Sagittanthera Mart.-Azorín, M.B.Crespo, A.P.Dold & Van Jaarsv

Martínez-Azorín, Mario, Crespo, Manuel B., Alonso-Vargas, María Ángeles, Pinter, Michael, Crouch, Neil R., Dold, Anthony P., Mucina, Ladislav, Pfosser, Martin & Wetschnig, Wolfgang, 2023, A generic monograph of the Hyacinthaceae subfamily Urgineoideae, Phytotaxa 610 (1), pp. 1-143 : 78-80

17. Sagittanthera Mart.-Azorín, M.B.Crespo, A.P.Dold & Van Jaarsv .

in Phytotaxa 98(2): 46 (2013) ( Fig. 43 ). Typus generis:— S. cyanelloides (Baker) Mart.-Azorín, M.B.Crespo, A.P.Dold & Van Jaarsv . (holotype).

≡ Drimia sect. Sagittanthera (Mart.-Azorín, M.B.Crespo, A.P.Dold & Van Jaarsv. ) J.C.Manning & Goldblatt in Strelitzia 40: 73 (2018). Typus sectionis:— D. cyanelloides (Baker) J.C.Manning & Goldblatt (holotype).

Description:—Bulbous geophyte. Bulb partially epigeal, clump forming, with thickened, fleshy, shortly stalked, loose scales, easily proliferating when detached, producing dense threadlike slimy structures when broken. Roots thickened and branched. Leaves hysteranthous, up to 30 cm long, 3‒8 mm wide, glabrous, linear, adaxial leaf surface subflattened, grooved, abaxial leaf surface strongly keeled, fleshy and trapezoid in cross-section. Inflorescence a long, lax, manyflowered raceme, 5‒10 cm long, with 5‒25 flowers; peduncle suberect to leaning, 20‒30 cm long, green, glabrous; pedicels 7‒12 mm long, curving downwards. Bracts acute, triangular-subsagittate, 3.5‒6.0 mm long, lowermost with long basal spur, 4‒6 mm long; bracteoles present, 0.3‒1.2 mm long. Flowers stellate, nodding, lasting 2‒3 days. Tepals 6, biseriate, 7‒9 mm long, free from base, subequal, oblong to oblong-lanceolate, white with dull purplish stripes. Stamens 6, erect and connivent to ovary and style; filaments free, short, straight, erect, flattened at base, ca. 1.5 mm long, much shorter than anthers; anthers large, 5−6 mm long, sagittate, dehiscing by minute apical pores, connate to form conical structure that surrounds style. Ovary ovoid, 2.5−3.0 mm long, green. Style narrow, erect, elongate, 3−4 mm long, straight, included in cone-like structure formed by anthers at beginning of anthesis, elongating to overtop anthers after their dehiscence. Stigma punctiform to subcapitate. Capsule and seeds not studied.

Number of species and distribution:—Monotypic genus, occurring in the eastern parts of the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa between latitudes 27°46’ and 29°46’S above 1000 m at Nqanqarhu (Maclear) in the foothills of the Southern Drakensberg mountains ( Fig. 29 ). The genus is restricted to the Uzambara-Zululand Region (sensu Takhtajan 1986). For further information on Sagittanthera see Baker (1897), Van Jaarsveld & Van Wyk (2005) , and Martínez-Azorín et al. (2013a).

Studied material:— SOUTH AFRICA. Eastern Cape Province. Stutterheim (3227): Komga, prope Prospect farm, (–DB), elev. 695 m, December 1889, Flanagan 573 (K000257233!, BOL!, PRE0051093-0!); Stutterheim (3227), Boogkrans, Kei River, (–BC), elev. 598 m, 12 April 2013, Van Jaarsveld & Harrower 24767 (PRE); Stutterheim (3227), Kliprooiysterhoutdraai, Kei River, (–BC), elev. 318 m, 15April 2013, Van Jaarsveld & Harrower 24794 (PRE); Umtata (3128): Maclear, The Falls, ca. 14 km NE from Maclear, (–AB), forest scrub, elev. 1020 m, 12 November 1994, S.P. Bester 3300 (K!, PRE835412!); Butterworth (3228): Transkei, Willowvale distr., Ngqaqini admin. gebied, steil helling, SO front, laag in vallei, (–AD), November 1983, J. A. van Eeden B 386 (PRE666067!); Port St. Johns (3129), lower Mzimvubu River, south facing, shale cliffs below Ludonga, (–AD), Van Jaarsveld , Xaba, Harrower & Zwide 97 (PRE); Port St. Johns (3129): Transkei, Mateku waterfall, (–BD), T.M.S. cliffs, grassland, 11 November 1970, R.G. Strey 10170 (PRE0051092!); Port St. Johns (3129): Transkei, Libode district, confluence of the Tina and Tsitsa rivers, east of Umtata, (–CB), elev. 699 m, W side overlooking the confluence of the Tina and Tsitsa Rivers, February 2002, flowered ex hort. December 2007, A.P. Dold s.n. (GRA!).

