Salvia albicalyx J.G. González, 2013

González-Gallegos, Jesús Guadalupe, 2013, Salvia albicalyx and Salvia topiensis (Lamiaceae), two new species from Durango, Mexico, Phytotaxa 77 (1), pp. 9-18 : 10

Salvia albicalyx J.G. González , sp. nov. ( Figs. 1 , 2 )

S. leucanthae affinis sed bracteis floralibus, pedicellis, calycibus et corollis brevioribus; corollis magenteis; et labiis deflexis differt.

Type:— MEXICO. Durango: El Mezquital, Candelarita Chico, aproximadamente 4 km, 22º46’N 104º37’W, 21 August 1988 (fl), I . Solís 957 (holotype CIIDIR!, isotype IBUG!) .

Perennial shrubs up to 2 m tall; stems with short appressed hairs and glandular-punctate. Leaves with petioles 13–24 mm long, with short appressed hairs and glandular-punctate; blade oblong-lanceolate, 10.7–15 × 1.8–3.0 cm, apex acuminate to long-attenuate, base slightly cordate to rounded, margin crenate-serrate, densely pilose and finely glandular-punctate in both surfaces. Inflorescence in racemes 7–10 cm long, with 10–11 verticillasters, 6–10-flowered, the lowermost 1.2–1.5 cm apart, floral axis densely pilose and glandularpunctate. Floral bracts ovate-lanceolate, (2.9–)4.0–6.1 × (0.8–)1.2–2.0 mm, deciduous, apex acuminate and caudate (the cauda 1.5–2.3 mm long), base truncate, margin entire, the outer surface pilose and glandularpunctate, the inner one glabrous. Pedicel 2.8–3.2 mm long (up to 4.6 mm in fruit), densely pilose and glandular-punctate. Calyx 7.0–7.6 × 3.9–4.4 mm, densely white wooly, internally covered with short pyramidal hairs, lobes acute although hidden by the pubescence, upper lip 3-veined and entire. Corolla magenta, the upper lip and the ventral margin of the lower one moderately pilose; tube 13.7–14.9 × 3.4–4.2 mm, base ventricose and straight, internally epapillate; upper lip 7.0– 7.7 mm long, lower lip 8.4–9.2 × 7–8 mm, deflexed. Stamens included; filament 2.9–3.0 mm long; connective 10.4–11.3 mm long, ornate with a retrorse acute tooth at the middle of its ventral portion; theca 1.7–2.0 mm long; two staminodes present, above and behind the insertion of the filaments, filiform, 1.0– 1.2 mm long. Gynobasic horn 1.2–1.4 mm long, apex truncate; style 19–20 mm long, apex pilose, the lower branch acute. Immature nutlet ovoid, 1.4 × 1.0 mm, brown, glabrous and smooth; mature nutlets not seen.

Distribution, habitat and phenology:— Salvia albicalyx is a strict Mexican endemic, known exclusively from the type locality: Candelarita, El Mezquital, Durango ( Fig. 2 ). It inhabits ecotones between oak and tropical deciduous forests, on stream banks. As far as we know, it is only found between 1500 and 1600 m elevation. It shares habitat with several species of Quercus L., Bursera Jacq. ex L., and Opuntia Mill. It probably flowers from August to October.

Etymology: —The name of Salvia albicalyx alludes to its very conspicuous white wooly calyces.

Additional specimens examined: —No other specimen was available for examination.

Salvia albicalyx resembles species of sections Albolanatae ( Epling 1936: 111) Epling (1939: 336), Farinaceae ( Epling 1935: 87) Epling (1939: 186) and Peninsulares Epling (1939: 319). They share some general characters: ovate-lanceolate to oblong-lanceolate blades, 6–24 flowers per verticillaster, deciduous floral bracts, white wooly calyces, 3–7-veined upper calyx lip, epapillate corolla tubes, dentate connectives and pilose styles. However, this new species differs from section Farinaceae by its larger leaves and flowers, profusely crenate-serrate leaves, and magenta rather than sky-blue corollas; from section Peninsulares in its profusely crenate-serrate leaves, not invaginated corolla tubes, and lower corolla lips evidently longer than the upper ones; and it differs from section Albolanatae by having magenta rather than white to pale-violet corollas, and deflexed lower corolla lips.

Salvia leucantha Cavanilles (1791: 16) , from section Albolanatae , is the species morphologically most similar to S. albicalyx , particularly with regard to vegetative appearance. They differ in inflorescence length, floral bract, pedicel, calyx, and corolla size, corolla color, and lower corolla lip shape ( Table 1).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Salvia albicalyx A. Habit. B. Floral bract, outer surface. C. Calyx. D. Corolla. E. Connectives and thecae. F. Apex of the style. G. Nutlets, dorsal (left) and ventral (right) surfaces. Illustration based on I. Solís 957; drawn by J.G. González-Gallegos.

FIGURE 2. Distribution map of Salvia albicalyx (square) and Salvia topiensis (triangles); municipal boundaries of Topia, Canelas and El Mezquital are shown.