Pyrrorhiza neblinae Maguire & Wurdack, Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 9(3): 318, fig. 63a-g. 1957.

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

3.1. Pyrrorhiza neblinae Maguire & Wurdack, Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 9(3): 318, fig. 63a-g. 1957. Figs 10 , 11

Type material.

Holotype. Venezuela. Amazonas: Río Yatua, Cerro de la Neblina, locally frequent in open savannah, 5 km SW of cumbre camp, alt. 1900 m, fl., fr., 6 January 1954, B. Maguire et al. 37108 (NY barcode 00247967!; isolectotypes: COL barcode COL000000167!, F barcode V0045883F!, GH barcode GH00030234!, IAN barcode IAN091102!, K barcode K000574291!, MICH barcode MICH1192344!, MO barcode MO-202079!, NY barcode 00247968, P barcode P00753469, S accession no. S-R-5402!, U barcode U0002447!, UC barcode UC1035482!, US barcode US00092054!, VEN barcode VEN39086!, W n.v.).

Distribution and habitat.

Pyrrorhiza neblinae is at present only known to occur at the Venezuelan side of the Cerro de la Neblina (Fig. 12 ), but most likely also reaches the Brazilian side. It grows in open, acidic, and swampy Heliamphora Benth. ( Sarraceniaceae ) and Bonnetia maguireorum Steyerm. ( Bonnetiaceae ) savannahs, with Euterpe Mart. ( Arecaceae ), along streams, between 1800-2100 m alt. Due to its cormose underground system producing cormlets, P. neblinae forms dense clonal clusters. Its pollination syndrome is unknown, but based on the vestigial pair of septal infralocular nectaries, it is most likely a pollen-rewarding, self-compatible species.

Phenology.

It was found in bloom and fruit from November to February.

Conservation status.

As aforementioned, Pyrrorhiza neblinae is only known from a single Amazonian mountain. It possesses very narrow EOO (20 km2) and AOO (ca. 13 km2) and, thus, following IUCN’s (2001) recommendations, P. neblinae should be considered as Critically Endangered [CR, B1a+C2a(ii)+D2].

Comments.

Pyrrorhiza neblinae is still poorly known, with only a handful of collections. Nonetheless, it is known that P. neblinae is restricted to swampy and rocky montane savannah (i.e., tepuis). The peculiar cormose underground system of P. neblinae is only comparable to those of Barberetta Harv., Wachendorfia Burm. (both Haemodoroideae ) and Tribonanthes Endl. ( Conostylidoideae ) ( Simpson 1998b). Nonetheless, the corms in Barberetta and Wachendorfia are further connected by long, stolon-like flagelliform-shoots, which are unique in the family ( Pellegrini 2019). The seeds covered with coarse trichomes might function in adherence to animal fur or feathers as an aid to dispersal ( Maas and Maas-van de Kamer 1993). Alternatively, the seeds covered with coarse trichomes might also be an adaptation to hydric stress. These projections might help the seed to quickly absorb and store water, which could come in handy in such an inconstant environment such as the Amazonian tepuis (i.e., Pyrrorhiza ), white sand savannahs (i.e., Cubanicula ), and the seasonally-dry fynbos from South Africa (i.e., Wachendorfia ) (Pellegrini, pers. observ.). Seeds with coarse trichomes are recovered as a synapomorphy for the clade composed by Barberetta , Cubanicula , Pyrrorhiza , Schiekia , Wachendorfia , and Xiphidium . Nonetheless, coarse trichomes in the seed testa are independently lost several times, such as in Barberetta (smooth), Schiekia (reticulate in S. orinocensis and S. timida ), Wachendorfia (smooth in W. thyrsiflora Burm.), and Xiphidium (tuberculate) ( Pellegrini 2019).

Figures

Figure 10. Pyrrorhiza neblinae Maguire & Wurdack A Cerro de la Neblina B detail of the vegetation at the top of the Cerro de la Neblina with Bonnetia maguireorum in flower C habit D flowering habit E inflorescence showing the spathaceous bracteoles and floral buds F inflorescence bearing immature capsules. A by B. Means, B by C. Brewer-Carias, C-F by A. Weitzman.

Figure 11. Pyrrorhiza neblinae Maguire & Wurdack A whole plant B, C cincinnus: B young cincinnus with flower buds C older cincinnus with fruits, pre-anthesis flowers and flower buds D hairs E flower bud with bracteole F flower at pre-anthesis G dissected perianth, showing the lack of nectar guides H filiform staminode I-J stamen: I frontal view J dorsal view K flower with the perianth removed, showing the androecium and gynoecium L stigma M-O fruit: M immature capsule N capsule in longitudinal section O dehiscent capsule P-R seed: P dorsal view Q ventral view R longitudinal section. Illustration by E. J. Hickman. Scale bars: 2 cm (A, G, M-O); 0.5 cm (B, C, H); 0.25 mm (D); 1.5 mm (E, F); 1 mm (I, J, P-R); 0.75 mm (K); 0.1 mm (L).

Figure 12. Distribution of Pyrrorhiza neblinae Maguire & Wurdack. Light Green- Subtropical Coniferous Forests; Red - Deserts, Xeric Shrublands, and Tropical Coniferous Forests; Orange - Tropical / Subtropical Grasslands, Savannahs and Shrublands; Maroon - Dry Broadleaf Forests; Green - Moist Broadleaf Forests; Lilac - Montane Grasslands and Shrublands.