Salvia carranzae Zamudio & Bedolla, 2015

Bedolla-García, Brenda Yudith & Zamudio, Sergio, 2015, Four new species of Salvia (Lamiaceae) from central Mexico, Phytotaxa 217 (1), pp. 35-52 : 36-39

Salvia carranzae Zamudio & Bedolla , sp. nov. ( Fig. 1 )

Salviae fulgenti similis sed differt caule primum assurgenti postremo pendenti, foliorum laminae basi truncatis vel breviter cuneatis (vs. breviter cordatis vel rotundatis), marginibus irregulariter dentatis (vs. crenatis), apice obtuso vel longe acuminatis (vs. acutis vel breviter acuminatis), foliorum lamina subter sparse puberulis (vs. dense pubescentibus), inflorescentia supina, bracteis floralibus 6–18 (vs. 17–43) mm longis acutis vel acuminatis (vs. caudatis), calyce rubro 11–15 (vs. 15–16) mm longo, corollae tubus 22–27 (vs. 25–40) mm longus infra expapillatum, labelli inferiore apice breviter trilobato, stylo glabro ramuli superiore breviore quam inferiore.

Type:— MEXICO. Querétaro: municipality of Landa, Llano Chiquito, 1950 m, 21º23’01”N, 99º06’06”W, 29 April 2015, S. Zamudio, D. Juárez & J. Hernández 16882 (holotype IEB!, isotypes ENCB!, MEXU!).

Herbaceous perennial plant, up to 150 cm long. Stem ascending at first then pendulous, quadrangular, green, sometimes tinged with red, sparsely puberulent, with spreading short trichomes, intermixed with glandular trichomes, the densest pubescence on the grooved faces with retrorse trichomes. Petiole up to 20 mm long, articulate at the base, purple, pubescent, with spreading or antrorse trichomes and glandular trichomes, as well as yellow or orange punctiform glands. Leaf blade deltate-ovate, 4–11 × 2.5–6 cm, apex acute-acuminate to long-acuminate, base truncate, short-cuneate, sometimes oblique, margin irregularly dentate, upper surface sparsely pubescent with short, appressed trichomes, under surface sometimes tinged with purple, very sparsely puberulent, densest pubescence on the main veins, with numerous yellow or orange punctiform glands, that turn darker with age, distributed on the surface. Inflorescence supine, a terminal lax raceme, rarely paniculate, 7.5–16(–23) cm long, with 4–9 verticillasters, nodes 14–35 mm apart, each verticillaster with 2–6(–10) flowers, rachis pubescent with glandular and simple spreading trichomes. Bracts red, deciduous, ovate, 6–18 × 3.6–8 mm, with acute-acuminate apex, slightly pubescent with spreading trichomes mainly on the nerves and the margin. Calyx red, 11–15 × 7–8(–11) mm, pubescent outside, with glandular and simple trichomes, and yellow punctiform glands dispersed on the surface, strigose inside, calyx lips 2–5 mm long, upper lip ovate, with 7 veins, lower lip with two acute very close lobules. Corolla red, villous mainly on the upper lip, with simple trichomes and yellow punctiform glands, tube infundibular, 22–27 × 7–11 mm, striate, ventricose, internally epapillate, lips subequal, upper lip galeate, 17–23 mm long, lower lip extended, almost perpendicular to the upper, narrow (5–7 mm wide), with three very short lobules on the apex, the entire middle lobule larger than the two laterals. Stamens inserted close to the corolla throat, covered by the galea, filaments 4–6 mm long, connectives 21–25 mm long, with a short, acute, tooth just after the insertion with the filament, in the ventral portion, anthers 2–4 mm long, 2 linear staminodes present, ± 2 mm long. Style white, 43–60 mm long, glabrous, exserted near 7 mm in dehiscence, largely exserted after pollination, the upper branch clearly shorter than the lower one, both of them red. Mericarps ellipsoidal, triquetrous, 2.3–2.5 × 1.5 mm, variegated, yellow with brown spots.

Distribution and ecology:— The populations of this species are found on the border between the states of Querétaro and San Luis Potosí, in the municipalities of Landa, northeast of Querétaro, and Xilitla, in the southeastern portion of San Luis Potosí ( Fig. 2 ). It grows on vertical limestone rocks in montane cloud forest. Elevation 1800–2200 m. It is considered a rare species, only known in three nearby locations. It blossoms and bears fruit from May through October.

