A new species of Clinanthus from northern Peru (Asparagales, Amaryllidaceae, Amarylloideae, Clinantheae).

Clinanthus milagroanthus S. Leiva & Meerow, sp. nov. is described from the Department of La Libertad in Peru. The new species is most closely related to Clinanthus mirabilis (Ravenna) Meerow, with further affinities to Clinanthus viridiflorus (R. & P.) Meerow. It can be distinguished from Clinanthus mirabilis by its wider leaves, the much more brightly colored and wide spreading limb, and the much lighter colored perigone tube (yellowish green vs. dark green in Clinanthus mirabilis). A conspicuous bulge just proximal to the midpoint of the tube is a unique character of the new species.

Introduction

Peru is the center of diversity for the genus Herb., which was segregated from Herb. by Meerow et al. (2000), who demonstrated that the latter was polyphyletic. There are between 15 and 20 species in the genus, which has never been monographed. The species are primarily known from locations above 2000 m (León et al. 2013; unpubl. herbarium data), but a cluster of species has colonized the Peru Current-cooled lomas of the coast (León et al. 2013; unpubl. herbarium data). One species, (Herb.) Meerow, which retains the ovary inside the bulb until shortly before seed ripening (Herbert 1839; Baker 1871), reaches elevations above 4000 m (León et al. 2013; unpubl. herbarium data). Many are local endemics known only from the type localities (León et al. 2013). Exploration in the Department of La Libertad has uncovered a species new to science, and it is herein described.

Materials and methods

No specimens matching the new species have been observed in herbarium collections in Peru, nor encountered by the second author in collections examined over the past 30 years at GB, K, MO, and NY. The description is based upon live material from the type collection. Colors are referenced to the Color Charts (RHS 1995).

Royal Horticultural Society

Taxonomy

S. Leiva & Meerow sp. nov.

urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:77155329-1

Figs 1 , 2

Figure 1.

S. Leiva & Meerow. A Perigone dissected showing androecium B Cross-section of the capsule C Gynoecium D Flower at anthesis E Habit F Seed G Anther in dorsal view H Anther in ventral view I Anther in side view J Capsule. Drawing by S. Leiva & M. Leiva from S. & M. Leiva Leiva 5795 (HAO).

Figure 2.

S. Leiva & Meerow. A Habit B Inflorescence showing spathe bracts C Flowers D Bulbs E Capsules F Known distribution of in Peru (red star). All photos of S. Leiva & M. Leiva 5795, HAO.

Diagnosis.

is most closely related to (Ravenna) Meerow (Fig. 3A) by the white color and morphology of the staminal cup, in which the free portions of the filaments are slightly incurved and inserted at the sinus between the cup lobes. Both of these species have affinity with (R. & P.) Meerow (Fig. 3B–C). All three species have grayish-green glaucous leaves, particularly large apicula at the apex of the outer tepals, and large anthers relative to other species of the genus. These species form a distinct clade in the genus based on ribosomal DNA sequences with close relationship to the genus Velarde (Fig. 3D; Meerow et al. 2000; Ravenna 1988; unpubl. data). All three species have glaucous, gray-green leaves. The perigone of is entirely green (Fig. 3B–C); that of is deep green except for the orange-red limb (Fig. 3A). Our new species has the widest leaves in the complex and bears the showiest flowers, most notably by the sharp constrast between the white staminal cup and the bright red tepals. It can be distinguished PageBreakPageBreakfrom , to which it bears closest resemblance, by the much more brightly colored and wide spreading limb, and the much lighter colored perigone tube (yellowish green vs. dark green in ). The conspicuous bulge just proximal to the midpoint of the tube is a unique character of the new species.

Figure 3.

Species related to . A (S. Leiva et al. 2000, HAO) B–C (Weigend et al. 5701, NY) D (Meerow 2303, FTG).

Type.

PERÚ. Dpto. La Libertad, Prov. Otuzco, Distrito Salpo, above Murañe (on the Salpo-Pagash road), , 2827 m elevation, 22 Mar 2015, S. Leiva & M. Leiva 5795 (HOLOTYPE: HAO; ISOTYPE: F)

Description.

