Plazia cheiranthifolia (J. Remy ) Wedd., Chlor. Andina 1: 12. 1855.

Dillon, Michael O. & Luebert, Federico, 2014, Synopsis of Plazia Ruiz & Pav. (Onoserideae, Asteraceae), including a new species from northern Peru, PhytoKeys 34, pp. 1-13 : 3

1. Plazia cheiranthifolia (J. Remy) Wedd., Chlor. Andina 1: 12. 1855.

Aglaeodendron cheiranthifolium J. Rémy, Ann. Sci. Nat., ser. 3, 12: 175. 1849.

Type.

CHILE, Región IV, Coquimbo, C. Gay s.n. (holotype: P00703596!; isotype: P00703598!).

Description.

Shrubs to 1.5 m tall; stems very resinous. Leaves oblong, 28-30 mm long, 7.5-8 mm wide, sessile, apically acute, 3-5-nerved, entire, thickened, glabrous. Capitulescences of solitary terminal heads. Capitula solitary, sessile; involucres campanulate, 25-30 mm long, c. 25 mm wide; phyllaries 3-4-seriate; inner lanceolate, 25-28 mm long, c. 3 mm wide; florets numerous, isomorphic, the outer with corollas subligulate. c. 10, lobes strongly coilled, inner florets 20-25; all corollas lobes c. 7 mm long, c. 4 mm wide, the tube c. 13 mm long; pappus to 16 mm long. Achenes 6-7-ribbed, glabrous, linear oblong, c. 7.5 mm long, c. 1.2 mm wide.

Distribution.

While it was once considered extinct, this species was recently rediscovered in the Precordillera of Ovalle ( Faúndez and Saldivia 2008) and the description provided here is largely derived from the specimens and data in that publication. Since this species appears to be restricted to an area of no more than 2 km2, it would be designated as "critically endangered" ( IUCN 2001).

Discussion.

Plazia cheiranthifolia is a rare shruby species apparently confined to the central Chilean region near Coquimbo. It has the longest leaves of any species of Plazia and large capitula with broadly campanulate involucres. Rémy described as his Aglaodendron chieranthifolium as homogamous, all with bilabiate corollas with lobes of varying lengths. From the photo in Faúndez and Saldivia (2008), it appears there are perhaps nine subligulate corollas.

Aglaeodendron cheiranthifolium J. Rémy was based upon a collection by Claudo Gay deposited in Paris (P00703596). The isotype, also in Paris (P00703598), contains a small piece of paper c. 1 cm square, with the number “176” afixed to the lower left hand corner. This number corresponds to the page number of the collection citation in Rémy (1849). It should not be considered as an accession number for Claudo Gay as has been published in internet sources.

Specimens examined.

CHILE. Region IV. Prov. Limarí. Bocatoma Central Los Molles, Río Molles, 2590 m, 18 Jan 2007, P. Saldivia et al. s.n. (SGO154422!).