Eliokarmos craibii Mart., 2015

Martínez-Azorín, Mario, Crespo, Manuel B., Pinter, Michael & Wetschnig, Wolfgang, 2015, Eliokarmos craibii (Asparagaceae, Scilloideae), a new species from Pella se Berge, Northern Cape Province, South Africa, Phytotaxa 204 (1), pp. 65-74 : 69-72

Eliokarmos craibii Mart. -Azorín, M.B.Crespo, M.Pinter & Wetschnig sp. nov. ( Figs. 1−5 )

Planta speciosa ad E. decus-montium et E. pendentem similis sed eis combinatio unica characterum bene distincta est et facile distinguitur bulbo non prolifero cum hypogaeo collo manifesto (2−4 cm long.); foliis coaetaneis vel tempo florendi fere emarcidis, ad solum appressis, carnosis, planis sed marginibus valde involutis ut videtur pseudoincrassatis; filamentis staminum dimorphis (exterioribus subfiliformibus, interioribus planis latioribus); ovario distincte obovato, ad apicem aureo deorsum albicante; stylo bicolori, a basi aureo sursum albicante; seminibus parvibus (ad 0.8 mm long.), pyriformibus, apiculatis, papillatis. A priore insuper etiam differt foliis a basi non longe vaginantibus nec caulinis manifeste alternatibus; filamentis a basi non viridibus; ovario macula nigra apicali carente. A posteriore insuper discrepat quoque inflorescentia breviore; inferiorum florum pedicellis brevioribus; ovario ad apicem non viridi-maculato.

Type: — SOUTH AFRICA. Northern Cape. Pella (2919 AA): Pella se Berge, steep mountain slope below south-facing large cliffs east of Piet se Kloof, growing in pockets of soil among gravel, elevation ca. 1000 m, ex. cult. in Grahamstown on 6 October 2011, C. Craib s.n. (holotype GRA!, isotypes ABH-59542!, K!).

Herbaceous perennial plant, 5 − 11 cm high including bulb. Bulb hypogeal, not proliferous, ovoid, 10 − 15 × 8 − 12 mm, with pale brown membranous thin outer tunics, extended into a hypogeal neck 2 − 4 cm long. Roots fleshy, white, branched, 10 − 20 × 0.5 mm. Leaves 2 per bulb (rarely 3 in cultivation), 2.5 − 5 × 0.2 − 0.8 cm, narrowly lanceolateoblong, dark green, opposite, appressed to the ground, almost free above ground level, succulent, withered or almost withered at flowering time; adaxial side flat with a slightly prominent central longitudinal nerve and lateral portions bent upwards, giving the appearance of thickened raised margins; abaxial side flat with two slight keels on each side coinciding with the bent margins. Inflorescence an erect subcorymbose raceme with 3 − 10 flowers, 2 − 3 cm long; lower pedicels 12 − 15 mm long, shortening to the apex, suberect to spreading; peduncle 1.2 − 3.5 cm long, erect; bracts ovate-lanceolate, clasping the pedicels, shorter than pedicels, 7 − 12 × 2 − 3 mm at the basal flower, decreasing in size to the apex of the inflorescence, membranous, white with a central green band and white basal auricles at anthesis. Flowers suberect, stellate; tepals free from the base, pure white, obovate-lanceolate, 7 − 10 × 2.5 − 3.5 mm. Stamens dimorphic, suberect to slightly spreading; outer filaments narrowly lanceolate to filiform, 3.8 − 4.2 × 0.2 − 0.3 mm, inner ones wider, lanceolate, 4.5 − 5 × 0.8 − 1 mm; anthers all similar, dorsifixed, dehiscing by longitudinal slits, ca. 0.8 × 0.4 mm; pollen yellow. Ovary narrowly obovate, slightly verrucose above, yellow in the upper half and white below, 3.4 − 3.6 × 1.4 − 1.5 mm; style columnar, erect, tapering from the ovary, yellowish below and white above, 1.5 − 2 × 0.5 mm; stigma capitate, papillate. Capsule narrowly ovate-lanceolate, fusiform, with thin walls, hidden among the persistent dry perigone, 4.5 − 5 × 1.7 − 2 mm, trigonous with blunt edges in section; valves splitting in the upper half. Seeds pyriform, apiculate, 0.5 − 0.8 × 0.4 − 0.5 mm, dark brown to black, with papillate testa ( Figs. 1 − 5 ).

