Adesmia cordobensis Burkart, Darwiniana

Monteiro, Thiago Cobra E, Iganci, João Ricardo Vieira, Miotto, Silvia Teresinha Sfoggia, Simpson, Beryl B., Vatanparast, Mohammad, Lewis, Gwilym P., Klitgård, Bente B., Pezzini, Flávia Fonseca, Vargas, Oscar M. & Fortuna-Perez, Ana Paula, 2024, Towards a Monophyletic Infrageneric Circumscription of Adesmia DC. (Dalbergieae, Leguminosae): a Taxonomic Revision in Adesmia series Adesmia, Phytotaxa 639 (1), pp. 1-69 : 17-21

3. Adesmia cordobensis Burkart, Darwiniana 12: 84–88 (1960).

Type:— ARGENTINA. Cordoba: Punilla, Sierra Chica , Villa Carlos Paz , cerca del Lago San Roque , 21 December 1935, {fl./fr.}, Pastore , A. I. & Troncoso , N. S. s.n. (holotype: SI barcode 001516 [photo!], isotypes: NY barcode NY00759137 [photo!]; SI barcode 001517 [photo!]) .

= Adesmia comechingona C.A.Bianco & Weberling, Feddes Repertorium 110: 515 (1999).

Type:— ARGENTINA. Cordoba: Río Cuarto , Sierra de los Comechingones, “Inter Achiras et La Punilla, 900 m s. m., Arbustal Serrano”, 15 November 1996, Bianco, C . A . & Weberling, F. H . E. 4679 (holotype RIOC) .

Prostrate to ascendant shrubs or subshrubs, adventitious roots from stem branch nodes absent. Stem pubescent, abundant white tector hairs intermixed with scarce short ochraceous glandular setules, which occur more densely on the inflorescence, bracts, pedicels, calyces, and fruits. Stipules 3–5× 1–1.5 mm, linear to narrowlY-triangular, pubescent. Leaves with (4–)5–6 pairs of leaflets; petiole 0.3–1 cm long, rachis 0.5–2.5 cm long, pubescent; leaflets 2–7× 0.7–3 mm, elliptic to obovate, apex acute to obtuse and mucronate, base acute to rounded, margin entire, pubescent on both surfaces. Raceme axillary or terminal, commonly with an axillary flower at the inflorescence base, 2–12 cm long, pubescent; bracts 2–3 mm long, lanceolate, pubescent; pedicel reflexed after anthesis, 1–10 mm long, pubescent. Flowers 6–8 mm long; calyx 4–5.5 mm long, externally pilose to pubescent, internally hirsute with white tector hairs on the lobes; lobes 1.5–2.5 mm long, narrowlY-triangular to triangular; standard petal reflexed, 6–8.5× 7–8 mm, orbicular to flabelliform, apex obtuse, externallY pubescent; claw 2–3× 1–2 mm, internallY pubescent on its median and basal portion; wing petals 6.5–7.5× 2–3 mm, oboVate, claw 2.5–3.5 mm long; keel petals 5–8× 3–4 mm, falcate, claw 3–4 mm long; stamens 5–7 mm long; anthers orbicular to elliptical; gynoecium 7–9 mm long; ovary 3.5–4.5 mm long, pubescent to hirsute, 4–5-ovulate. Lomentum 9–16 mm long, straight, light-brownish, pubescent and muricate, with sparse stiff setules at the centre of each article, fruit with 1–5 articles, these 2.5–3.5× 3–4 mm, discoid. Seeds brownish, 1.5–2× 1.5–2 mm, reniform, without an aril. ( Figures 7 and 8 A ).

Distribution and Habitat— Adesmia cordobensis has a distribution centered in the “Sierras Pampeanas’’ mountain range, in Cordoba and San Luis ( Fig. 5 ), but is also found in Salta and Catamarca according to Ulibarri and Burkart (2000). The species inhabits the Comechingones biogeographical province and adjacent areas of the Chaco biogeographical province (districts “Chaqueño Serrano’’ and “Chaqueño Occidental”) and Pampean biogeographical province (district “Espinal”) of the Arana et al. (2021) biogeographical scheme for Argentina. Adesmia cordobensis occurs in shrubby and open grasslands between 900 and 1500 m of elevation ( Ulibarri and Burkart 2000).

Phenology— The species has been collected with flowers and fruits from October to December.

Conservation status— Vulnerable (VU) B2ab(iii). Adesmia cordobensis has an EOO estimated at 3.821, 417 km ² and an AOO of 32 km ². The species is endemic to the Cordoba province and surrounding areas in Argentina and was already assessed as Vulnerable following criteria A3c by Groom (2012). The “Sierras Pampeanas” mountain range of the Comechingones biogeographical province was recently recognised as a hotspot of endangered endemic species in Argentina ( Salariato et al. 2021).

