Espeletia praesidentis Diazgr. & L.R. Sanchez, 2017

Diazgranados, Mauricio & Sanchez, Luis Roberto, 2017, Espeletia praesidentis, a new species of Espeletiinae (Millerieae, Asteraceae) from northeastern Colombia, PhytoKeys 76, pp. 1-12 : 3-10

Espeletia praesidentis Diazgr. & L.R. Sanchez sp. nov. Figures 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6

Type.

COLOMBIA, Norte de Santander, Páramo de Presidente. En vía a Chitagá, llegando al páramo. En frailejonal-pajonal típico. Muy abundante. Caulirrósula. Alt. tot.: 0.8 m; alt. de la roseta: 0.4 m; inflorescencias: 2 maduras y 4 secas, con escapo desnudo, con 3-5 capítulos, cada uno de 2.1 cm de diámetro; hojas más angostas que otros individuos simpátricos. Alt. 3503 m, - 72°40.8828'W, 6°59.8362'N. 3 Oct. 2009, M. Diazgranados & L.R. Sánchez 3865 (holotype: COL; isotypes: HECASA and to be distributed) .

Diagnosis.

Caulescent rosette of yellowish-whitish appearance, with leaf laminae linear or linear-obovate, naked scapes with long peduncles and 3(-5) capitula, small in diameter, disc paleae oblong, oblanceolate or narrowly obtrullate, very short yellow ray flowers, and lobes of disc corollas with hairs. Similar to Espeletia dugandii , but more yellowish, with much linear and narrower leaf laminae, much longer peduncles, smaller capitula and ray flowers, and disc corolla lobes with more hairs.

Description.

Caulescent polycarpic rosette of yellowish-whitish appearance (not cinereous), 0.8-1.5 m tall (including capitulescences), growing in grassland of páramo proper. Excluding reproductive parts, rosette 40-60 cm in diameter, on stems 0-40 cm tall (Fig. 1 A-B ).

Leaves firm, coriaceous, rigid, erect; laminae linear or linear-obovate, apex acute to subacute (60-80°), base sessile, slightly pseudopetiole, attenuate, (38-)39-42(-45) cm × (3.0-)3.5-3.6(-4.2) cm, length to width ratio (10-)11-12(-15):1 (Figs 4 E , 5 B ). Indumentum pale-yellowish in young leaves, becoming whitish in adult leaves. Adaxial face with indumentum whitish, lanose, costa pale-yellowish, visible, but secondary nerves invisible. Abaxial face with indumentum whitish, lanose, less abundant, costa more prominent, as well as secondary nerves, with deviation angles of 37-45°. Margins entire.

Leaf sheaths open, oblong to trapezoidal, coriaceous, 5-6 cm wide × 7-8 cm long; adaxially glabrescent, whitish, with 10-15 green anastomosing nerves; tawny abaxially, barbate, with hairs up to 15 mm long.

Capitulescences 5-15(-18) coetaneous, cymose, dichasial, axillary (lateral), erect, more than twice longer than the leaves, 100-120 cm long; indumentum abundant, villous, white. Scapes erect, firm, 80-100 cm long, 0.8-1.0 mm in diameter; naked, with no sterile bracts. Peduncles terete, 15-18 cm long, curving in the distal end, proximally with a free attachment. One pair of subtending bracts, linear, 8-10 cm long × 0.9-1.0 cm wide.

Capitula 3(-5) radiate, subglobose, nodding, 2.0-3.0 cm in diameter (including ray flowers) (Fig. 1 C-D ). Involucre 2.0-2,5 cm wide × 1.0-1.6 cm high. Phyllaries in 2-3 series, ovate to ovate-triangular. Outer phyllaries surpassing the capitulum, 12-13 mm long × 8.0-9.0 mm wide (excluding hairs), apex obtuse to acute, adaxially glabrous with 10-20 visible nerves, abaxially villous, hairs 2-4.5 mm. Inner phyllaries 6.0-6.5 mm long × 2.8-3.3 mm wide, with indumentum villous white, hairs 1.0-2.0 mm long.

Ray flowers 80-90 in 2-3 series, yellow, ray corollas 3.5-4.5 mm long (excluding ovary). Ligules 3.0-3.5 mm long, elliptical or oblong, tridentate; tube hirsute, small, 0.2-0.4 mm in diameter and 0.5-1.0 mm long, yellow, the trichomes 0.2-0.3 mm long. Style 2.7-2.9 mm long × 0.14-0.2 mm in diameter, with stigmatic branches 1.0-1.5 mm long, without papillae in the distal portion. Cypselae oblong, triangular, 3.3-3.5 mm × 2.0-2.2 mm, glabrous, black. Ray paleae narrowly-ovate, 5.3-5.5 mm × long 2.0-2.1 mm wide, brownish, profusely villous.

