Neomonolepis spathulata (A.Gray) Sukhor., 2018

Sukhorukov, Alexander P., Nilova, Maya V., Krinitsina, Anastasiya A., Maxim A. Zaika,, Erst, Andrey S. & Shepherd, Kelly A., 2018, Molecular phylogenetic data and seed coat anatomy resolve the generic position of some critical Chenopodioideae (Chenopodiaceae - Amaranthaceae) with reduced perianth segments, PhytoKeys 109, pp. 103-128 : 103

Neomonolepis spathulata (A.Gray) Sukhor. comb. nov.

≡ Monolepis spathulata A.Gray, Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 7: 389 (1868). Lectotype (Sukhorukov, designated here): [USA, California, Sierra Nevada], Mono Pass, 1866, H.N. Bolander 6373 lower right-hand specimen (GH00037208 [image]!, isolectotypes MO-216255 [image]! NY01085540 [image]! US00921387 [image]! YU064591 [image]!).

≡ Blitum spathulatum (A.Gray) S.Fuentes, Uotila et Borsch, Willdenowia 42(1): 17 (2012).

Morphological notes.

As Neomonolepis is a monotypic genus, the description of N. spathulata corresponds to the generic description above. Neomonolepis spathulata is morphologically distant from all Dysphanieae ( Teloxys , Suckleya A.Gray, Dysphania R.Br. and Cycloloma Moq.) in being glabrous in all parts (vs. glandular and/or simple hairs), having unisexual flowers (vs. bisexual or polygamous) and ‘stalactite’ seed-coat testa (vs. ‘non-stalactite’). For this reason, we prefer to refer to the clade with the above-mentioned genera as the ' Dysphanieae + Neomonolepis ' clade.

Typification.

The type specimen lodged at GH contains several plants collected from different areas in California and almost all of them were collected after the description of Monolepis spathulata ( Gray 1868). The lectotype selected here (lower right-hand specimen on the GH00037208 sheet) is a part of original material cited in the protologue as "Sierra Nevada, at Mono Pass, in loose soil, Bolander" ( Gray 1868) and it is chosen in accordance with Art. 9 of ICN ( Turland et al. 2018). The description of the species is consistent with the image of the lectotype. Gray (1868) also noted that the seeds of Monolepis spathulata are notably smaller than those of M. chenopodioides [= Blitum nuttallianum ]. The small seed dimensions of Neomonolepis spathulata (0.4 × 0.3 mm) are similar to those observed in many Australian Dysphania ( Wilson 1984 sub Chenopodium ; Sukhorukov 2014).

Distribution.

South-western North America (USA, North Mexico).

Etymology.

The new generic name is composed by the prefix “neo” (new) and the core name Monolepis .