Opuntia kingstoniana Guiggi, 2022

Guiggi, Alessandro & Mariotti, Mauro, 2022, Taxonomic and nomenclatural novelties in some Cactaceae of Greater Antilles, Phytotaxa 573 (2), pp. 215-230 : 219

2. Opuntia kingstoniana Guiggi sp. nov. ( Figs. 3–4 )

Type: ― JAMAICA. Kingston, June 1914, Rose 18503 sub Opuntia tuna (L.) Mill. (holotype US00180263 !, corpus, areolae, spinae; isotype NY1496104!, corpus, areolae, spinae).

– Opuntia tuna sensu Britton & Rose (1919: 113–114) , non (L.) Mill.

Diagnosis: ―It differs from Opuntia tuna by its lower habit to 0.9 m tall (vs. to 3 m); smaller cladodes to 16 cm long (vs. to 40 cm), light green (vs. bluish green), with entire margins (vs. ± undulate); spines acicular, straight, greyish in age (vs. subulate, curved or twisted, yellow ± brown banded), to 6 in number (vs. to 10); fruit 3 cm long (vs. 5.0– 7.5 cm).

Description: ―Shrubby habit, 60–90 cm high, with horizontal branching pattern; cladodes light green, darker around the areoles, normally obovate, to 16 cm long; leaves small, early deciduous; areoles large, brownish later grayish; spines initially brownish-yellow, later greyish darker at apex, normally straight and reflexed, 2–6 in number, 3.5–5.0 cm long; glochids yellowish; flower yellowish slightly tinged of red, 5 cm in diameter, inner tepals oblong, rounded at apex, outer tepals orbicular, filaments greenish below, style and stigma-lobes cream or yellowish; pericarpel obovoid, intense green, with areoles and tufts of yellow glochids; fruit reddish, obovoid, ca. 3 cm long; seeds 3–4 mm in diameter.

Etymology: ―The name refers to Kingston, the capital city of Jamaica, where the species grows.

Taxonomical notes: ―This new species was reported by Britton & Rose (1919: 113–114) as Opuntia tuna , a name with priority referred over Opuntia dillenii (see the discussion below about O. tuna ), but it can easily distinguished by its lower habit, smaller cladodes not glaucous, acicular spines and smaller fruits (see the above diagnosis). O. kingstoniana with its yellow flowers is also easily distinct from another Jamaican endemism O. sanguinea Proctor (1982: 239) which is characterized by its oxblood ” sanguineis ” flowers. The synonyms included in Britton & Rose (1919: 113) sub Opuntia tuna of uncertain application are not referable to O. kingstoniana .

Chorology: ―Endemic to Jamaica ( Britton & Rose 1919: 114). Its disjointed distribution in Cayman Islands (see Adams 1972: 74) has not been confirmed by Proctor (1984: 320).

Illustrations examined: ― Britton & Rose (1919: 114 figs. 141–142) represent a plant and two cladodes collected by W. Harris near Kingston in 1913 ( Fig. 5 ); Howard & Touw (1982: 176–177 figs. 8–9).

Relevant literature: ― Britton & Rose (1919), Adams (1972).

Figures

FIGURE 3. A group of flowering and fruiting cladodes of Opuntia kingstoniana (Opuntia tuna sensu Britton & Rose) with the straight, greyish spines, along the route to Port Royal, at Palisadoes, Kingston, Jamaica. Photo. I. Vandebroek.

FIGURE 4. The spreading habitus of Opuntia kingstoniana between the native vegetation, in association with Melocactus caroli-linnaei Taylor (1991: 78) and Neogriseocereus fimbriatus, along the route to Port Royal, at Palisadoes, Kingston, Jamaica. Photo. I. Vandebroek.

FIGURE 5. A photography and a drawing of the materials collected by W. Harris near Kingston in 1913 of Opuntia tuna sensu Britton & Rose (= O. kingstoniana) included in Britton & Rose (1919: 114). Photo. R. Mottram.