Menonvillea frigida (Phil.) Rollins (1955: 23)

Salariato, Diego L., Zuloaga, Fernando O. & Al-Shehbaz, Ihsan A., 2014, A revision of the genus Menonvillea (Cremolobeae, Brassicaceae), Phytotaxa 162 (5), pp. 241-298 : 263-264

4. Menonvillea frigida (Phil.) Rollins (1955: 23) . Hexaptera frigida Philippi (1860: 8) . Type:— CHILE. [Región de Antofagasta]. Río Frío, (desierto) Atacama, ca. 10800 ft (3292 m), R. A. Philippi s.n. (holotype SGO 63964!).

Perennials with woody, branched caudex. Stems 5−9(−15) cm, herbaceous to woody, slender, several from base, erect to subdecumbent, not branched above, glabrous throughout. Leaves cauline, sessile to subsessile; blade entire, lowermost leaves oblanceolate, 1−2.5 × 0.3−1.5 cm, glabrous, attenuate to a petiole-like base; uppermost leaves narrowly oblanceolate to lanceolate, 1−2 cm × 1.5−3 mm, glabrous or sparsely pubescent near apex with simple trichomes, margin entire, apex acute. Racemes terminal, ebracteate or proximally bracteate, densely corymbose, slightly elongated in fruit, 3−5 cm long; rachis glabrous, straight; fruiting pedicels ascending at base, divaricate and strongly recurved distally, 6−12 mm long, slender, distinctly enlarged near receptacle, glabrous. Sepals green, oblong, 3−3.5 × 1.2−1.5 mm, pubescent, erect, lateral pair slightly saccate at base, caducous, margin scarious; petals white, spatulate, 5−6 × 1.5−2 mm; clawed, not papillate at base; stamens slightly tetradynamous; filaments free, somewhat dilated and not papillate at base, 2.5−4 mm long; anthers oblong, ca. 1 mm long; nectar glands confluent, not petaloid, subtending bases of all filaments. Fruits broadly ellipsoid, glabrous or pilose; valves 3-winged, smooth, 4−6 × 3−4.5 mm, notched at apex; wings ca. 1 mm wide, straight or slightly undulate; gynophore 1−3 mm long; style 1.3−1.5(−2.5) mm long; stigma slightly decurrent. Seeds ovate, 2−2.5 × 1.5−1.8 mm, wingless, flattened; cotyledons accumbent to obliquely so.

Distribution and habitat:— Menonvillea frigida grows in northwestern Chile (II Antofagasta), at elevations of 3200−4700 m ( Fig. 12D ).

Phenology:— Flowers between December and March.

Taxonomic notes:— Menonvillea frigida , along with M. macrocarpa and M. cicatricosa , have entire, lanceolate to oblanceolate leaves. It differs from both species by having smaller fruits (4−5 vs. 9−13 or 12−16 mm long in M. macrocarpa and M. cicatricosa , respectively); see other differences under M. macrocarpa .

Representative Specimens:— CHILE. II Antofagasta: Prov. Antofagasta, Com. Antofagasta, Volcán Llullaillaco , 13 January 1994, Arroyo et al. 94006 ( CONC) .

Figures

FIGURE 12. Distribution of species of Menonvillea sect. Cuneata. A, M. cicatricosa. B, M. comberi. C, M. cuneata. D, M. frigida. E, M. macrocarpa. F. M. nordenskjoeldii. G. M. patagonica. H, M. rigida. I, M. spathulata. J, M. virens.