Markea purpurea A. Orejuela & C. I. Orozco, 2014

Orejuela, Andrés, Orozco, Clara Inés & Barboza, Gloria, 2014, Three new species of Markea (Solanaceae, Juanulloeae) from Colombia, Phytotaxa 167 (2), pp. 151-165 : 160-163

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/phytotaxa.167.2.1
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/039687A5-FFE5-F573-FF07-A980FAF6FC33
treatment provided by	Felipe
scientific name	Markea purpurea A. Orejuela & C. I. Orozco
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Markea purpurea A. Orejuela & C. I. Orozco View in CoL spec. nov. ( Fig. 3 View FIGURE 3 , 8 View FIGURE 8 , 9 View FIGURE 9 ).

Type:— COLOMBIA. Nariño: Municipio de Barbacoas, corregimiento de Altaquer, vereda El Barro, Reserva Natural Rio Ñambi , 1200– 1400 m, 1°17´N, 78°04´W, 16 April 2004, Salinas et al. 470 (holotype COL!; isotype PSO!) GoogleMaps .

Markea purpurea is easily differentiated from other Markea species by the short- pedunculate, extra-axillary inflorescence, which usually bears one sub-sessile flower, the purple calyx with a green and verrucose base abaxially, and the pale green corolla with violet longitudinal lines abaxially and purple to black at mouth of the corolla tube adaxially.

Epiphytic or hemi-epiphytic shrubs adhered through adventitious roots. Stem terete in fresh material, slightly angular when dry, longitudinally furrowed, glabrous, the young branches unknown, the bark light yellow. Leaves apparently whorled, up to six per node; petiole green to brownish in fresh material, yellow when dry, articulate, 2.1–3.2 cm long, thickened when fresh, canaliculate and somewhat furrowed when dry; blade elliptic to obovate, 21–33 × 9.5–17.8 cm, symmetric to slightly asymmetric, membranaceous when fresh, papyraceous when dry, glabrous adaxially, with scarce, minute, simple glandular trichomes abaxially, disperse on the secondary and minor veins, light green adaxially and greyish green abaxially, when fresh, yellowish green on both surfaces when dry, the base slightly asymmetric, cuneate, the apex acuminate, 8–11 mm long, the margin entire, the secondary veins 6 to 12 pairs, abaxially raised, impressed adaxially, conferring the surface a bullate appearance, forming a dense reticulum with the minor veins. Inflorescence in condensed cymes, simple, extra-axillary, 7.3–8 cm long, apparently sessile or short-pedunculate, generally one flower and various scars indicating 3 to 4 flowers, bracteate, scarcely pubescent with trichomes similar to those of the leaves; peduncle up to 3.5 mm long; bracts elliptic, triangular, the largest ones 2.6 × 1.3 cm, the smallest ones 0.7 × 0.6 mm, the floral buds ovoid, aestivation of calyx and corolla valvate and quincuncial respectively. Flowers sessile or short-pedicellate; pedicel up to 6 mm long, progressively thickening as it reaches the base of the calyx. Calyx 5- lobed, 2.6–3.2 × 1.3 cm, abaxially violaceous with verrucous, green base, apparently glabrous, with minute, simple glandular trichomes on both the adaxial and abaxial surfaces, the tube 5-ribbed, 6–8 × 11.5–12.5 mm, the lobes elliptic, 20–24 × 8–9 mm, apparently fused all along their length, the apex obtuse, each lobe with a main vein reaching the apex and two secondary veins departing from the base of each lobe, parallel to the main vein, reticulum inconspicuous. Corolla 5-lobed, abaxially light green with purple lines, pedicel up to 6 mm, adaxially purple to black, 8–9.5 2.5–3 cm, tubular-infundibuliform, the tube 6.5–7.5 cm long, differentiated into a narrow proximal portion 16–17 mm × 4–5 mm and a widened gradually distal portion 5.3–5.7 × 2.1–2.2 cm, with indument of simple uniseriate trichomes with 4 to 7 cells restricted to the most proximal portion of the tube on the adaxial surface, the lobes reflexed during anthesis, 1.7– 2.1 × 1.5–1.7 cm, ovate, revolute, glabrous with the apex obtuse. Stamens 5, 2.7–3.2 cm long, inserted, the filaments 1.5–1.6 cm long, purple in fresh, pale yellow when dry, adnate at 1.3–1.5 cm from the base of the corolla tube, indument, with simple uniseriate trichomes, 4 to 7 cells, purple in fresh material, at the basal quarter of the filament in the insertion point and minute simple glandular trichomes, densely distributed along the filament, the anthers ellipsoid, basifixed, cream in fresh material, 13–15 mm long, not connivent. Ovary conic, 3.5 × 3.5 mm, glabrous, cream in fresh material, 2-carpelar, 2-locular, nectariferous disc 5-lobed. Style filiform, 4.5 mm long, white, inserted. Stigma 2-lobed, white in fresh material, clavate. Fruit an ovoid berry 1.5 × 1.2 cm of unknown color, with a persistent, slightly accrescent calyx, the calyx tube 7 × 16 mm, the lobes 2.6–2.7 × 1–1.1 cm, opening up to the base. Seeds numerous, reniform to subreniform, 3.5–3.8 × 1.6–1.8 mm, testa reticulate, cells elongated and irregularly shaped; embryo curved, 2.5 × 0.6 mm, cotyledons just as wide as, and shorter than the rest of the embryo, endosperm abundant.