Geophytic herb from tunicate bulbs, 60–80 cm tall, with numerous creamy-white roots (brown where stained by the humic substrate), 25–35 cm long. Bulbs long conical or tapered, 9–10 cm long and 6.5–7 cm in diameter, with a papery brown to black tunic, white below. Leaves distichous, sessile, lorate, erect or slightly reflexed towards the abaxial surface, succulent, dark green on adaxial surface, light green on abaxial, glabrous, acute at apex, slightly cuneate at the base, slightly revolute at the margins, caniculate along the midrib adaxially, midrib prominent abaxially, (57-) 65–68 cm long by 5.5–5.7 cm wide. Inflorescences with 5 flowers arranged in pseudoumbels, scape ancipitous, elliptical in cross section, dull yellowish-green, succulent, solid, 35–36 cm long by 1.4–1.5 cm diameter; spathe bracts membranous, two, creamy or slightly yellowish, glabrous, eventually marcescent, surrounding the base of the flowers; pedicels slightly wider proximally, yellowish-green, succulent, glabrous, 2-edged, slightly curved towards the abaxial surface, 1–1.3 cm long by 0.4–0.5 cm in diameter. Flowers actinomorphic, bisexual, trimerous; perigone infundibular, succulent, 7–7.2 cm long, the tepals fused into a tube for 2/3 to 4/5 of the perigone length; tube RHS Green 143C green proximally, darkening in the inflated portion, then becoming Yellow-Green 145B to almost white at the throat, cylindrical for the proximal 1.2–1.5 cm and 2.5–3 mm diam., gradually dilated to 5 mm for the next 1–1.3 cm, then abruptly inflated to ca. 7 mm diam for ca. 1.3 cm, constricting distally to ca. 5 mm diam, the final 2 cm portion of the tube with 6 longitudinal channels; limb of six tepals in two series, spreading to 3.4–4.0 cm at anthesis at ca. 45°angle from the throat; outer tepals narrowly oblong, intensely red (RHS Red Group 40A to 40B) on both surfaces, with a conspicuous white, papillate apiculum at apex, glabrous on both surfaces, succulent, distinctly ribbed, 2.5–2.6 cm long by 1–1.2 cm wide; inner tepals broadly elliptic, same color and surface attributes as outer, obtuse at apex with a minute white apiculum, 2.2–2.3 cm long by 1.4–1.5 cm wide. Stamens six, connate proximally into a short, externally white 6-lobed staminal corona, stained yellowish-green internally towards the base, 5–6 mm long and 1.3–1.4 cm diam, the lobes deltoid with a mucronate apex, each 5–6 mm long and 5–6 mm wide; free portion of stamens filiform, inserted at the sinus between each lobe of the corona, incurved, white, 8–9 mm long; anthers narrowly oblong, sagittate at the base, introrse, 17–18 mm long and 2–2.1 mm wide, pollen bright yellow. Style exserted, filiform, creamy white, with translucent papillae distally, 80–83 mm long; stigma 3-lobed, white to slightly yellow, 1.5–1.6 mm wide. Ovary inferior, turbinate, 3-locular, 15–18 mm long, 6–7 mm wide; ovules numerous, superposed in two vertical rows in each locule. Capsule tricoccous, green PageBreakwhen young, becoming glaucous with age, 2.4–2.6 cm high 3.5–4 cm wide, loculicidally dehiscent; seeds 100–105, flattened, slightly polyhedral, narrowly winged on the edges, covered with a lustrous, brittle, black phytomelanous testa, 17 to 18 mm long, 7 to 7.3 mm wide.

Distribution and ecology.

is only known from the local area of the type collection where it is moderately abundant. Despite having searched the surrounding area, it has so far been limited to the area of Muräne along the Salpo-Pagash road in the Department of La Libertad, Prov. Otuzco, District Salpo, ca. , at 2824 m elevation, as a member of the grass and shrub vegetation on the edges of the road, preferring moist, black organic soil among rocks. Some associated species include Mattf. (), Kunth (), (A. Berger) D. R. Hunt (), Kunth (), L. B. Sm. (), Hook. (), Cav. (), and unidentifed s Mack., L. (), L. (), L. (). flowers with the first rains in November or December, continuing through fruit maturation until March or April.

Current conservation status.

Using the criteria of the IUCN (IUCN 2012) is considered . The extent of its range is less than 100 km2 around the type locality (Criterion B1), is known from a single population (Criterion B1a) with less than 100 mature individuals in the population, and is projected to decline further (Criterion B1b). It may have been impacted by construction of the road between Salpo to Pagash or Platanar. However, there has not been an assessment of whether it experienced a decline in its range from this event. The species requires a thorough study of ecology, population structure and distribution to clarify its status.

critically endangered

Vernacular name.

“cebolla de peña.”

Etymology.

The specific epithet honors Ms. Milagros Leiva Salinas, a student of Human Medicine, who has been studying the phytochemistry of Peruvian genera of .

Additional material examined.

PERÚ. Dpto. La Libertad, Prov. Otuzco, Dist. Salpo, arriba del Murañe (ruta Salpo-Pagash), , 2824 m, 1 Apr 2013, S. Leiva & M. Leiva 5443 (HAO)

Notes.

We have used the original orthography for the names cited below. The genus Herbert was established by Herbert (1837) to accommodate (R. & P.) Herbert. He later (Herbert 1841) described a second sp., , which he distinguished by its narrower leaves, smaller flowers, exserted style and 3-lobed stigma. Bentham and Hooker (1883) subsumed the genus under . Baker (1878) described , which Macbride (1931) raised to the rank of species in . Baker (1888) appeared to reduce Herbert’s (1841) to a variety of . Ravenna (1971) described and assigned it to subgenus (but didn’t formally validate the new subgenus). He later (Ravenna 1988) restablished the genus , with only , noting its relationship to , and erected a new genus, Ravenna, with (Baker) Ravenna as the type species, and including (Ravenna) Ravenna. Ravenna’s (1988) diagnostic PageBreakcharacters for distinguishing these two genera were somewhat ambiguous. Meerow et al. (2000) showed clear molecular evidence that the genus was polyphyletic, and established the new tribe for the genera , Sealy and . Velarde and were resolved as sister species, in a clade in turn sister to three other species of . We are in the process and obtaining a larger number of DNA sequences of the tribe to better evaluate the generic limits within the tribe.