Croton condorensis: an enigmatic new species of Euphorbiaceae from southern Ecuador

Croton condorensis (Euphorbiaceae), a new species from the Cordillera del Cóndor in southern Ecuador, is here described and illustrated. The new species occurs in sclerophyllous vegetation on sandstone substrate. A detailed examination of its morphology indicates that the species has some characters in common with Croton sect.

Cyclostigma, but it also differs from that section in several other key characters. Given its restricted geographic distribution, the particular substrate where it grows, and its unusual morphology, we hypothesize that Croton condorensis might represent a previously unsampled clade of the Croton phylogeny.