Ledurgia Speta

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 : 61

11. Ledurgia Speta

in Stapfia 75: 168 (2001). Typus generis:— L. guineensis Speta (holotype).

Description:—Bulbous geophyte. Bulb ovoid-oblong to subglobose, outer scales membranous and inner bulb scales white and fleshy. Roots thickened and branched. Leaves unknown. Inflorescence an erect, raceme with 6‒12 flowers; peduncle very short, erect; pedicels spreading, straight, 3–4 mm long, glabrous. Bracts lanceolate, ca. 3 mm long with distinct spur. Flowers campanulate with reflexed tepals, subpatent. Tepals 6, biseriate, ca. 7–8 mm long, lanceolate to oblong, whitish with brown longitudinal central band, shortly connate at base. Stamens 6, suberect to slightly spreading; filaments filiform, white, shortly adnate to base of tepals; anthers oblong, opening by longitudinal slits. Ovary ovoid, ca. 3–4 mm long, greenish, with ca. 14 ovules per locule. Style ca. 2.5 mm long, erect, white, filiform, stigma slightly trigonous. Capsule and seeds not studied.

Number of species and distribution:— Ledurgia includes a single species, occurring in Guinea, hence restricted to Guineo-Congolian Region (sensu Takhtajan 1986) ( Fig. 29 ).

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

History, diagnostic characters, and taxonomic relationships:— Speta (2001) described Ledurgia guineensis Speta as a monotypic genus from Guinea based on plants with imbricate bulb scales, very short peduncle and few flowered raceme; straight and patent pedicels; and campanulate flowers with slightly connate tepals ( Speta 2001). Our phylogenetic results agree with previous conclusions of Pfosser & Speta (2001) in which the samples of this genus represent an independent lineage here accepted at genus rank. This lineage is related to Zingela and Thuranthos , but shows quite a different morphology. We were not able to study living material of this genus. Further studies are needed to improve its morphological characterisation.

Accepted species:—

Ledurgia guineensis Speta in Stapfia 75: 168 (2001) ≡ Drimia guineensis (Speta) J.C.Manning & Goldblatt in Edinburgh J. Bot. 60(3): 556 (2004). Type:— GUINEA. Between Pita and Hafia, 21 May 1987, I. Bert. cult. HBV Li 2582 (Speta in LI, reportedly transferred to W).

Figures

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