Lepidaploa tarijensis (Griseb.) Robinson (1990: 495)

Marques, Danilo, Farco, Gabriela Elizabeth, Nakajima, Jimi Naoki & Dematteis, Massimiliano, 2018, The genus Lepidaploa (Vernonieae, Asteraceae) in southern South America, Phytotaxa 362 (2), pp. 115-142 : 139-140

13. Lepidaploa tarijensis (Griseb.) Robinson (1990: 495) . Vernonia sericea var. tarijensis Grisebach (1879: 163) . Type:— BOLIVIA. Bei Carapari, 19 Juny 1873, P. G. Lorentz 634 (syntypes COND! GOET! [photo!]). Figure 22 .

Clambering shrubs 1–2 m tall.; branches pubescent. Leaves distichous, cauline, internode 2.2–3.8 cm long, petioles 3–5 mm long, blade 6.4–8.4 × 1.7–2.7 cm, membranaceous, slightly rugose, ovate-lanceolate, lanceolate, apex acute, margins entire, sometimes sinuate, base attenuate, adaxial surfaces glabrous, abaxial surface pubescent or glabrous; venation camptodromous-eucamptodromous. Capitulescence seriate-cymose with capitula sessile, 3–5.6 cm long, axis densely sericeous, brown to yellowish. Involucre widely campanulate, 8–10 mm in diam., phyllaries 5–8-seriate, yellowish, scarious, glabrous or pubescent on margins, outer oval-lanceolate, apex apiculate, inner elliptic-lanceolate, apex acute or apiculate. Florets 24–27, corolla white or pinkish, tube 4–4.2 mm long, glabrous, lobes 2–2.5 mm long, lanceolate, apex setose; apical anther appendages acute or obtuse, base obtuse; basal stylar node enlarged. Cypsela turbinate, 2–2.3 mm long, sericeous; carpopodium anullar. Pappus white.

Selected specimens examined — ARGENTINA. Salta: General San Martín, camino al Dique Itiyuro, 2 km de la Ruta 34, 22.IX.1997, M. Dematteis 839 (CTES).

Distribution and habitat —In the study region Lepidaploa tarijensis can be found only in the extreme north of Salta, Argentina. In Salta, the species was found only in the department of General José de San Martín. This species grows on the edges of the North–Central Humid Andes ( Figure 20 ).

Phenology —Collected with flowers from May to August.

Notes — Lepidaploa tarijensis is similar to L. novarae . See comments under L. novarae . In summary, L. tarijensis can be differentiated from the other species of southern South America by the following combination of characters: clambering shrubs, pappus white, involucre 8–10 mm long, glandular trichomes absent on the corolla lobes, and cypselae without idioblasts.

Figures

FIGURE 20. Geographical distribution of L. salzmannii (circle), L. setososquamosa (square) and L. tarijensis (triangle) in Cone Sur.

FIGURE 22. Lepidaploa tarijensis. A. Plant. B. Stem and leaf. C. Stem and leaf detail. D. Capitula. E–G. Outer phyllaries. H–K. Inner Phyllaries. L. Floret. M. Corolla lobe detail. Source: Marques & Dematteis (2014).