Paepalanthus Species A

Hensold, Nancy, 2016, The Andean Paepalanthus pilosus complex (Eriocaulaceae): a revision with three new taxa, PhytoKeys 64, pp. 1-57 : 43-44

Paepalanthus Species A Figs 6 , 11F-G

Misapplied (?) name.

Paepalanthus macarenensis sensu Moldenke (1983) in part, and Rivera-Díaz (2010), probably non Moldenke (1952).

This robust taxon has a clumping habit structurally similar to Paepalanthus pilosus but lacks the dense pulviniform aspect. Its other similarities include acute to aristate leaves, scarious splitting peduncle sheath tips, pale gold lanceolate involucral bracts, and a nearly identical flower and fruit morphology. It differs by the following characters:

Leaves longer, narrowly linear-lanceolate, 3-4 cm long, the peduncles 10-20 cm long at anthesis, and the capitula 6-7.5 mm wide, much more floriferous (> 40 flowers) than Paepalanthus pilosus and sometimes globose at maturity, with alternating whorls of staminate and pistillate flowers. In addition, the capitula are “indeterminate,” with floral primordia found at the center of capitulum at the time of anthesis of the outer whorls. This contrasts with Paepalanthus pilosus , in which pistillate flowers are limited to the outer whorl, staminate to the inner, and no floral primordia are found at the start of anthesis.

The most robust individuals are found in the northern part of Serrania del Perija (ca. 10°15'- 10°20' N), but similar smaller plants are also found at the north end of the main Cordillera Oriental, about 300 km to the south. These have leaf, peduncle and sheath lengths approaching those of the Perijá plants, and in spite of their small capitula, the flowers are more numerous than in typical Paepalanthus pilosus (up to 40 per capitulum), and pistillate and staminate whorls alternate in the capitulum. It isn’t clear whether to treat these plants as small individuals of Paepalanthus sp. A, or intermediates with Paepalanthus pilosus . Smaller individuals are also found at Sa. de Perijá (Cuatrecasas 25027, 25143, US), but were only observed from scans.

The plants of Perijá had been distributed in part as Paepalanthus macarenensis , a species otherwise only known from ca. 800 m in the Sierra de la Macarena (Meta). I have seen an image of the Paepalanthus macarenensis type, and do not believe it is the same species or closely related, but pending closer examination treat the Perijá plants only provisionally here.

Specimens examined.

COLOMBIA. Cesar: [ Serranía de Perijá], Paramo de Sabana Rubia, 3250 m, 22 Jul 1987, H. Cuadros 3732 (MO), east of Manaure , Sabana Rubia, paramo, 3000-3100 m, 6-8 Nov 1959, J. Cuatrecasas & R. Romero-Castaneda 25025 (COL [COL000223802], US n.v.) , La Paz, Corr. San Jose de Oriente, Vda. Altos del Riecito - Altos de Perijá, Fca. Los Sauces, 10°14'48.75"N 72°57'44.5"W, 3096 m, 27 Feb 2006, J. O. Rangel 13692 (COL [COL000254069])

Smaller individuals.

COLOMBIA. Norte de Santander: de La Laguna a Nariz de Judío (Mutiscua), 19 Jun 1946, M. de Garganta 1209 (F); Santander: Paramo de Las Vegas, 3700-3800 m, 20-21 Dec 1926, E. P. Killip & A. C. Smith 15626 (F); Paramo de Santurban, between Tona and Mutiscua, 3800-4300 m, 18 Feb 1927, E. P. Killip & A. C. Smith 19557 (F).

Figures

Figure 6. Distribution of Paepalanthus caryonauta and suspected hybrids, Paepalanthus pilosus var. pilosus, Paepalanthus pilosus var. leoniae, and Paepalanthus " Species A. "

Figure 11. Habits of Paepalanthus pilosus varieties and " Paepalanthus sp. A. " A-D Paepalanthus pilosus var. pilosus. (A Soderstrom 1346 B Sagastegui 12242 C Cano 16840 D Larsen 237.) E Paepalanthus pilosus var. leoniae (Leon 1597) F-G " Paepalanthus sp. A " (Cuadros 3732) F Habit G Capitulum. In D arrows indicate flowering (fl) and fruiting (fr) capitula.