Etymology:— The specific epithet is dedicated in honor of the Mexican botanist Eleazar Carranza González, researcher at the Instituto de Ecología, A.C., Centro Regional del Bajío, as well as an important collector and expert on the Flora del Bajío.

Taxonomic comments:— Salvia carranzae , is an herbaceous perennial plant with the stems ascending at first and then pendulous, the leaves with irregularly dentate margins, inflorescence supine, corolla red, tube ventricose and epapillate, narrow lower lip (5–7 mm wide) with three very short lobules on the apex and the style glabrous with the upper branch shorter than the lower ( Fig. 4A, B ; Table 1); with these characters the new species did not fit within any of the sections described by Epling and collaborators ( Epling 1939, 1940, 1941, 1944, 1947, 1951, Epling & Mathias 1957; Epling & Játiva 1966). Nevertheless, S. carranzae could be placed in section Fulgentes Epling (1939: 273) in view that it coincides almost exactly with the diagnosis of this section. Of the seven species that currently compose Fulgentes , S. carranzae is most similar to S. fulgens Cavanilles (1791: 15) , they share a perennial herbaceous habit with deltate-ovate leaves, lax terminal racemes with glandular pubescence and red corollas with an infundibular (more evident in S. carranzae ) and non-invaginate tube; however S. carranzae is different from all the member of this section by the corolla tube epapillate and the glabrous style.

If it is taken into account the glabrous style with the upper branch shorter than the lower (unusual character in the circumscription of the sections sensu Epling) and the upper calyx lip with 5 to 9 veins, Salvia carranzae has affinities with the sections Blakea Epling (1939: 94) and Glareosae Epling (1939: 102); however, the species of Blakea are characterized by the hastate to deltate leaves, upper calyx lip trimucronate, corolla blue and upper lip cymbiform, while the species belonging to the Glareosae have elliptic to oblong leaves, corolla tube short and cylindrical with the upper lip subfalcate, characters lacking in S. carranzae .

By the other hand, Salvia carranzae could be placed in section Brandegeia Epling (1939: 314) by de coincidence in having deltoid-ovate leaves, upper calyx lip with 5 to 7 veins and ventricose corolla tube, 14–38 mm long; however, S. carranzae do not fit with this section because it does not present setose pubescence on stem, leaves and calyx, neither corolla tube invaginated nor wide and extended lower lip nor villous style.

Considering the absence of papillae into the tube, Salvia carranzae could also be placed in the section Nobiles Epling (1939: 280) , in which it is similar to S. gesneriiflora Lindley & Paxton (1853: 49) . However, some evidence from phylogenetic studies shows that the sections Cardinalis Epling (1939: 295) , Flocculosae ( Epling 1935: 77) Epling (1939: 153), Fulgentes and Nobiles form a natural group (Walker 2007, Jenks et al. 2013), which will require a new arrangement. Due to the agreement of Salvia carranzae in a greater number of characteristics with the members of the section Fulgentes , it is preferable to include tentatively the species in this section until the circumscription of this complex can be definitely evaluated with modern techniques.

Additional specimen examined: — MEXICO. Querétaro: municipality of Landa, 7–8 km al S de San Juan de los Durán, Punto Agua del cerro Grande, 13 June 1991, B. Servín 1093 (IEB!). San Luis Potosí: municipality of Xilitla, Llano del Conejo, 2200 m, 21°24.182’N, 99°05.087’W, 13 October 1999, S. Zamudio & E. Carranza 11189 (ENCB, IEB, MEXU, UAMIZ).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Salvia carranzae. A. Habit. B. Detail of the pubescence of stem. C. Detail of the pubescence of the rachis. D. Close up of the leaf lower surface. E. Bract. F. Dorsal and ventral view of the calyx. G. Lateral view of the corolla. H. Frontal view of the lower lip of the corolla. I. Terminal part of the style (based on S. Zamudio & E. Carranza 11189 (IEB!), illustrated by Alfonso Barbosa).

FIGURE 2. Distribution of Salvia calderoniae, S. carranzae, S. xolocotzii and S. zamoranensis.

FIGURE 4. Salvia carranzae. A. Habit. B. Portion of the inflorescence. Salvia calderoniae. C. Inflorescence. D. Lateral view of the corolla (photographs taken by S. Zamudio).