Wetschnig, Knirsch & Martínez-Azorín & Pfosser & Wetschnig, 2015

Knirsch, Walter, Martínez-Azorín, Mario, Pfosser, Martin & Wetschnig, Wolfgang, 2015, The reinstatement and rediagnosis of the madagascan genus Rhodocodon (Asparagaceae, Scilloideae), with validation and remarks on H. Perrier’s taxa, Phytotaxa 195 (2), pp. 101-134 : 112

4. Rhodocodon cryptopodus (Baker) Knirsch, Mart. -Azorín & Wetschnig comb. nov.

≡ Hyacinthus cryptopodus Baker (1883: 274) ≡ Drimia cryptopoda (Baker) Pfosser et al. (2006: 1736) .

Illustrations:—fig. XVIII (1) in Perrier de la Bâthie (1938: 137)

Type:— MADAGASCAR: Central Madagascar, October 1882, R. Baron 2164 (holotype K 000098171! the two fragments/specimens in the upper left hand side corner of the sheet, Fig. 8 ).

Description:—Deciduous bulbous plant, 8 ‒ 15 cm high. Bulb obovoid, proliferous, ca. 4 × 6 cm; roots white, branched. Leaves 3–7 per bulb, synanthous, lanceolate, thin and rather fleshy in texture, tapering to an acute apex, 6–12 × 1–1.5 cm at the anthesis, but afterwards growing up to 30 cm long, green, glabrous, smooth, with a slight keel on the abaxial side. Inflorescence an erect raceme; peduncle up to 5–7 cm long, hidden by the sheathing bases of leaves; raceme dense, oblong, about 3–4 cm long, with 10–20 flowers; pedicels very short, 1–3 mm long, ascending; lowermost bracts lanceolate, pale rose in color when young, ca. 2–3 mm long, with a spur ca. 2–3 mm long, acute to subacute or oblong; bracteoles absent; flowers suberect, pinkish to mauve-purple or rarely white. Perigone narrowly campanulate, 10–12 × 3–4 mm, tepals connate about half of their length, perigone tube slightly inflated at the base, apical lobes oblong-lanceolate, spreading, ca. 4 × 2 mm. Stamens 6; filaments adnate to the perigone tube and arising below its mouth; free portions of filaments 3–3.5 mm long, straight, convergent to the style, smooth; anthers oblong, green, ca. 1 mm long, dehiscing for their whole length. Ovary cylindrical, oblong, green, ca. 2 × 1.5 mm, with 6 ovules per locule disposed in 2 rows; style ca. 5 mm long, white, erect. Capsule globose-trigonous, ca. 5 × 7 mm. Seeds hemiellipsoidal, L-H-W: 2.1 ‒ 1.4 ‒ 1.6 mm, black, glossy, with a light brown distinct raphe. Fig. 9 .

Diagnosis:— Rhodocodon cryptopodus shows a distinct habitus within the genus, that makes it easy to distinguish from the other species by the short and very dense raceme with pinkish, shortly pedicellate, suberect flowers with the tepals connate only up to the middle, and having long free, spreading segments.

Habitat:— Rhodocodon cryptopodus grows in open grasslands at elevations up to 1700 m. The climate is warm temperate, with dry cool winters and warm summers. The January mean temperature is 21.4°C, and the July mean temperature is 14.4°C. November to March are the rainfall-rich months.

Biology:—Flowering and fruiting time: October to December.

Distribution:— Madagascar. Province Antananarivo: District Vakinankaratra; Province Toamasina: District Alaotra-Mangoro; Province Fianarantsoa: District Haute Matsiatra.

Selected material studied:— MADAGASCAR. Province Antananarivo: Region Vakinankaratra, north of the village Ambatondradama , 1700 m, February 2007, W. Knirsch, A. Sieder & J. Andriantiana 3190 ( GZU!) ; Madagascar: Central Madagascar , October 1882, R. Baron 2164 (K 000098171!) .

Figures

FIGURE 8. Holotype of Rhodocodon cryptopodus (Baker) Knirsch, Mart.-Azorín & Wetschnig: Baron 2164 (K 000098171!).

FIGURE 9. Flower morphology of Rhodocodon cryptopodus (Baker) Knirsch, Mart.-Azorín & Wetschnig (corresponding to WW 2441!). Lateral view (left), dissection in lateral view (center) and apical view (right). Scale bar 1 mm.