Balbisia meyeniana Klotzsch (1836: 432)

Weigend, Maximilian, 2011, The genus Balbisia (Vivianiaceae, Geraniales) in Peru, Bolivia and northern Chile, Phytotaxa 22 (1), pp. 47-56 : 49-50

2. Balbisia meyeniana Klotzsch (1836: 432)

Type: [ PERU. Depto. Tacna:], Cordillera bei Tacna, Meyen s.n. anno 1831 ( B †), Laguna de Titicaca , v. Besser 54 ( B †).— Neotype (here designated): PERU. Depto Tacna: Prov. Tarata, between Tacna and Tarata on W side of pass, 1 km

below Palquilla, 3370 m, 28 November 1964, Hutchison & Wright 7190 ( USM!, isoneotypes F!, MO, NY, UC, US) .

Ξ Ledocarpon meyenianum (Klotzsch) Steudel (1840: 20) .

Balbisia meyeniana is here reported from Peru and Bolivia. In Peru the species appears to be restricted to the two southwestern Departments Moquegua and Tacna and has not so far been found further north, in spite of copious collections now available from Arequipa. The leaves are glabrous to puberulent and glaucous in the living state ( Fig. 1 D ) and lack both dense, sericeous pubescence and a revolute leaf margin (present in all the other species here treated). Balbisia meyeniana often has a distinctly red calyx ( Fig. 1 F ) and a very sparsely branched, glabrous or puberulent epicalyx ( Figs. 1 F , 2 F ).

The northernmost Peruvian collection (Weigend & Baldárrago 9366, Fig. 1 B ) was found only a few kilometers south of the village of Puquina while just north of that village is the southernmost population of B. verticillata (Weigend & Baldárrago 9367, Fig. 1 A ). Which factors maintain this well-defined distribution limit is entirely unclear. The Bolivian specimens seen differ in being slightly more pubescent, especially the trichomes on the epicalyx are long (and equal the diameter of the epicalyx segments). However, they lack the sericeous pubescence and recurved leaf margins typical of B. verticillata and have to be referred to B. meyeniana for the time being.

Representative specimens: PERU. Depto. Moquegua: Prov. Moquegua, 50–57 km NE Moquegua on road to Carumas , 3000–3200 m, 15 November 1986, Dillon et al. 4802 ( F) . Carumas , 2700–2800 m, 21 February– 6 March 1925, Weberbauer 7271 ( F) . Prov. General Sánchez Cerro, between Puquina and Omate , S 16° 37´42.2´´, W 071° 04´17.6´´, 3003 m, 20 April 2004, Weigend et al. 8326 ( B, F, HUT, M, USM) . Prov. General Sánchez Cerro, Puquina, a few kilometers before Puquina on road from Omate , S 16° 38´21.4´, W 071° 09´21.4´´, 3142 m, 21 July 2010, Weigend & Baldárrago 9366 ( B, F, HUSA, M, USM) . Road from Arequipa to Omate, just above Omate , S 16° 37´29.0´´, W 71° 03´48.4´´, 2800 m, 7 December 2006, Ackermann & Cáceres H. 658 ( B, HUSA, M, USM) . Road from Omate to Carabaya , above Carabaya , S 16° 37' 51.1'' W 070° 57' 59.3'', 2799 m, Weigend & Ackermann 9266 ( B, HUSA, M, USM) .

Depto. Tacna: Prov. Tarata, Distr. Ticaco, 3069 m, 12 November 2006, Cáceres H . & Fernández 5860 ( B, HUSA). Prov. Tacna, 67 km towards Torata , 3250 m, 26 June 1979, Beck 2030 ( LPB, M) .

BOLIVIA: Depto. Potosí: Licori , 3300 m, 1 November 1966, Guzmán s.n. ( LPB) . Prov. Sud Chinchas, Quebrada Chiriyoj Waykho w Tupiza , S 21° 26´, W 065° 47´, 3400 m, 15 February 2002, Müller 9008 ( LPB) . Licori , 3300 m, 1 November 1966, Guzmán s.n. ( LPB) . Prov. Sud Chinchas, road from Tupiza via Quebrada Palala to El Sillar, 3200 m, 29 March 1997, Wood 11953 ( LPB) . Salasala–Tasnapalca [or Tamapalca], 3200 m, 12 May 1927, Troll s.n. ( B) .

Depto. Tarija: Prov. José Maria Aviléz, Higueras to Villazón , S 21° 54´, W 065° 27´, 3200 m, 9 March 1998, Beck et al. 23835 ( LPB) . Jaipa , 3400 m, 19 April 1904, Fiebrig 3094 ( B, 3 x F, K) .

Figures

FIGURE 1. Comparison of Balbisia verticillata and B. meyeniana. A, flowering branch of B. verticillata (N Puquina, Moquegua, Weigend & Baldárrago 9367). B, mature plant of B. meyeniana (S Puquina, Moquegua, Weigend & Baldárrago 9366). C, foliage of B. verticillata during the dry season (San Antonio de Yarabamba, Arequipa, Weigend et al. 9204). D, foliage of B. meyeniana (Omate, Moquegua, Weigend & Ackermann 9266). E, leaves and flowers of B. verticillata, moist conditions (north of Puquina, Moquegua, Weigend & Baldárrago 9367). F, flower bud of B. meyeniana, note the red sepals and weakly branched epicalyx (Omate, Moquegua, Weigend & Ackermann 9266).

FIGURE 2. Comparison of Balbisia verticillata and B. meyeniana with B. peduncularis. A, flowering B. peduncularis, note sparse branching and vertical orientation of branches (Coquimbo, Luebert & Dani³owicz 2980, photograph F. Luebert). B–D, details of B. peduncularis (Coquimbo, photographs: M. Belov, not vouchered). B, flower with the long and strong pedicel. C, leaf with obovate leaflets and recurved margins. D, epicalyx with short, wide, unbranched segments. E, Calyx and epicalyx of B. verticillata, epicalyx with the strongly branched, densely villous, linear segments (San Antonio de Yarabamba, Arequipa, Weigend et al. 9204). F, Calyx and epicalyx of B. meyeniana, epicalyx with weakly branched, shortly pubescent, linear segments (Omate, Moquegua, Weigend & Ackermann 9266).