Baretia lanata (Phil.) Timaná 2023

Timaná, Martín E., 2023, Honoring Jeanne Baret: Baretia lanata Timaná, comb. nov. (Caryophyllaceae), a new endemic genus and species combination for the Flora of Chile, Adansonia (3) 45 (27), pp. 497-505 : 502-503

Baretia lanata (Phil.) Timaná , comb. nov.

( Figs 1 ; 2 ; 3 )

Pycnophyllum? lanatum Phil., Anales de la Universidad. I. Memorias Científicas i Literarias 81 (6a): 774 ( Philippi 1892b).

— Type: Chile. Las Mollacas, Cord. de Illapel , I.1888, R. Philippi s.n. (lecto-, SGO [ SGO048875 ]! [fragment], here designated) ( Fig. 1 ) .

Pycnophyllopsis lanatum (Phil.) Macaya-Berti, Novoa-Quezada & Teillier , Chloris Chilensis 20 (2): 1-5 ( Macaya-Berti et al. 2017).

ETYMOLOGY. — The specific epithet “ lanata ” refers to the dense cottony indumentum that covers most parts of this plant.

TYPE LOCALITY. — The type locality, described by R. Philippi as “Las Mollacas, Cord. Illapel” may lead to some confusion because the current locality known as Las Mollacas (c. 30°45’8”S, 70°39’23”W) is nearly 100 km from the city of Illapel (c. 31°37’45”S, 71°10’13”W); however, the type locality most probably refers to the “Cerro Las Mollacas” (c. 31°30’0”S, 71°4’0”W), which is near the indigenous diaguita community of “Las Mollacas” (c. 31°28’28”S, 71°4’42”W). In the protologue Philippi states that he had received the specimens from somebody else (“ Recibí varios ejemplares, ninguno tiene traza de flor ni de fruto ”, Philippi 1892b: 775). Although he did not mention the source, nor is it shown on label of the type specimen, it is very plausible that it was collected by Mr Zacarias Vergara, one of the main taxidermist and specimen preparator of the Museo Nacional de Chile ( Philippi 1908), who was sent to the Cordillera Illapel in 1888 and 1892 ( Urizar Olate 2016: 196) and who, according to the German botanist, collected in the surroundings and sent him specimens ( Philippi 1892a: 69; Philippi 1908: 19).

DISTRIBUTION. — Endemic to central Chile ( Fig 4 ), restricted to the Regions of Coquimbo and Valparaiso. In the Coquimbo Region the species was reported by Philippi at Las Mollacas, in the Cordillera Illapel. Otto Zöllner collected another specimen in the Coquimbo Region, in the Cordillera de Quelén , near the town of Salamanca; more recently Macaya-Berti et al. (2017) reported the species in Quebrada El Durazno in the Valparaiso Region. Baretia lanata (Phil.) Timaná , comb. nov. has been collected at elevations from 1500 to 3250 meters. According toMacaya-Berti et al. (2017), the species was observed in semi-arid, sunny sites, in red, granitic soils, with a sandy loam texture ( Fig. 4 ).

PHENOLOGY. — Flowering between November and February; fruiting February.

LOCAL NAME. — Unknown.

ADDITIONAL COLLECTIONS. — Chile. Coquimbo Region, Las Mollacas, Cordillera Illapel , s.d., Philippi s.n. ( SGO [ SGO090982 ]); Cordillera de Quelén, near Salamanca , 2500 m, 9.I.1984, Zöllner 11772 ( NA); Cordillera de Quelén, near Salamanca , 2600 m, 9.II.1984, Zöllner 11772 ( MO) [it is certainly plausible that these two specimens are exact duplicates and that one of them is erroneously dated]. — Valparaíso Region, Prov. Petorca, “ En la cima de la quebrada El Durazno ”, 32°12’2.00”S, 71°0’51.08”W, 1555 m, 7.XI.2017, J. Macaya, S. Teillier, P. Novoa & O. Fernández 373 ( CONC [ CONC185842 ]); Prov. Petorca-Alicahue, quebrada Piuquenes , 32°14’4.86”S, 70°27.8’22.0”W, 3250 m, III.2016, S. Teillier & J. Torres-Mora 8034 ( CONC [ CONC182760 ]).