Etymology: — The specific name derives from the Latin purpura, referring to the color of the corolla.

Habitat and distribution:— Markea purpurea is known from the Pacific flanks of the Andes in the department of Nariño, southwestern Colombia, in the Natural Reserve “Rio Ñambi”, between 1200–1400 m .

Phenology:—Floral buds in July, flowers in April and May, and fruits in May.

Additional material examined: — COLOMBIA. Nariño: Municipio de Barbacoas, corregimiento de Altaquer, vereda El Barro, Reserva Natural “Rio Ñambi”, 1200–1400 m, 7 May 2013, Orejuela & Castillo-García 564 ( COL!, PSO!) .

Discussion:— Markea purpurea is sympatric with M. antioquensis and M. pilosa . These three species share the same leaf arrangement in apparent whorls of 3 to 6 leaves, clustered towards the branch tips; their flowers are usually white-greenish to purple or violaceous and exhibit infundibuliform corollas with similar size, which varies between 7–10 cm long, and the stamens are completely included in the corolla tube ( Fig. 4 A,G View FIGURE 4 , 8 View FIGURE 8 , 9 View FIGURE 9 ). However, M. antioquensis and M. pilosa can easily be distinguished from M. purpurea by the axillary position of the many flowered inflorescence, with peduncles more than 1 cm long vs. the extra-axillary inflorescence, generally one-flowered, with a few scars, apparently sessile or short-pedunculate (peduncle up to 3.5 mm) of Markea purpurea . Additionally, the stems, leaves and inflorescences of M. antioquensis and M. pilosa have simple, uniseriate and multicellular trichomes, which are absent in M. purpurea (see the key).

Markea purpurea View in CoL shows no morphological affinities with any other species of the genus. However, due to its short inflorescence bearing one single flower, which is apparently sessile, it might be confused with Markea sessiliflora Ducke (1915: 56) View in CoL . These two species differ because the leaves of M. sessiliflora View in CoL are somewhat succulent in fresh material, with inconspicuous third order venation, coriaceous and dark brown when dry, the inflorescences have an axillary position, the peduncle is thick and often ramified, the green calyx has lobes largely cuspidate, the corolla is white, occasionally tinged with violet adaxially, with short lobes 5-10 mm long ( Fig. 4I View FIGURE 4 ).

The characters mentioned above, contrast with those observed in M. purpurea View in CoL , whose leaves are membranaceous when fresh, papyraceous and yellowish green when dry, with a dense and marked third order venation, the inflorescences are extra-axillary, the peduncle when present is thin and simple, the violaceous calyx has elliptic lobes, and the corolla is abaxially light green with purple lines, adaxially purple to black, with lobes 17–21 mm long ( Fig. 8 View FIGURE 8 , 9 View FIGURE 9 ).