Adesmia subnuda (A.Gray) 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 : 58-60

19. Adesmia subnuda (A.Gray) Burkart, Darwiniana 10(4): 491–494 (1954).

Type:— PERU. Lima: Obrajillo, 1838, {fl./fr.}, Wilkes , C. s.n. (holotype: US barcode US00001942 [photo!]) .

≡ Adesmia hispidula var. subnuda A.Gray, U.S. Expl. Exped., Phan. 15: 425 (1854).

= Adesmia subnuda var. peruviana (Vargas & Burkart) Burkart, Darwiniana 10(4): 494–495 (1954). syn. nov.

TYPE: PERU. Cuzco: Quispicanchis, Pikillaccta , 3200 m, 02 May 1943, {fl./fr.}, Vargas , C. 3385 (holotype: SI barcode SI004034 [photo!], isotypes: CUZ; GH barcode GH00058412 [photo!]) .

≡ Adesmia muricata var. peruviana Vargas & Burkart, Bol. Mus. Hist. Nat. Javier Prado 8: 218 (1944).

Ascendant subshrubs, adventitious roots from stem branch nodes absent. Stem pubescent to pilose, abundant white tector hairs intermixed with sparse ochraceous to black glandular setules, or these absent, on all plant parts. Stipules 1–4× 0.5–1.5 mm, linear to lanceolate (rarelY oboVate), pilose to glabrous. Leaves with (3–)4–6 pairs of leaflets; petiole 0.3–1.8 cm long, rachis 0.5–4.5 cm long, pubescent; leaflets 3–18× 2–8 mm, oVal-orbicular to elliptic (rarelY obovate), apex obtuse or rarely retuse, base rounded, margin entire to dentate, pilose to glabrescent. Raceme terminal or rarely axillary, up to three axillary flowers amongst the leaves below the inflorescence, inflorescence 5.5–19 cm long, pubescent to pilose; bracts 2–3 mm long, lanceolate, glabrescent to glabrous; pedicel 4–13 mm long, pubescent to pilose. Flowers 6–10 mm long; calyx 3–5 mm long, externally pubescent to pilose, internally hirsute on the lobes with white tector hairs; lobes 2–3 mm long, narrowlY triangular to linear; standard petal reflexed, 6–10× 6–9 mm, orbicular, apex obtuse, externallY glabrous, claw 2–3× 1–3 mm, internallY pubescent on the median portion; wing petals 6–9× 2–4 mm, oboVate to narrowlY flabelliform, claw 2–3 mm long; keel petals 6–8× 3–4 mm, falcate, claw 2–3 mm long; stamens 6–9 mm long, anthers elliptical; gynoecium 7–10 mm, ovary 3–5 mm long, pubescent, 4–6-ovulate. Lomentum 11–22 mm long, falcate, light brownish, pubescent to pilose, sparse stiff black setules at the centre of each article, fruit with (2–)3–5(–6) articles, these 3–4× 3–4 mm, lenticular. Seeds brownish to greYish, 1.5–2× 1.5–2 mm, orbicular, without an aril. ( Figure 29 B–D ).

Distribution and Habitat— The species occurs from Bolivia to Peru at high elevations in the Andean mountains, between 2600 m and 3200 m, in inter-Andean dry woods and on rocky-clay slopes.

Phenology— Adesmia subnuda flowers and fruits from November to April.

Conservation status— Least Concern (LC). Adesmia subnuda occupies a wide distribution through the Andean mountains of Peru and Bolivia, with an EOO of 39.859, 834 km ² and an AOO of 44 km ². It is well-sampled in herbaria. The species tends to grow in ruderal habitats, frequently occurring near cities, along roads, and close to villages.

Etymology— A reference to the non-plumose setules present on the fruit articles of Adesmia subnuda .

Notes— Adesmia subnuda was first described as a variety of A. hispidula (Lag.) DC. , from which it can only be differentiated by the lomentum articles which lack plumose setules (vs. the presence of plumose setules on the lomentum of A. hispidula ). This notable morphological resemblance with a species of Adesmia subg. Adesmia ser. Hispidulae , together with the disjunt distribution of A. subnuda compared with other species of the previously recognised series Subnudae introduces some doubt on its placement in series Adesmia , especially as the species was not included in our molecular analyses.

Adesmia subnuda is frequently confused with Adesmia pimpinellifolia , differing only by the lomentaceous fruits with 4–5(–6) lenticular articles of 4× 4 mm (vs. fruit a hemicraspedium with 6–8(–10) orbicular articles of 3× 3 mm in A. pimpinellifolia ).

When describing A. hispidula var. subnuda, Gray (1854) cited Obrajillo, in the Peruvian Andes, as the type locality. A century later, Burkart (1954) elevated the variety to species level, but he did not mention the type locality. The botanist Asa Gray worked with collections of the U.S. Exploring Expedition, led by C. Wilkes and there is a specimen collected by Wilkes at Obrajillo, Peru identified as A. hispidula var. β subnuda in US herbarium ( US 0001942), this annotated by Burkart as an isotype. There are no other known Wilkes specimens of the taxon and we consider the US specimen ( US 0001942) as the holotype of A. subnuda following article 9.1 of the Nomenclatural Code ( Turland et al. 2018). The specimen was probably the one used by Asa Gray to describe the species.

Burkart (1954) described A. subnuda as having 3–6 pairs of elliptic to orbicular leaflets with dentate to entire margins, and A. subnuda var. peruviana as having 3–4 pairs of obovate to orbicular leaflets with an entire margin. Additionally, he mentioned smaller flowers (without any measurement) and racemes up to 30 cm long to diagnose A. subnuda var. peruviana . We found that the characters used to diagnose A. subnuda var. peruviana overlap with those of the typical variety and , therefore, synonymize Adesmia subnuda var. peruviana under A. subnuda .

Additional Specimens Examined — BOLÍVIA. CHUQUISACA: Oropeza, km 32–33, road from Sucre to Potosí (Yotala – Puente Mendez), Wood, J.R.I. 10832 ( K). Zudañez , em la subida de Icla hacia Candelaria, 01 March 2006, Wood, J.R.I. et al. 22304 ( K). COCHABAMBA: Arce, 3-4km NE of Anzaldo along road to Cliza, 29 January 2001, Wood, J.R.I. & Goyder, D.J. 17040 ( K). Capinota , Comunidad de Apillampa, 17 Feb 2003, Thomas, E. 216 ( K). Quillacollo , Sipe Sipe – Lipichi , 29 March 2007, Duchen, P. et al. 258 ( K). LA PAZ: Larecaja, de Sorata bajando el rio San Cristobal hasta la gruta de San Pedro, 28 March 1991, Beck, S.G. 18719 ( K). PERU. CUSCO: Calca, 2 km from Calca on road to Urubamba , 13 April 1971, Hawkes, J. G. et al. 5151 ( L 1970515 [photo!]). HUANCAVELICA: Tayacaja, Mantaro valley, near la mejorada, 21 March 1926, Weberbauer, A. 7609 ( F 562529 [photo!]) .

Figures

FIGURE 29. A. Adesmia securigerifolia Herter. B–D. Adesmia subnuda (A. Gray) Burkart. A. Habit prostrate, with axillary solitary yellow flowers from the leaf axils. B. Front view of flowers, dark brownish nectar guides at the centre of the standard petal. C. Side view of flowers; calyx lobes shorter than the tube. D. Leaf with obovate leaflets with a dentate apex. (Photos: A. Rafael Tosi, B–D. Ruth Ripley).