Cryptantha pondii, , Johnston, 1928

Simpson, Michael G. & Rebman, Jon P., 2021, Research in Boraginaceae: A new variety of Cryptantha maritima, Cryptantha pondii resurrected, and Johnstonella echinosepala transferred back to Cryptantha, Phytotaxa 509 (2), pp. 185-210 : 196

Resurrection of Cryptantha pondii

In our survey of Cryptantha maritima , we discovered two specimens that had been identified as that species but which had four, smooth nutlets, these slightly heteromorphic ( Fig. 6 ). In discovering the publication of Johnston (1928), we realized that this was the true C. pondii . To date, we are aware of only three collections of C. pondii , including that of the type, all from Baja California Sur, Mexico. One collection has duplicates for a total of five herbarium specimens, but two collections consist of single known herbarium specimens (see below; recall that we were unable to locate the presumed “ type ” cited by Johnston, but did locate his cited “isotype,” treated here as a designated isolectotype). Two of the collections are from the extreme western portion of the Vizcaíno peninsula and one is from Natividad Island, just off the coast from that area ( Fig. 7A,B ). The three collections are listed here (georeferenced coordinates and elevations indicated with “*”, estimated from label data):

MEXICO. Baja California Sur: Bay of San Bartolomé [Note: Bay of San Bartolomé is now called Bahia Tortuga], ca. 5 meters elevation, 27.6907˚ N, 114.8935˚ W *, March 1889, C. F. Pond 22, Isolectotype: US 41006= US 01050283; 2–3 mile E of Punta Eugenia, Vizcaíno Desert , habitat: Maritime Desert, abundant, 100–300 feet [ca. 30–90 meters] elevation, 27.82025˚ N 115.0502˚ W * (these coordinates are the centroid of three slightly varying estimates from different herbaria records), 13 March 1949, H. S. Gentry 8684, ASU 0014603!, DES 00009392, HCIB 21969!, SD 86419!, UCR-80508!; Mulegé, Isla Natividad, upper south-facing talus slope of major canyon, seventh canyon northwest of lighthouse and draining from off-shore ridge to on-shore coast, associated species: Mentzelia and Phacelia , ca. 77 meters elevation*, 27.881926˚ N, 115.194287˚ W *, 25 March 1974, R. N. Philbrick & M. R. Benedict B 74-84, SBBG 49613!

We find Cryptantha pondii to be quite distinctive from other taxa in several features. It has linear bracts sporadically subtending peduncle bases of the cymules as well as flowers ( Fig. 6A, C, F ). The calyces are somewhat finely hirsute with ascending trichomes, described as “silky-hirsute” by Johnston (1928: 74) in addition to hispid along the midrib ( Fig. 6D, F ). And, we confirm the observations of Johnston (1928: 74) that the corollas are relatively large ( Fig. 6C, F ; described as 2–3 mm broad by him, which we confirm here) and that there are four nutlets per fruit, these smooth and shiny and heteromorphic by size, with the odd nutlet axial (closest to the inflorescence axis) slightly larger than the other three consimilar nutlets ( Fig. 6B, D, E ).

We note that although Johnston (1928) described the nutlets of C. pondii as “smooth or very obscurely and minutely tuberculate above the middle”, we did not observe the latter sculpturing; all nutlets we observed were smooth and shiny. In addition, we were unable to observe specimens of C. bartolomaei , which Johnston believed to be synonymous with C. pondii . In fact, the type of C. bartolomaei he believed was derived from the very same collection as that of C. pondii . Online images of C. bartolomaei (holotype: NDG 40169; isotypes: GH 00096299 and GH 00096293, the last apparently a fragment from the holotype) do fit our concept of C. pondii . However, the type specimens of C. bartolomaei need to be examined and verified as equivalent to C. pondii , something we plan to do in the future. Note that C. pondii has priority of publication over C. bartolomaei .

Figures

FIGURE 6. Cryptantha pondii. A. Close-up of single plant of presumed lectotype specimen (US41006), confirmed by Johnston (1928) as being correctly identified. Note linear, pustulate leaves and bracts at base of cymules. B,C. Images from Gentry 8684, 13 March 1949 (HCIB21969). B. Four nutlets removed from fruit, showing smooth surface and slight size heteromorphism. C. Close-up of cymules, showing linear bracts and relatively large corollas. D–F. Images from Philbrick B74-84, 25 March 1974 (SBBG49613). D. Fruit with four, smooth nutlets removed. Note finely hirsute calyx marginal region with ascending trichomes, as well as hispid calyx midrib of stouter trichomes. E. Close-up of four nutlets attached to gynobase. Note slight heteromorphism in size and slight extension of style tip/stigma from nutlet apices. F. Cymules, showing appressed-strigose vestiture of axes, scattered linear flower bracts, and relatively large corolla.

FIGURE 7. A,B. Cryptantha pondii, distribution map of three known collections. Georeference point for the type, Pond 22, approximate; that of Gentry 8684 placed as a centroid of three different georeferenced estimates. Maps from ©Google 2020, INEGI Data.