Eponymy:—Named after botanist Charles L. Craib (1954 − 2012), author of several botanical books and numerous articles, authority on the indigenous pelargoniums, bulbs and succulents of South Africa ( Smith 2012). He is also commemorated in Trimelopter craibii Martínez-Azorín et al. (2013: 52) , Aloe craibii Smith (2003: 26) and Ceropegia craibii Victor (2001: 212) .

Biology:—In nature, Eliokarmos craibii grows in vegetative stage around June (bulbs with leaves were collected on 18 June 2011 by C. L. Craib at the type locality). Plants in cultivation in Grahamstown flowered in September- October and capsules and seeds were produced in November–December.

Habitat:— Eliokarmos craibii grows abundant in pockets of soil below south-facing large cliffs. The bulbs grow usually in dense groups in south-facing positions that are in deep shade for most of the winter. Other plants that occasionally occur together with them or nearby are: Bowiea gariepensis Van Jaarsveld (1983: 343) , Tylecodon sulphureus ( Toelken 1977: 191) Toelken (1978: 381) subsp. armianus Van Jaarsveld (1989 : t.1984) and Whiteheadia bifolia ( Jacquin 1791: 215) Baker (1872: 226) (C. L. Craib pers. comm.).

The cited locality is included in the Desert Biome, Gariep Desert Bioregion and Eastern Gariep Rocky desert (Dg10). This region gathers a mean annual precipitation that ranges from 45 − 80 mm, with rainfall peak in late summer and early autumn, becoming more pronounced eastwards. Summer maximum temperatures often exceed 40ºC, occasionally reaching 50ºC at low altitudes. Frost is very rare, but occurs at high elevations ( Mucina & Rutherford 2006).

Distribution: — Eliokarmos craibii is known from a single locality in the Pella se Berge, in the northern part of Northern Cape Province of South Africa, adjacent to the Orange River and Namibia ( Fig. 6 ). The related species, E. decus-montium and E. pendens are rare and seldom collected plants, which are also restricted to very small areas in the north western areas of the Northern Cape Province of South Africa.

Diagnostic characters and relationships: — Eliokarmos craibii is easily identified by its hypogeal not proliferous bulb, extending into a hypogeal neck 2 − 4 cm long; the 2(− 3) succulent, glabrous, proteranthous, narrowly lanceolateoblong, opposite leaves which are appressed to the ground, almost free above ground level, with lateral portions bent upwards, giving the appearance of thickened raised margins; the dimorphic filaments, outers filiform and inners lanceolate; the narrowly obovate ovary, yellow and slightly verrucose in the upper half and white below; and the pyriform, apiculate seeds with papillate testa.

Eliokarmos decus-montium shares with E. craibii the similar flowers and inflorescence, but the former differs by the shorter hypogeal neck of the bulb; the synanthous, canaliculated-convolute, not succulent, sometimes hairy leaves (simple long hairs scattered on margins at the base of leaves and on sheath margins), with a tubular base that sheaths the stem for 2 − 3 cm above the ground with the free portions of leaves disposed at different heights; filaments green in the basal portion, inner ones concave below; ovary green, with dark greenish black apex; the white shorter style; and longer, echinulate seeds ( Table 1). The study of living plants from the type locality of E. decus-montium by the first author on 25 August 2011 allowed us to complete some aspects of the morphology of this rare and seldom collected species ( Table 1). Eliokarmos pendens also shares with E. craibii the similar flowers and inflorescence, but the former differs by the proliferous bulb lacking a hypogeal neck; the larger, synanthous leaves; the longer inflorescence with longer lower pedicels; and the green ovary ( Table 1).