Discs 1.5-2.6 cm in diameter. Disc paleae oblong, oblanceolate or narrowly obtrullate, 5.0-5.4 mm long × 0.8-1.1 mm wide, brownish, glabrous becoming villous in the distal portion. Disc flowers 300-400; corolla 5.0-5.2 mm long (excluding anthers and fruit); corolla throat 3.5-3.7 mm long, 1-1.1 mm wide when open, 5-lobed, lobes 0.45-0.55 mm long, with hairs; tube 1.5-2.0 mm long × 0.2-0.3 mm in diameter, glabrous, with a few hairs; anthers dark yellow, sometimes exceeding the corolla, slightly translucid, approximately 1-2 mm long and 0.3 mm wide. Pollen yellow when fresh, tricolporate, 17.5-19.5 μm in equatorial diameter (not counting spines); spines 70-74 total, 14-16 equatorial spines, 3.9-4.5 μm long, erect. Style 5.5-7.0 mm long × 0.14-0.17 mm in diameter, with stigmatic branches 0.6-0.7 mm long, broadening in the distal portion, 0.20-0.25 mm wide, papillose, papillae to 0.15-0.2(-0.4) mm long.

Distribution.

Endemic to Colombia. This species has been found only in the Páramo de Presidente (part of the great Páramo de Almorzadero), at elevations of 3400-3600 m (Fig. 6 ). The known area of distribution is about 2 km2.

Ecology.

A large population of several hundreds of individuals growing in the grasslands of the páramo proper was observed (Fig. 1 , 6 ). Other Espeletia species found in the area are: Espeletia brassicoidea Cuatrec., Espeletia canescens A.C.Sm., Espeletia conglomerata A. C. Sm., Espeletia dugandii Cuatrec., Espeletia standleyana A. C. Sm., and Espeletia steyermarkii Cuatrec. (Fig. 6 ). E praesidentis can be found in slightly humid plains and on relatively drained slopes.

Etymology.

The specific epithet of this new species, " praesidentis ", taken from the locality where the species is found, is dedicated also to the President of Colombia, Juan Manuel Santos Calderón, for his persistent efforts to achieve peace with the guerillas FARC in Colombia, after 52 years of conflict. The Páramo de Presidente has been one of those places that has been closed to researchers for decades. With the peace agreement this and other places will be open for fruitful botanical explorations during the post-conflict times in Colombia. May this publication inspire the President to continue with further actions for the preservation of Colombian biodiversity.

Conservation status.

Despite seeing a relatively large population, this páramo area is not under any sort of protection, and there are signs of grazing activity. Also, very close there are extensive potato plantations in areas that were covered by páramo vegetation in the past. This combination of elements suggests that the species is probably Critically Endangered (CR, according to the IUCN criteria: extent of occurrence estimated to be less than 100 km2, habitat fragmentation, and likely decline of the extent of the páramo; http://jr.iucnredlist.org/documents/redlist_cats_crit_en.pdf), or Critically Imperiled (G1, according to NatureServe; http://www.natureserve.org/explorer/ranking.htm).

Discussion.

The páramos of Santander and Norte de Santander (Colombia) are considered one of the three centres of radiation for the Espeletiinae ( Cuatrecasas 2013; Diazgranados 2012b). Probably because of the topographic complexity of these mountains and the longer time for evolution of these plants in this area with respect to other Colombian cordilleras, the overall diversity in the Santanderes is remarkable: 36 species belonging to 7 genera (all but Carramboa ). New species continue to appear as collectors reach previously unexplored páramos, whilst our taxonomic understanding of the group improves.

In 1926-1927 two American botanists explored the vegetation of these mountains, Ellsworth Paine Killip (1890-1968) and Albert Charles Smith (1906-1999). Smith, who would became later the director of the National Museum of Natural History at the Smithsonian Institution, described years later 10 new species of Espeletia from those collections. Since then, no one has really visited the same places that these botanists explored, probably not even Cuatrecasas, who spent decades collecting the Espeletiinae in the páramos. Collectors of Espeletiinae know well that if they miss the slope or the mountain, they can totally miss the species they are looking for, because of the extreme local endemism of the group. As a consequence, Cuatrecasas (2013) made clear in his monographic work that the status of several taxa could be subject to changes with further collections.

