Cuatrecasanthus giannasii (Stutts) H. Rob. & V.A. Funk, 2012

Robinson, Harold & Funk, Vicki A., 2012, Cuatrecasanthus (Vernonieae, Compositae): A revision of a north-central Andean genus, PhytoKeys 14, pp. 23-41 : 28

2. Cuatrecasanthus giannasii (Stutts) H. Rob. & V.A. Funk comb. nov. Figs 5B 10

Type: Based on Vernonia giannasii Stutts

Vernonia giannasii Stutts, Brittonia 32(2): 162 (1980).

Type.

Ecuador. Morona-Santiago [formerly Santiago-Zamora]: Camino Cuenca, General Plaza (Limon), 39-41, [02°59'S, 78°41'W, estimated], 2300 m, 19 September 1967, B. Sparre 18721 (holotype: S!).

Description.

Vines or scrambling shrubs; stems flexuous, densely pilose with long, mostly single-celled trichomes. Leaves with petioles 0.4-0.7 cm long; blades subchartaceous, elliptical, mostly 3.5-8.5 cm long, 1.0-2.5 cm wide, acuminate at base, acute to short-acuminate at apex, margins appearing entire, narrowly recurved, with inflexed teeth distally, adaxial surface, dark green, bullulate, sparsely short-scabridulous, secondary and tertiary veins insculpate, abaxial surface pale green with thin white cover of myceliiform branched trichomes, minutely pilosulous with pale trichomes on veins, without dark trichomes, all veins and veinlets exsculpate; secondary veins ca. 5 or 6 on each side of midvein, spreading at base at 45-50° angles, curved and more strongly ascending near margins. Inflorescence terminal and from axils of uppermost leaves, not or scarcely exceeding the leaves, rounded corymbiform; branches short, puberulous. Heads sessile with up to 9 clustered in dense glomerules, 8-10 mm tall, ca. 2 mm wide; involucre cylindrical or narrowed distally and fusiform, bracts ca. 16 in ca. 5 series, short-ovate to oblong elliptical, 2.0-5.5 mm long, 1.0-1.5 mm wide, apices short-acute, slightly darkened distally, sometimes with reddish median line, glabrous outside. Florets with corollas pale lavender, ca. 6.5 mm long, with glandular dots on basal tube and tips of lobes, tubes ca. 2.5 mm long, lobes ca. 4 mm long; anther thecae ca. 2.5 mm long. Achenes ca. 2.5 mm long; pappus white, of ca. 40 capillary bristles ca. 6.5 mm long, distinctly broadened toward tips. Pollen grains ca. 40 µm in diam.

Additional specimens examined.

Ecuador. Loja: Loja to Zamora, 1876, André K1152 (F, NY). Morona-Santiago [formerly Santiago-Zamora]: Eastern slope of the cordillera, Valley of the ríos Negro and Chupianza (on trail from Sevilla de Oro to Mendez, Tambo Consuelo to Tambo Cerro Negro, [01°49'S, 78°23'W, estimated], 2400-3000 m, 17 December 1944, Camp E-1619 (NY, US).

The species is known only from Morona-Santiago and Loja, Ecuador, between 2300 and 3200 m in elevation ( Fig. 10 ).

Camp describes the habit as a vine and this character would easily distinguish the species, but the type specimen has no information on the habit and it appears to be a sturdier plant. Only new collections that document the habit will resolve this issue.

Preliminary conservation status.

Data Deficient

Figures

Figure 5. Photographs of Cuatrecasanthus types: A Cuatrecasanthus flexipappus, holotype (NY) B Cuatrecasanthus giannasii, holotype (S).

Figure 10. Distribution map of Cuatrecasanthus species.