Cubanicula xanthorrhiza (C. Wright ex Griseb.) Hopper, J.E. Gut., E.J.Hickman, M.Pell. & Rhian J.Sm., 2020

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

1.1. Cubanicula xanthorrhiza (C. Wright ex Griseb.) Hopper, J.E. Gut., E.J.Hickman, M.Pell. & Rhian J.Sm. comb. nov. Figs 1 , 2 , 3 , 4

Xiphidium xanthorrhizon C.Wright ex Griseb., Cat. Pl. Cub. 1: 252. 1866. Lectotype (designated by Maas and Maas-van de Kamer 1993). Cuba. Artemisia: Pinar del Río, San Cristóbal, La Palma, fl., fr., 1860-1864, C. Wright 3259 (GOET barcode GOET004074!; isolectotypes: G barcode G00098226!, GH barcode GH00030236!, K barcode K000574288!, NY barcodes 00073224!, 00073225!, P barcodes P04457878!, P00643765!, S accession no. S-R-6536!, US barcodes US00092055!, US00092056!).

Description.

Herbs ca. 50-180 cm tall, perennial, rhizomatous with a definite base, terrestrial in white sand. Roots slightly tuberous, densely tomentose with long light brown to grey hairs forming a rhizosheath, sand-binding. Rhizomes underground, short, external surface light to medium brown, internal surface yellow to orange. Stems inconspicuous, fibrous, unbranched. Leaves distichously-alternate, equitant, congested at the apex of the stems forming a rosette, sessile, the apical ones gradually smaller than the basal ones; sheaths 8.6-15.2 cm long, glabrous; blades (5-)15.7-60.3-(85) × 0.3-3.4 cm, coriaceous, unifacial, medium green, drying yellowish-green to olive-green, linear-elliptic to narrowly elliptic, slightly ensiform, glabrous, base sheathing, margins green, glabrous to sparsely ciliate, apex acuminate; midvein inconspicuous, secondary veins inconspicuous to slightly impressed, becoming prominent when dry. Inflorescences terminal or apparently so, consisting of a pedunculate many-branched thyrse, sometimes with one to several co-florescences; peduncles 43.7-75.2 cm, densely tomentose, hairs pilate, light brown; basal bract 5.1-7.8 × 0.5-1.5 cm, leaf-like, linear-elliptic, slightly ensiform to ensiform, glabrous or sparsely tomentose at base, hairs pilate, white, base truncate to slightly sheathing, margin ciliate at apex, apex acuminate, secondary veins inconspicuous; cincinnus bract 0.8-6 × 0.1-0.4 cm, linear-lanceolate to lanceolate, green, glabrous to sparsely tomentose, hairs pilate, white, base truncate, margin ciliate, apex acuminate; cincinni 9-27 per thyrse, 1-2-branched, alternate, 3-19-flowered, peduncle 0.2-3.4 cm long, green, sparsely tomentose to densely tomentose, hairs pilate, white; bracteoles 2.8-6.3 × 1.3-2 mm, elliptic to ovate, green, glabrous to sparsely tomentose, hairs pilate, white, base truncate, margin glabrous, apex acute. Flowers 1.3-2.6 cm diam., bisexual, chasmogamous, enantiostylic, campanulate, asymmetric due to the position of the style; floral buds 3.2-8.2 × 1.5-3.5 mm, narrowly ovoid, white to apricot; pedicels 1.4-5.6 mm long, green, tomentose to densely tomentose, hairs pilate, white, upright and slightly elongate in fruit; perianth zygomorphic, lobes free, except for the upper 3 lobes which are connate on the basal third to mid-length, nectar guide yellow with reddish-orange spots, on the basal third of the connate lobes, with an apical black mucron, outer lobes 7.3-13.2 × 2.5-5.6 mm, subequal, the upper slightly shorter, elliptic to narrowly obovate, external surface white to apricot, glabrous to sparsely tomentose, hairs pilate, white, internal surface white, glabrous, base cuneate, margins glabrous, apex acute- to obtuse-mucronate, mucron dark brown to black, inner lobes 9.5-14.5 × 4.8-8.6 mm, subequal, the upper two slightly shorter and deflexed, obovate to broadly oblong, external surface white to apricot, rarely light orange, glabrous, internal surface white, glabrous, base cuneate, margins glabrous, apex obtuse- to round-mucronate, greenish-yellow to apricot, mucron dark brown to black; stamens 3, lateral stamens with filaments 1.5-3.5 mm long, slightly twisted, basally cream to apricot, apically white, glabrous, anthers 1.8-2.8 × 0.6-1 mm, dorsifixed, rimose, oblongoid, thecae unequal, light yellow, medial stamen with filament 4.2-5.6 mm long, bent upwards, basally cream to apricot, apically white, glabrous, anthers 0.9-2.2 × 0.3-0.7 mm, dorsifixed, rimose, broadly oblongoid, white; ovary 0.8-1 × 0.6-0.7 mm, broadly ellipsoid, 3-loculate, reddish-orange green, smooth, densely tomentose along the septal ridges, style 5.8-7.3 mm, bent upwards, basally cream to apricot, apically white, glabrous, stigma crateriform, white, papillose. Capsules 6-8.1 × 6.4-9.8 mm, subglobose to depressed ovoid, trigonous, medium green when immature, dark brown when mature, glabrous, 3-valved. Seeds 1.9-3 × 1.7-3.2 mm, lenticellate, testa dark brown to black, covered with finger-like hairs on the dorsal surface, hairs concentrated to the margins on the ventral side, sparser in the centre, orange to red; embryotega dorsal, relatively inconspicuous, without a prominent apicule; hilum punctate.

