Lepidaploa novarae (Cabrera) Vega & Dematteis (2012: 269)

Marques, Danilo, Farco, Gabriela Elizabeth, Nakajima, Jimi Naoki & Dematteis, Massimiliano, 2018, The genus Lepidaploa (Vernonieae, Asteraceae) in southern South America, Phytotaxa 362 (2), pp. 115-142 : 127-129

7. Lepidaploa novarae (Cabrera) Vega & Dematteis (2012: 269) . Vernonia novarae Cabrera (1997: 255) . Type:— ARGENTINA. Salta province, Santa Victoria department, Parque Nacional Baritú, between Quebrada La Gateada and Quebrada

Seca, 20 Septiember 1990, L. J. Novara 9993 (holotype MCNS! [photo!]; isotypes M!, SI! [photo!]). Figure 11 .

Clambering shrubs 1–2 m tall; branches pubescent. Leaves distichous, cauline, internodes 3.3–5.5 cm long, petioles 5– 10 mm long, blade 7–15 × 1.5–3.5 cm, membranaceous, rugose, elliptic-lanceolate or lanceolate, apex acute, margins entire, rarely sinuate, base attenuate, adaxial surfaces glabrous, abaxial surface pubescent or glabrous; venation camptodromous-eucamptodromous. Capitulescence seriate-cymose with capitula sessile, 4.7–11.3 cm long, axis densely tomentose-velutinous, brown. Involucre narrowly campanulate, 6–7 mm in diam., phyllaries 5–6-seriate, brown, scarious, glabrous or pubescent, outer oval-lanceolate, apex apiculate, inner elliptic-lanceolate, apex acute. Florets 20–25, corolla white, tube 3–6 mm long, glabrescent, lobes 2.5–3.5 mm long, lanceolate, apex setose-glandular; apical anther appendages acute, base obtuse; basal stylar node enlarged. Cypsela turbinate to obconic, 2–2.3 mm long, sericeous, idioblasts present; carpopodium anullar. Pappus white or grayish.

Selected specimens examined — ARGENTINA. Salta: Departamento de Santa Victoria, Parque Santa Victoria, Camino a río San José desde desvío de camino de los Toldos a Lipeo, 28 September 1998, O. Ahumada 8177 (CTES). Salta Capital, Parque San Martín, entrando por pista de aterrizaje de Los Toldos, bordeando la costa del río Toldo, 03 October 1998, O. Ahumada 8365 (CTES).

Distribution and habitat — Lepidaploa novarae was reported only from the province of Salta in Argentina and, therefore, is endemic to this region. In Salta, the species was found in the departments of Salta and Santa Victoria. According to Marques & Dematteis (2014), this species can also be found in the department of Óran, Salta. The species grows in the “yungas salteñas” (North–Central Humid Andes) between 600–1800 m a.s.l. ( Figure 12 ).

Phenology —Collected with flowers in August and September.

Notes — Lepidaploa novarae is similar to L. tarijensis , which also occurs in Salta ( Argentina), but the first species grows only in Salta while L. tarijensis occurs in Salta and Bolivia. Both species are clambering shrubs and have glabrous or glabrecent leaves. However, L. novarae is distinct from the similar species because of its involucre 6–7 (versus 8–10) mm long, presence (versus absence) of glandular trichomes on the corolla lobes, and cypselae with idioblasts (versus without idioblasts).

Figures

FIGURE 11. Lepidaploa novarae. A. Plant. B. Capitula. C–D. Outer phyllaries. E–G. Inner phyllaries. H. Floret. I. Corolla lobe detail. Source: Marques & Dematteis (2014).

FIGURE 12. Geographical distribution of L. novarae (circle) in Cone Sur.