DESCRIPTION

Perennial, caespitose, dioecious shrub, forming pulvinate cushions up to 0.6 m high and almost 1 m in diameter. Primary branches 10-15 mm long, 2-3 mm thick, herbaceous. Leaves opposite, decussate or imbricate, adpressed, 2.6-2.8 mm long, sessile, exstipulate, sheathing mainly on young shoots; blade flat, elliptic to slightly obovate, 1.2-1.5 (1.8) mm long, 1.2-1.4 mm wide, chartaceous, fracturing easily at the base, abaxial and adaxial surfaces densely albo-lanuginose, trichomes filiform, unbranched, flexuous, 0.5-0.75 mm long, pale yellow to light green when dry, indumentum easily detachable from the blade surface; margin lanuginose; mid-vein lacking; apex obtuse, erect; basal sheath barely formed, less than 0.7 mm long. Inflorescence single flowered, terminal, concealed by two lateral prophylls; pedicel 0.3 mm long; bracts absent. Flowers unisexual. Pistillate flower usually concealed by the surrounding leaves, strongly perigynous, valvate, 2.5-3.5 mm long, 1-1.5 mm wide, receptacle cup well developed, crateriform to infundibular, approximately 1 mm long, sepals and staminodes inserted on the edge of the receptacle cup forming a protruding, flat disk; calyx ovoid, sepals 5, slightly canaliculated or flat, ovate to triangular, chartaceous, 1.3-1.7 mm long, 0.5-0.7 mm wide at the base, pale greenish-yellow to stramineous, densely lanuginose abaxially, margin lanuginose, midvein raised on the adaxial surface, apex acute to obtuse; petals 5, free, alternisepalous, cream-colored to yellowish, semi-translucent, oblong, 0.8-1 mm long, 0.5-0.6 mm wide at the base, membranaceous, apex rounded to truncate, margin entire, glabrous; staminodes 5, episepalous, 0.75 mm long, filaments uniformly linear, 0.4 mm long; sterile anthers introrse, dorsifixed, oblique, 0.4 mm long, 0.2 mm wide, pollen absent; pistil 1.5-1.8 mm long, sessile, ovary 3-carpellate, unilocular, ovoid, laterally flattened, sometimes irregularly outlined, 0.7 mm long, 0.5 mm wide, glabrous; style single, 0.5-0.6 mm long; stigmatic lobes 1, slightly capitate, ovules 3, arranged at the base of a central placental column. Staminate flowers with perianth similar in morphology and size as the pistillate flowers; stamens 5, episepalous, approximately 1 mm long, filaments uniformly linear, 0.4 mm long, anthers introrse, dorsifixed, versatile, 0.6 mm long, 0.4 mm wide, dehiscing by longitudinal slits; pistillode irregularly shaped, reduced, 0.3 mm long, without distinctive style and stigma. Fruit an utricle, 1.2-1.3 mm long, 1-1.3 mm wide, enclosed by the persistent calyx. Seed 1, reniform, laterally compressed, yellowish brown and opaque laterally, dark brown and nitid dorsally, 1 mm long, 0.6-0.75 mm wide, glabrous, minutely sculptured; embryo curved.

Figures

FIG. 1. — Baretia lanata (Phil.) Timaná,comb.nov. Lectotype:R.Philippi s.n.(SGO 048875).Source:SGO (JSTOR Plants).

FIG. 2. — Baretia lanata (Phil.) Timaná, comb. nov., O. ZÖllner 11772 (NA 0001301). Courtesy of the U.S. National Arboretum Herbarium (NA), USDA-ARS. Inset: Flower close-up, O. ZÖllner 11772 (MO346208). Scale bar: 1 mm.

FIG. 3. — Baretia lanata (Phil.) Timaná,comb.nov. Close up of terminal branches, Teillier & Torres-Mura 8034 (CONC 182760).Courtesy of the herbarium of Universidad de Concepción. Scale bar: 1 cm.

FIG. 4. — Map of known distribution of Baretia lanata (Phil.) Timaná, comb. nov.