Specimens seen.

Cuba. Isla de la Juventud: near Managua, fl., 11 Jul 1900, W. Palmer & J.H. Riley 1101 (US); near km 7 of the road between Nueva Genova and Santa Fé, fl., fr., 27 Oct 1920, E.L. Ekman 11940 (NY, US); east of Los Indios, fl., 17 May 1910, O.E. Jennings 315 (BM, GB, NY, US, USF); fl., 17 May 1910, O.E. Jennings 668 (NY, US); vicinity of San Pedro, fl., 15-17 Feb 1916, N.L. Britton et al. 14341 (F, GH, MO, NY, US); Santa Bárbara, fl., fr., 9 Feb 1953, E.P. Killip 42656 (US); along road from Nueva Gerona to Santa Bárbara, fl., fr., 19 Nov 1955, E.P. Killip 45173 (US); Reserva Natural Los Indios Norte, arenas brancas com pinar, fl., fr., 27 Feb 2002, W. Greuter et al. 25923 (NY); Siguanea region, fl., 19 Apr 1954, E.P. Killip 44041 (P, US); fl., 20 Nov 1955, E.P. Killip & H.S. Cunniff 45185 (US); in white sands near San Pedro, fl., fr., 8 Feb 1956, C.V. Morton 10028 (US). Pinar del Río: Arroyo del Sumidero, fr., 7-9 Aug 1912, J.A. Shafer & B. Léon 13576 (BM, F, NY, US); Guane, Los Ocujes, 1.6 km along track leading north from the road to Mantua at the W extent of Guane, fr., 17 Apr 2010, R.J. Smith et al. RJS290 (HAJB, K); Laguna Santa Maria, fl., fr., 8 Sep 1910, N.L. Britton et al. 7119 (NY); mountains near El Guama, fr., 25 Mar 1900, W. Palmer & J.H. Riley 423 (US); Ovas, El Punto, fl., fr., 29 Apr 1989 A. Urquiola 5392 (NY); Pinar del Río, pinelands 12 km off the highway to Coloma, fl., 28 Oct 1923, E.L. Ekman 17802 (K, S); Sandino, 4 km NE of Sandino adjacent to old Air Base of San Julian, 100 m S of main road, fl., fr., 19 Apr 2010, R.J. Smith et al. RJS292 (HAJB, K).

Distribution and ecology.

