Ophryosporus hoppii (B.L.Rob.) R.M.King & H.Rob., Phytologia 23: 399. 1972

Merklinger, Felix F. & Luebert, Federico, 2020, Notes on the genus Ophryosporus (Asteraceae, Eupatorieae) in Chile, PhytoKeys 161, pp. 61-77 : 61

Ophryosporus hoppii (B.L.Rob.) R.M.King & H.Rob., Phytologia 23: 399. 1972

Basionym: Trychinolepis hoppii B.L.Rob., Contr. Gray Herb. 80: 6. 1928.

Type.

Peru. Dept. Arequipa: Jul 1925, W. Hopp 28 (holotype: B [probably destroyed], F neg. 14723!; lectotype, designated here: GH [GH00013302]). Epitype (designated here): Peru. Dept. Arequipa. Lomas of Mollendo, c. 4 km N of Islay, 230 m, 20 Nov 1983, M.O. Dillon & D. Dillon 3926 (USM [74666]; isoepitypes: BONN!, F!, US [3026292, photo!]).

This taxon was originally described as a new genus and species, Trychinolepis hoppii ( Robinson 1928: 6), because of its irregularly lobed, squamellate pappus, which resembled that of the West Indian genus Phania , even though a habitual resemblance to the genus Ophryosporus was stated by the author ( Robinson 1928). Subsequent analyses led to this monotypic genus to be allocated to Ophryosporus , because the pappus remained the only difference with other species of Ophryosporus ( King and Robinson 1972a). Specimens assigned to O. hoppii in Peru have a squamellate pappus, where the setae are fused at the base and are rather conspicuous. Cypselae with this type of pappus are visible on the type specimen and can even be seen on online images. However, due to the loss of the holotype in B and the very fragmentary remnants of the isotype at GH, we have decided to epitypify the specimen collected by M.O. Dillon and D. Dillon in 1983, as it corresponds to the protologue of T. hoppii and has been collected in the same region. This specimen has all necessary characters suitable for identification and is a good reference for potential future work.

Specimens which we could positively identify as Ophryosporus hoppii were all collected in Peru. Records of O. hoppii for Chile appear to be miss-identifications and belong to O. pinifolius , e.g. Schlegel 4879 & 5092 (CONC, F). The pappus of O. pinifolius on the contrary, although squamellate, are much more inconspicuous (Fig. 2 ). Our own observations and extensive sampling in northern Chile failed to positively identify a plant that clearly fits into the species concept of O. hoppii . For example, a specimen from Chusmiza, N of Iquique (O. Zöllner 2997, U) is cited twice in Plos (2012), once for O. hoppii and a second time for O. heptanthus . The locality at Chusmiza was visited by the authors, and two species, O. pinifolius and O. heptanthus , were confirmed. These two taxa grow in local sympatry here, yet are distinguished from one another by their pappus, which in O. pinifolius consists of minute squamellae and which in O. heptanthus is formed by setae, up to 4 mm long. It is possible that the two taxa were collected by Zöllner as one species, only for later herbarium identification to recognize the two different taxa in the two herbarium vouchers. A further herbarium record from Alto Patache in Chile (H. Larraín 98200, CONC) could not be found in CONC.

Specimens examined.

Peru. Dept. Arequipa: Prov. Islay, Quebrada Guerreros, 456 m, 6 Apr 1998, FLSP 2411 (HUSA, US); Ocoña, 5 Feb 1969, J. Soukup 6426/6216 (US, USM). Prov. Castilla, Chuquibamba towards Aplao 15°51'52.3"S, 72°36'56.4"W, 2231 m, 24 Mar 2019, M. Weigend 9862/19-52 (BONN, USM).

Figures

Figure 2. Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) images of the apical part of the cypsela showing pappus setae / squamellae of Ophryosporus species. A-F Chilean species G, H Peruvian species previously referred to Chile (pappus absent in O. floribundus) A O. anomalus (FL 4102) with few spreading squamellae (arrowed) B O. heptanthus (FFM 2019 - 20) with conspicuous pappus setae C O. johnstonii (Johnston 5259) with long, erect pappus setae D O. paradoxus (Zoellner 6827) with long, erect pappus setae E O. pinifolius (FL 3452) with small, erect squamellae (arrowed) F O. triangularis (FFM 2018 - 63) with long, erect pappus setae G O. floribundus (Asplund 11079) with no visible pappus H O. hoppii (Dillon 3926) with squamellate pappus setae fused at the base and rather more conspicuous than in O. pinifolius. Scale bars: 100 μm.