13 km S of El Portachuelo, on small road to Pregonero off Bailadores-La Grita road; heavily disturbed cloud forest along road; 08°07’N, 71°53’W, 2650 m, 27 Nov. 1983, A.L. Weitzman & C. Sobrevila 29 (MERF s.n., MY 91023); idem, A.L. Weitzman & C. Sobrevila 31 (MERF s.n., VEN 203898); idem, A.L. Weitzman & C. Sobrevila 32 (MERF s.n., VEN 203890); idem, A.L. Weitzman & C. Sobrevila 33 (MERF s.n., VEN 203691).