Nicipe fissurisedula ( Müller-Doblies & Müller-Doblies 1996: 466) Martínez-Azorín et al. (2011: 31) shows similar leaves and bulbs to those of E. craibii , but the former differs by the gregarious bulbs; the arcuate falcate narrower leaves (0.8 − 1.8 mm broad), the first leaf often with retrorse cilia up to 0.6 mm long; the shorter raceme (3 − 13 mm long) with fewer flowers (2 − 3 up to 6); the shorter bracts (2.2 − 3.5 mm long); the shorter filaments and ovary; and the different distribution, only known from the surroundings of Haalenberg and Gabosib in Namibia ( Müller-Doblies & Müller-Doblies 1996). Unfortunately, we only know this species from the original description, where a drawing and a photograph of the plant in vegetative stage was added to the description. However, the type of the cited species has not yet been deposited in any of the 12 herbaria cited in the protologue, nor the holotype at WIND. Müller-Doblies & Müller-Doblies (1996) included this species in Ornithogalum subgenus Aspasia section Nanaspasia , together with Nicipe nanodes (Leighton in Barker et al. 1943: 113) Martínez-Azorín et al. (2011: 32), N. longicolla ( Müller-Doblies & Müller-Doblies 1996: 462) Martínez-Azorín et al. (2011: 32) and related species, which show the typical morphology of Nicipe . This led Martínez-Azorín et al. (2011) to transfer O. fissurisedulum Müller-Doblies & Müller-Doblies (1996: 466) into Nicipe . However, the drawing of the bracts and inflorescence of N. fissurisedula somewhat resemble those of Eliokarmos and not of Nicipe . Further studies on living material of N. fissurisedula in combination with molecular analyses are needed to evaluate possible alternatives on its generic adscription.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Plants in vegetative stage of Eliokarmos craibii Mart.-Azorín, M.B.Crespo, M.Pinter & Wetschnig from the type locality: a. Plants in cultivation in Grahamstown, South Africa, on 23 June 2011; b. Plants grown from seeds in cultivation in Graz, Austria, on 7 October 2014.

FIGURE 2. Plants of Eliokarmos craibii Mart.-Azorín, M.B.Crespo, M.Pinter & Wetschnig from the type locality in cultivation in Grahamstown on 6 October 2011: a. Plants in flower with withered leaves; b. Inflorescence. Scale bars 1 cm.

FIGURE 3. Eliokarmos craibii Mart.-Azorín, M.B.Crespo, M.Pinter & Wetschnig from the type locality in cultivation in Grahamstown on 6 October 2011: a. Flower in frontal and dorsal view; b. Dissected flower, inner tepals and stamens above, outer ones below, and gynoecium. Scale bars 1 cm.

FIGURE 4. Eliokarmos craibii Mart.-Azorín, M.B.Crespo, M.Pinter & Wetschnig from the type locality in cultivation in Grahamstown on 2 November 2011: a. Infructescence. b. Dehiscing capsule in lateral view; c. Capsule in lateral view surrounded by the dry tepals and stamens. Scale bars 1 cm.

FIGURE 5. Seeds of Eliokarmos craibii Mart.-Azorín, M.B.Crespo, M.Pinter & Wetschnig. a. Lateral view; b. Raphal view. Scale bar 0.5 mm.

FIGURE 6. Known distribution of Eliokarmos craibii Mart.-Azorín, M.B.Crespo, M.Pinter & Wetschnig (red circle), E. decus-montium (G.Will.) Mart.-Azorín, M.B.Crespo & Juan (green triangle) and E. pendens (Van Jaarsv.) Mart.-Azorín, M.B.Crespo, M.Pinter & Wetschnig (blue square) in north western South Africa.