Etymology— The epithet cordobensis comes from Cordoba, an Argentinian province where the species is most frequent.

Notes— Adesmia cordobensis was not sampled in our phylogeny, but it has morphological features encountered in series Adesmia sensu Burkart (1967a) and in the previously recognised series Bicolores , and has similarities with the species A. retrofracta and A. grisea . Adesmia cordobensis is similar to Adesmia retrofracta by its discoid fruit articles, but can be distinguished by its flowers 6–8 mm long and its incanous-pubescent indumentum ( Fig. 7 ) (vs. flowers 9–12 mm long and a glabrescent indumentum in A. retrofracta ). Adesmia grisea is morphologically similar to A. cordobensis by having an incanous pubescent indumentum, obovate leaflets, and a lomentaceous fruit, but differs by its shrubby habit, flowers 6–8 mm long and a lomentum with discoid articles (vs. herbaceous habit, flowers 10–13 mm long and lomentum with orbicular fruit articles in A. grisea ). A. cordobensis has orange flowers ( Fig. 8 ) and A. grisea has yellow flowers.

In the protologue description of Adesmia comechingona, Bianco and Weberling (1999) explained that the species differs from A. cordobensis by the shrubby habit with a divaricate aspect, and by the sericeous lomentum with a “broad, but thin, and not thickened” upper suture. We agree with Ulibarri and Burkart (2000) that synonymized A. comechingona under A. cordobensis on the basis that the variation in the habit and fruit indumentum cited by Bianco and Weberling (1999) is within the variation range of A. cordobensis .

Ulibarri and Burkart (2000) described Adesmia cordobensis var. appendiculata , mentioning in its protologue the presence of sub-plumose, 1–2 mm long setules on the lomentum articles (vs. non-plumose setules of less than 1 mm long in the typical variety). After analyzing the holotype of Adesmia cordobensis var. appendiculata (SI165760 image!), we found that the variety is vegetativelly very similar to A. cordobensis var. cordobensis , only differing by the stiff setules on the fruits (vs. non-stiff glandular trichomes in the typical variety). We agree with Ulibarri and Burkart (2000) and maintain A. cordobensis var. appendiculata as a distinct variety, but due to lack of available material for character measurement we do not treat the taxon in this account.

Additional Specimens Examined — ARGENTINA. CORDOBA: Ciudad de Cordoba, 20 December 1904, Stuckert, T. 14729 (paratype CORD 00003149 [photo!]). Cosquin, La Falda , dry slope, 15 December 1946, Sparre, B. 1365 ( K 000627867 ). Ischilín, Los Coquitos , 15 October 1971, Pedersen, T. M. 9929 ( MBM 30689 ; K 000627868 ). Punilla, la falda , November 1897, Stuckert, T. 3952 ( CORD 00003154 [photo!]). Sierra Chica, huerta grande , 05 December 1902, Stuckert, T. 12213 ( CORD 00003151 [photo!]). Sierra de Achala , falda de Copina , December 1901, Stuckert, T. 10340 ( CORD 00003152 [photo!]). Río Cuarto, Sierra de los Comechingones , “Inter Achiras et La Punilla, 900 m s. m., Arbustal Serrano, 29 November 1998, Weberling, F. H. E. 10618 (paratype A. comenchingona M 0233771 [photo!]). Santa Maria , La Ochoa , 25 November 1902, Stuckert, T. 12106 (paratype CORD 00003150 [photo!]). Malagueño , 03 January 1898, Stuckert, T. 6019 ( CORD 00003153 [photo!]) .

Figures

FIGURE 5. Geographical distribution of Adesmia bicolor (Poir.) DC., A. bonariensis Burkart, and A. cordobensis Burkart.

FIGURE 7. Adesmia cordobensis Burkart. A. Leaf with opposite obovate leaflets, their adaxial and abaxial surfaces pubescent. B–C. Leaflet, abaxial surface, with glandular and tector trichomes. D. Inflorescence apex with short-pedicellate flowers. E. Calyx, lobes equal to the tube in length. F. External indumentum of the calyx with short ochraceous glandular trichomes and white tector trichomes intermixed. G–H. Lomentum with discoid and pubescent articles. (Voucher: Pedersen, T. M. 9929).

FIGURE 8. A. Adesmia cordobensis Burkart. B – E. Adesmia gilliesii Hook. & Arn.A. Racemes with orange flowers. B. Shrubby habit, growing between grasses. C. Multi-lobed asymmetric leaflets. D. Inflorescences presenting flowers with curved pedicel after anthesis. E. Hemicraspedium with muriculate articles. (Photos:A. Tomás Aguirre Vallés; B, D. Aníbal Prina; C, E. Guillermo Debandi).