Schiekia Meisn., Pl. Vasc. Gen. 2(12): 300. 1842.

Pellegrini, Marco O. O., Hickman, Ellen J., Guttierrez, Jorge E., Smith, Rhian J. & Hopper, Stephen D., 2020, Revisiting the taxonomy of the Neotropical Haemodoraceae (Commelinales), PhytoKeys 169, pp. 1-59 : 1

publication ID

https://dx.doi.org/10.3897/phytokeys.169.57996

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/14B701F7-2709-56B8-8E94-0B25E35785CE

treatment provided by

PhytoKeys by Pensoft

scientific name

Schiekia Meisn., Pl. Vasc. Gen. 2(12): 300. 1842.
status

 

4. Schiekia Meisn., Pl. Vasc. Gen. 2(12): 300. 1842. Figs 13 View Figure 13 , 15 View Figure 15 , 16 View Figure 16 , 17 View Figure 17 , 19 View Figure 19 , 20 View Figure 20

Troschelia Klotzsch & M.R.Schomb. in Reisen, Br.-Guiana: 1066. 1849, nom. nud.

Type species.

Wachendorfia orinocensis Kunth. [≡ Schiekia orinocensis (Kunth) Meisn.].

Comments.

Schiekia is indisputably closely related to Wachendorfia ( Hopper et al. 1999, 2009; Hickman 2019; Pellegrini 2019; Hopper et al., in prep.), which is shown by its taxonomic history and due to several morphological characters. Schiekia and Wachendorfia share some unique floral traits, such as the perianth apertures (produced by the connation of five tepals, giving the flowers a peculiar bilabiate appearance and producing two basal pouches; Simpson 1990) and the infralocular septal nectaries with commissure slits which channel the nectar to the perianth apertures ( Simpson 1993; Pellegrini 2019). These features serve as strong morphological synapomorphies that support the clade composed by Schiekia + ( Wachendorfia + Barberetta ), with a posterior loss of the perianth apertures in Barberetta ( Pellegrini 2019). The nectary apparatus in Barberetta is also remarkably similar to that of Wachendorfia and Schiekia and only lacks the ducts that would carry the secreted nectar to the perianth apertures ( Simpson 1993). Furthermore, Schiekia and Wachendorfia share the presence of tapering trichomes, while Barberetta and Wachendorfia share the unifacially-plicate leaves, which are unique in the family and the order as a whole ( Simpson 1990; Pellegrini 2019). The staminode-like structures are synapomorphic to Schiekia ( Pellegrini 2019) and cannot be considered actual staminodes, in fact, representing a de novo structure ( Simpson 1990; Pellegrini 2019). These staminode-like structures seem to represent some kind of corona (i.e., a perianth projection), comparable to the ones observed in many Amaryllidaceae and Passifloraceae . Their function is most likely associated with the genus’ floral biology and could represent enlarged osmophores, which would aid in the attraction of pollinators, together with the nectar. Nonetheless, reproductive biology studies in Schiekia are entirely lacking and are necessary to understand the function of these staminode-like structures. Furthermore, ontogenetic studies are also necessary to understand the origin and to propose a more suitable and definite name to these structures.