Cubanicula xanthorrhiza is endemic to western Cuba and restricted to the Province of Pinar del Río and the Special Municipality of Isla de la Juventud (known until 1978 as Isla de Pinos) (Fig. 5 ). It is found in pinelands or open, anthropogenic tropical savannah, on deep, acidic, quartzitic sand, with some organic matter and quartzite/laterite gravel at the surface. Such habitats qualify as old, climatically-buffered infertile habitats (OCBIL sensu Hopper 2009).

Cubanicula habitats surveyed as part of the collection of specimens by some of the authors in 2010 included pine woodland edge, open anthropogenic savannah with scattered trees, open lakeside vegetation, and a seasonally-dry lake basin with open vegetation. In the pineland habitat, Cubanicula was found at the woodland edge, bordering a road cutting, occurring under a canopy of Xylopia aromatica (Lam.) Mart. ( Annonaceae ), Tabebuia lepidophylla (A.Rich.) Greenm. ( Bignoniaceae ) and Acoelorraphe wrightii (Griseb. & H.Wendl.) H.Wendl. ex Becc. ( Arecaceae ), at the edge of Pinus caribaea Morelet ( Pinaceae ) woodland. Other components of the vegetation included Alibertia edulis (Rich.) A.Rich. and Roigella correifolia (Griseb.) Borhidi ( Rubiaceae ), Brya microphylla Bisse ( Fabaceae ), Byrsonima crassifolia (L.) Kunth ( Malpighiaceae ), Casearia spinescens (Sw.) Griseb. ( Salicaceae ), Cassytha filiformis L. ( Lauraceae ), Cecropia peltata L. ( Urticaceae ), Cochlospermum vitifolium (Willd.) Spreng. ( Bixaceae ), Croton cerinus Müll.Arg. ( Euphorbiaceae ), Davilla rugosa Poir. and Doliocarpus dentatus (Aubl.) Standl. ( Dilleniaceae ), Didymopanax morototoni (Aubl.) Decne. & Planch. ( Araliaceae ), Lantana involucrata L. ( Verbenaceae ), Ouratea nitida (Sw.) Engl. ( Ochnaceae ) and Pachyanthus mantuensis Britton & P.Wilson ( Melastomataceae ).

In the open anthropogenic savannah habitat (a degraded pineland with adjacent Eucalyptus spp. plantation and scattered Pinus caribaea and Eucalyptus trees), Cubanicula was found in full sun in a grassy sward with Angelonia pilosella J.Kickx f. and Bacopa longipes (Pennell) Standl. ( Plantaginaceae ), Cassytha filiformis , Chamaecrista diphylla (L.) Greene and Mimosa pudica L. ( Fabaceae ), Diodia sp. ( Rubiaceae ), Eriocaulaceae , Hypericum styphelioides A.Rich. ( Hypericaceae ), Melochia savannarum Britton and Waltheria indica L. ( Malvaceae ), Paspalum notatum Flüggé ( Poaceae ), Phyllanthus sp. ( Phyllanthaceae ), Scirpus sp. ( Cyperaceae ), Stachytarpheta sp. ( Verbenaceae ), Tetramicra eulophiae Rchb.f. ex Griseb. ( Orchidaceae ), Tetrazygia discolor (L.) DC. ( Melastomataceae ) and Xyris spp. ( Xyridaceae ).

In the lakeside vegetation, Cubanicula was found in a range of microhabitats from sparse grass/sedgeland to the shallow slopes of wet seeps, with abundant Drosera spp. ( Droseraceae ). The main associated grassland species were Blechnum serrulatum Rich. ( Blechnaceae ), Cassytha filiformis , Chamaecrista sp. and Desmodium sp. ( Fabaceae ), Drosera intermedia Hayne, Hypericum styphelioides , Lycopodiella sp. and Lycopodium sp. ( Lycopodiaceae ), Polygala squamifolia C.Wright ex Griseb. ( Polygalaceae ), Rhexia sp. ( Melastomataceae ), Scirpus sp., Spiranthes sp. ( Orchidaceae ), and Xyris sp., with occasional shrubs, including Byrsonima crassifolia , Pachyanthus sp., and Tetrazygia discolor .

