Festuca circinata Grisebach (1879: 288)

Ospina, Juan C., 2016, New lectotypifications and new synonyms in Festuca (Poaceae, Pooideae, Loliinae) from the Central Andes, Phytotaxa 247 (4), pp. 247-258 : 253

Festuca circinata Grisebach (1879: 288)

Lectotype:— ARGENTINA. Córdoba: Santa Rosa de Calamuchita , ‘cerca de la Cuesta del Cerro, Sierra de Achala’, 17 March 1876, G. H. E. W. Hieronymus 535 (lectotype CORD 00004673 ! designated here; isolectotype US 28765391! (fragm. ex GOET)).

Taxonomic notes: — In the protologue of Festuca circinata, Grisebach (1879) cited ‘C. [Córdoba]: S. Achala, cuesta del Cerro’. Later, Darbyshire et al. (2003) and Catalán & Müller (2012) cited the following syntypes: ‘ Córdoba. Cerca de la Cuesta del Cerro, Sierra de Achala, 17 March 1876, G. H. E. W. Hieronymus 535 (GOET; isosyntypes CORD, US-28765391 fragment ex GOET)’, and ‘Cerro Champaquí, cerca del río del Catre, 30 Ene 1877, G. H. E. W. Hieronymus 783 (GOET; isosyntype CORD)’. The specimen G. H. E. W. Hieronymus 535 was not found in GOET (M. Appelhans pers. comm. 2015). Many of Hieronymus´s duplicate collections were deposited in CORD. Thus, the specimen deposited in CORD (CORD 00004673) is chosen as lectotype for F. circinata , because it is the most complete specimen, and the label bears the date and locality cited in the protologue.

Festuca circinata was recognized as a valid species for Argentina ( Türpe 1969, Darbyshire et al. 2003, Zuloaga et al. 2008). Currently, this taxon is treated as a of F. dissitiflora by Catalán and Müller (2012) because ‘the specimens with glaucescens and circinate leaves, larger diameter, have been attributed to F. circinata ; however, the remaining characters are shared with F. dissitiflora , so this taxon has been subordinated to the latter species’. The current study, including type material, provides support for separation of F. dissitiflora and F. circinata into distinct species, based on several differences in morphological, epidermal ( Figs. 1i–j ), and anatomical ( Fig. 2d ) characters in all specimens examined. Based on this evidence F. circinata is revalidated for the Argentina flora.

Specimens examined:— ARGENTINA. ARGENTINA. Córdoba : Department of Calamuchita, Pampa de Achala, 29 December 1935, Burkart A. 7229, 7233 ( SI, BAA) ; Sierra grande, cerca de la cumber del Champaquí, 14 March 1951, Hunziker A. T. 9042 ( BAB) ; Sierra Grande , filo de la sierra al sur del Cerro Champaquí, Hunziker A. T. 9540 ( SI, CORD) ; Cerro Champaquí , 2800 m, 13 March 1952, Krapovickas A. 7676 ( LIL) ; Pampa de Achala , 2200 m, 3 Decembre 1926, Millán A. R. 731 ( SI) ; Sierra de Achala , 2200 m, 1–4 Decembre 1926, Parodi L. R. 7516 ( BAA) ; cumber del Champaquí , 6 April 1944, Pentzul 15202 ( SI, BAA) .

Figures

FIGURE 1. Leaf-blade cross section. a. Festuca dissitiflora (Barros A. 39, BAA). b. Festuca castilloniana (Castillón L. 2884, LIL). c. Festuca potosiana (Renvoize S. A. et al. 5294, LPB). d. Festuca circinata (Hieronymus G. H. E. W. 535, CORD). e. Festuca fiebrigii (Fiebrig K. A. G. 3118, BAA). Scale bars a, c = 100μm, b, d, e = 200 μm.

FIGURE 2. Micromorphology of abaxial and adaxial leaf blade epidermis. a–b. Festuca dissitiflora (Barros A. 39, BAA). c–d. Festuca castilloniana (Castillón L. 2884, LIL). e–f. Festuca potosiana (Renvoize S. A. et al. 5294, LPB). g–h. Festuca fiebrigii (Fiebrig K. A. G. 3118, BAA). i–j Festuca circinata (Hunziker A.T. 9042, BAA). Scale bars a = 100 μm, b = 50 μm, c = 200 μm, d = 100 μm, e = 200 μm, f = 200 μm, g = 50 μm, h = 50 μm, i = 200 μm, j = 100 μm.