Karyology:—Apparently not studied yet ( Goldblatt et al. 2012).

History, diagnostic characters, and taxonomic relationships:— Rhadamanthus cyanelloides was described by Baker (1897) from material collected in the eastern regions of South Africa and showing a very distinct morphology, such as the tricuspidate bracts (considering the blade, the spur and the bracteole), free tepals, and most notably “stamens like those of Cyanella , […] with very short filaments and six, large cylindrical anthers that are permanently connivent in a cone and dehiscing by apical pores”. He considered that the taxon most likely represented a new genus. Van Jaarsveld & van Wyk (2005) subsequently described Drimia cremnophila Van Jaarsv. in Van Jaarsveld & Van Wyk (2005: 81) and D. mzimvubuensis from the Mzimvubu River in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. Martínez-Azorín et al. (2013a) described Sagittanthera based on the distinct flower morphology of the above-mentioned taxa and accepted two species: S. cyanelloides (including D. cremnophila as a synonym) and S. mzimvubuensis , which in general share similar flower and inflorescence morphologies, and biogeography. This solution was adopted based on their unique flower morphology within Urgineoideae , particularly the connate anthers in S. cyanelloides and the connate filaments in S. mzimvubuensis , among other characters. However, our phylogenetic studies revealed that both species, represent distant and independent lineages within Urgineoideae ( Martínez-Azorín et al. 2023a) —a fact supported by differences in the connation of anthers, connation of filaments, presence of bracteoles, and leaf morphology. These characters led Martínez-Azorín et al. (2017) to segregate D. mzimvubuensis as the monotypic Aulostemon , a genus accepted in the present work. Manning & Goldblatt (2018) placed the latter species in D. sect. Aulostemon ( Martínez-Azorín et al. 2017: 288) Manning & Goldblatt (2018: 123) . Aulostemon is readily differentiated from Sagittanthera by its filaments forming a long tube above perigone, and free anthers, among other characters ( Martínez-Azorín et al. 2017). The phylogenetic findings of Martínez-Azorín et al. (2023a) place samples of Sagittanthera cyanelloides as sister to a clade combining Urginavia , Zingela , Thuranthos , and Ledurgia . Combining those groups in a single genus would be highly disruptive, since all genera show very different flower morphologies. We accordingly accept Sagittanthera as monotypic to include S. cyanelloides .

Accepted species:—

Sagittanthera cyanelloides (Baker) Mart. -Azorín, M.B.Crespo, A.P.Dold & van Jaarsv. in Phytotaxa 98(2): 48 (2013) ≡ Rhadamanthus cyanelloides Baker, Fl. Cap. (Harvey) 6(3): 444 (1897), basionym ≡ Drimia cyanelloides (Baker) J.C.Manning & Goldblatt in Strelitzia 9: 711 (2000) ( Fig. 43 ). Type:— SOUTH AFRICA. Eastern Cape: Komgha, grassy valleys near Prospect Farm, elev. 2100 feet, Flanagan 573 (K000257233! lecto., designated as “holo.” by Manning & Goldblatt (2018: 74); PRE0051093-0!, BOL140334! isolecto.).

= Drimia cremnophila van Jaarsv. in Aloe 42(4): 81 (2005). Type:— SOUTH AFRICA. Eastern Cape. Port St Johns (3129): lower Mzimvubu River, shale cliffs below Ludonga, (–AD), Van Jaarsveld , Xaba, Harrower & Zwide 97 (PRE holo.).

Figures

FIGURE 29. Approximate distribution ranges of accepted genera in Urgineoideae.

FIGURE 43. Sagittanthera cyanelloides (Baker) Mart.-Azorín et al.