Notes on Economic Plants Plukenetia carolis-vegae (Euphorbiaceae) – A New Useful Species from Northern Peru RAINER W. BUSSMANN * ,1 ,NAREL PANIAGUA ZAMBRANA 2 , AND CAROLINA TÉLLEZ 3 1 William L. Brown Center, Missouri Botanical Garden, PO Box 299, Saint Louis, MO 63166-0299, USA 2 Herbario Nacional de Bolivia, Instituto de Ecología-UMSA, Campus Universitario, Cota Cota Calle 27, Apdo. Postal 10077 correo central, La Paz, Bolivia 3 Instituto para el Desarrollo Local Sostenible y la Conservación Biológica y Cultural Andino- Amazónica, San Martín 375, Trujillo, Perú *Corresponding author; e-mail: rainer.bussmann@mobot.org Introduction Plukenetia L. (Euphorbiaceae) is a Pantropical genus of lianas and scrambling vines. Of the 20 known species (Bussmann et al. 2009; Gillespie 1994), 12 occur in the Neotropics, seven in Africa and Madagascar, and one in Asia. It is most noteworthy for four-carpellate ovaries, fused styles that are often massive, scandent habit, adaxial, basilaminar glands, numerous stamens and, often large, pistillate flowers with four sepals. Plukenetia belongs to the tribe Plukenetieae (Webster 1975, 1994), characteristically lacking latex. The Plukenetieae were monographed by Pax (1890) and Pax & Hoffmann (1919, 1931). Gillespie (1994) reviewed the pollen morphology. The genus Plukenetia is amongst the most well recognized of the tribe (Baillon 1858; Bentham 1880; Mueller 1866; Pax 1890). After MacBride (1951), Gillespie (1993) provided a thorough revision of the Neotropical species. All Neotropical species of the genus are lianas or vines, and the majority occurs in humid tropical forest at altitudes up to around 1000m. Plukenetia lehmanniana (Pax & K. Hoffm.) Huft & L.J. Gillespie is only known from Colombia and Ecuador, reaching montane forest locations up to 2100m. The only other two species known from mountain forests are Plukenetia multiglandulosa Jabl., known from a single locality in Venezuela, and Plukenetia huayllabambana Bussmann, Tellez & Glenn. Plukenetia volubilis L., the most widely used and grown species, is mostly found from sea level to less than 1000m. Plukenetia polyadenia Müll.-Arg.is found only in humid tropical rainforest locations. Gillespie (1993) notes that collections from Peru labeled P. volubilis occur at altitudes from 1600 – 2100m, and “may represent a distinct species. ” During fieldwork in northern Peru a specimen was collected that was shown to be different from species already described for Plukenetia, and as such we submit that this is a new species to science. Materials and Methods Since 2007 we have been conducting general collection expeditions to the Departments Ama- zonas, San Martin and La Libertad in Northern Peru. Currently we estimate that so far 1500– 2000 plant species were encountered. Special emphasis was also given to species that were growing in local home-gardens, or that were indicated by field-guides, mule drivers and local population as especially useful. In such cases semi-structured interviews were conducted in order to elucidate more details on plant usage. For all interviews we received prior informed consent. One set of all plant specimens collected was deposited in the herbaria HAO (Universidad Anteno Orrego) and HUT (Universidad Nacional de Trujillo), as well as with INRENA (Instituto Nacional de Recursos Naturales). Dupli- cates were deposited in MO, NY and shared with taxonomic specialists. Published online 25 October 2013. Economic Botany, 67(4), 2013, pp. 387–392 © 2013, by The New York Botanical Garden Press, Bronx, NY 10458-5126 U.S.A.