Finally, in the lake basin habitat, Cubanicula was found on sandy soils with a higher organic matter content at the surface than in the other habitats. The population was scattered through dense tussock sedges and growing through dense leaf litter in association with Telmatoblechnum serrulatum (Rich.) Perrie et al. ( Blechnaceae ), Centella asiatica (L.) Urb. ( Apiaceae ), Chamaecrista diphylla and Rhynchospora sp. ( Cyperaceae ), with occasional Chrysobalanus icaco L. ( Chrysobalanaceae ).

The altitudinal range of these sites ranged from 3 m a.s.l. in the lake basin to 54 m a.s.l. in the pinelands.

Phenology.

Flowering and fruiting between October and April.

Conservation status.

Cubanicula xanthorrhiza possesses a narrow EOO (10,132 km2) and AOO (ca. 96 km2), being endemic to western Cuba. Thus, following IUCN’s (2001) recommendations, C. xanthorrhiza should be considered as Endangered [EN, A2ac+B2b(ii, iii)+C1].

Figures

Figure 1. Cubanicula xanthorrhiza (C. Wright ex Griseb.) Hopper et al. A habitat B habit C cross-section of the stem showing the bright orange colouration D female regal jumping spider (Phidippus regius, Salticidae) well camouflaged on C. xanthorrhiza E detail of the equitant leaves F, G inflorescence: F immature inflorescence G mature inflorescence H flower I detail of the androecium and gynoecium J immature capsule showing the persistent hairs along the septal ridges. All photos by R. J. Smith.

Figure 2. Cubanicula xanthorrhiza (C. Wright ex Griseb.) Hopper et al. Full colour whole plant illustration. Illustration by E. J. Hickman. Scale bar: 1 cm.

Figure 3. Cubanicula xanthorrhiza (C. Wright ex Griseb.) Hopper et al. A, B root: A root B cross-section C rhizome D leaf E branched cincinnus F flower bud G, H flower: G frontal view H side view I dissected perianth, showing nectar guides J flower with removed perianth, showing the androecium and gynoecium K hairs L-O stamens: L frontal view of a lateral stamen M dorsal view of a lateral stamen N frontal view of the medial stamen O dorsal view of the medial stamen P, Q gynoecium: P, gynoecium Q stigma R-U fruit: R immature capsule S capsule in longitudinal section T capsule in cross-section U dehisced capsule V-X seed: V dorsal view W ventral view X longitudinal section. Illustration by E. J. Hickman. Scale bars: 1.5 mm (A, B, J, P); 1 cm (C, E); 10.5 mm (D); 5 mm (F-I); 0.5 mm (K); 0.75 mm (L-O); 0.37 mm (Q); 3 mm (R-U); 0.9 mm (V-X).

Figure 4. Comparison of fruit and seed morphology of Cubanicula Hopper et al., Pyrrorhiza Maguire & Wurdack, and Xiphidium Loefl A-D C. xanthorrhizon (C. Wright ex Griseb.) Hopper et al.: A immature fruit B fruit in longitudinal section C dehiscent mature fruit D seed (dorsal view, ventral view, and longitudinal section) E-H P. neblinae Maguire & Wurdack: E immature fruit F fruit in longitudinal section G dehiscent mature fruit H seed (dorsal view, ventral view, and longitudinal section) I-L X. caeruleum Aubl.: I immature fruit J fruit in longitudinal section K non-dehiscent mature fruit L seed (ventral view, dorsal view, and longitudinal section). Illustration by E. J. Hickman. Scale bars: 2 mm (A-C, E-G, I-K); 1 mm (D, H, L).

Figure 5. Distribution of Cubanicula xanthorrhiza (C. Wright ex Griseb.) Hopper et al. Beige - Temperate Coniferous Forests and Boreal Forests; Light Green - Subtropical Coniferous Forests; Red - Deserts, Xeric Shrublands and Tropical Coniferous Forests; Maroon - Dry Broadleaf Forests; Green - Moist Broadleaf Forests.