Espeletia praesidentis exemplifies the lack of collections throughout the páramos of the region, and the challenges taxonomists have to face when studying this group. Cuatrecasas’s collections were often limited to the accessibility of roads in those years (1940-1980), and he never found the topolocality where Killip and Smith collected species such as Espeletia conglomerata and Espeletia canescens . In the remarks for Espeletia canescens of his treatment he said "Sometimes I have been inclined to consider Espeletia canescens as a local, extreme variation of Espeletia conglomerata . However, the scanty, authentic material of Espeletia canescens shows features that can justify its specific status [ …] On my 1973 trip, I did not have the time to walk from La Baja all the way to the highest spots at the opposite north end of the Páramo del Romeral, where Killip probably collected the type specimens of Espeletia canescens . Additional collections from the extreme section of the Páramo del Romeral may clarify the taxonomic status of Espeletia canescens " (Cuatrecasas, 2013, pag. 319). In the remarks for Espeletia conglomerata he said " Espeletia conglomerata as well as Espeletia canescens were described with type specimens from Páramo del Romeral between "3800 and 4200" m of altitude. However, according to recent maps, this páramo generally does not exceed 3800 m [ …]. My own collections represent several minor variations, as well as the typical form" (Cuatrecasas, 2013, pag. 316). In that moment Cuatrecasas was 70-year old, and clearly did not have time or possibilities to explored close areas were in recent years various new species have been discovered (e.g. Espeletiopsis sanchezii S. Díaz & S. Obando or Espeletia diazii Diazgr. & L. R. Sánchez). With no other material than his own collections, he first described morphological variations of his specimens as varieties ( Espeletia conglomerata var. macroclada Cuatrec. and Espeletia conglomerata var. pedunculata Cuatrec.). Later, he decided to change the status to hybrids, both within Espeletia conglomerata × Espeletia brassicoidea , and synonymised Espeletia brassicoidea f. contracta Cuatrec. with Espeletia conglomerata . Also, he never published Espeletia conglomerata var. lanceolata Cuatrec. [Nom. nud., Carriker 34].

Espeletia praesidentis differs notably from the type of Espeletia conglomerata (Killip E. P. and Smith A. C. 18635, see key below), and from the hybrids described from Cuatrecasas (2013). We believe Espeletia praesidentis cannot be considered a local variation or hybrid of similar or neighboring species for two reasons: 1) there is a large population of several hundreds of individuals; and 2) there are remarkable morphological differences between Espeletia praesidentis and the type collections of other species (as seen in Fig. 4 ). In this work we do not intend to propose a new categorization for hybrids and/or varieties of Espeletia conglomerata , and we recognize that hybrids can be easily spotted when sympatric species occur, but this clearly was not the case.

Figures

Figure 1. Espeletia praesidentis: A habitat, showing a large population B holotype collection (M. Diazgranados & L. R. Sanchez 3865), with stemmed rosette habit and very long capitulescences C frontal view of capitulum D dorsal view of capitulum.

Figure 2. Illustrations of Espeletia praesidentis. A outer phyllary B Inner (sterile) phyllary C ray flower palea D ray flower E disc flower palea F disc flower G dorsal view of cypselae from ray flower. Illustrations made by Lauren Merchant.

Figure 3. Photomicrographs of Espeletia praesidentis. A stigmatic branches of ray flower B stigmatic branches of disc flower with abundant papillae C detail of a stigmatic branch of ray flower with pollen grains D Pollen grain.

Figure 4. Comparison of similar Espeletia species. A Espeletia brassicoidea B Espeletia canescens C Espeletia conglomerata D Espeletia dugandii E Espeletia praesidentis F Espeletia standleyana G Espeletia steyermarkii. The hygrophilous and always monocephalous Espeletia estanislana was not included because of its very distinctive morphology. Above: plant habit; below: adult leaves with sheaths, and complete capitulescences.

Figure 5. Comparison of rosette colours. A Espeletia dugandii B Espeletia praesidentis.

Figure 6. Distribution map showing the collection locality for Espeletia praesidentis (red circle), and collections of other Espeletia species found in the area: Espeletia brassicoidea (green circles), Espeletia canescens (orange squares), Espeletia conglomerata (blue squares), Espeletia standleyana (yellow triangles) and Espeletia steyermarkii (pink pentagons). Topographic map from Environmental Systems Research Institute (Esri), HERE, DeLorme, TomTom, Intermap, Increment P Corp., General Bathymetric Chart of the Oceans (GEBCO), United States Geological Survey (USGS), Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), National Park Service (NPS), Natural Resources Canada (NRCAN), GeoBase, Institut Geographique National (IGN), Kadaster NL, Ordnance Survey, Esri Japan, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan (METI), Esri China (Hong Kong), Swisstopo, MapmyIndia, © OpenStreetMap contributors, and the GIS User Community.