Schizanthus porrigens subsp. borealis V.Morales & Munoz-Schick, 2020

Morales-Fierro, Vanezza, Munoz-Schick, Melica & Moreira-Munoz, Andres, 2020, Synopsis of Schizanthus Ruiz & Pav. (Solanaceae), a genus endemic to the southern Andes, PhytoKeys 154, pp. 57-102 : 57

13b. Schizanthus porrigens subsp. borealis V.Morales & Munoz-Schick subsp. nov. Fig. 6F-I

Diagnosis.

Differs from subsp. porrigens in its uniform corolla colour, with or without one faint dark spot in the upper part of each lateral lobe (in the separation of the lateral and middle lobe). These spots do not reach the margin of the lobes. A white halo always surrounding the yellow area of the upper middle lobe.

Type.

Chile. Coquimbo: norte La Serena-Cuesta Porotitos, N El Arrayán, 29°40'10.5"S, 71°18'17.6"W, 184 m alt., 7 Dec 2008, M. Muñoz 5023 (holotype: SGO! [acc. #157830]).

Description.

Annual plant, glandular-pilose, with one or several stems arising from the same root, up to 50 cm tall. Leaves bipinnatifid, the blade 5.5-7.5(9) cm long, 1.5-2(2.5) cm wide; segments irregularly divided (opposite or alternate), diagonal or perpendicular to the midrib. Inflorescence 9-24 cm long, with basal peduncles up to 10-25 mm long and apical peduncles 4-7 mm long. Calyx hirsute-glandular, the divisions linear-spathulate of 4-6 mm long, 1-1.5 mm wide. Corolla with the tube shorter than the calyx, up to 3 mm long; limb bluish to lilac, 22-28 mm long, 15-20 mm wide; upper middle lobe 12-16 mm long, 5-6 mm wide, oblanceolate, the apex obtuse or sometimes a little retuse, little dotted with dark spots over the yellow area and surrounded by a white halo; upper lateral lobes without spots or sometimes with a small spot in each side (in the separation of the lateral and middle lobes), these spots not reaching the upper margin of each lobe; lower middle lobe 7-9 mm long, 4-6 mm wide; lateral lobes 10-13 mm long, 2-3.5 mm wide, linear-spathulate, longer than the middle lobe. Stamens reaching half of the length of the lower middle lobe. Capsule as long as the calyx, glabrous.

Taxonomic notes.

Grau and Gronbach (1984) considered this new taxon as part of the variability of S. porrigens . This can be seen in their drawings ( Grau and Gronbach 1984: Abb. 22, 23), based on specimens collected between Playa Temblador and Cruz Grande, in the Coquimbo region.

We have named this taxon as subsp. borealis , meaning its populations have a more northern distribution than the typical subspecies.

Key characters.

Schizanthus porrigens subsp. borealis has a bluish or lilac uniform corolla colour, without or with one faint dark spot in the upper part of each lateral lobe (in the separation of the lateral and middle lobe). These spots do not reach the margin of the lobes.

Distribution.

Endemic to Chile, in the coast of the Region of Coquimbo (Province of Elqui, 29°25'-29°50' lat. S). 170-600 m a.s.l.

Habitat.

Inhabits shady hillsides and ravines, rocky outcrops with large boulders. It can be found among dense vegetation dominated by Heliotropium stenophyllum Hook. & Arn. ( Heliotropiaceae ), Senna cumingii var. coquimbensis (Vogel) H.S.Irwin & Barneby ( Fabaceae ), Ophryosporus triangularis Meyen ( Asteraceae ) and Lobelia polyphylla Hook. & Arn. ( Campanulaceae ). Also present in grazed areas with a dominance of shrubby species of Asteraceae .

Conservation.

Chile. Coquimbo: Santa Gracia Private Natural Reserve (N. Mercado, https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/8988561).

Specimens examined.

Chile. Coquimbo: [Elqui Province] Road between La Serena and Vallenar, 4 Oct 1971, K. Beckett, M. Cheese & J. Watson 4060 (SGO); About 45 km N of La Serena along coast and ca. 10 km NW of the Panamerican (hwy 5) on road to Totoralillo, 21 Sep 1991, L.R. Landrum & S.S. Landrum 7514 (ASU, CONC); Env. 30 km au N de La Serena, montée vers mine El Tofo, 29°35'S, 71°15'W, 500 m a.s.l., 23 Oct 1991, F. Billiet & B. Jadin 5320 (US); La Serena, 4,6 kms from Chungungo en route to El Temblador, 29°28'18.6"S, 71°17'19.8"W, 171 m a.s.l., 30 Nov 2004, P. Baxter, M.F. Gardner, P. Hechenleitner, P.I. Thomas & E. Zamorano 1765 (E, SGO); Primera curva de bajada Cuesta Buenos Aires, 29°33'20.2"S, 71°14'53.6"W, 566 m a.s.l., 8 Oct 2008, M. Muñoz 5053 (SGO); Cuesta de Buenos Aires, cerca del portezuelo, 550 m a.s.l., 20 Oct 1971, C. Marticorena, R. Rodríguez & E. Weldt 1586 (CONC, F); Al pié de la Cuesta de Buenos Aires, 18 Sep 1958, E. Bailey s.n. (CONC, SGO); Cuesta Buenos Aires, 29°34'S, 71°14'W, 500 m a.s.l., 31 Oct 1991, R. Rodríguez 2786 (CONC); Subida S Cuesta Buenos Aires, 29°34'S, 71°20'W, 27 Oct 1991, M. Muñoz, S. Teillier, I. Meza 2639 (SGO); Cuesta Buenos Aires a Playa Temblador, primeros kilómetros, 28 Sep 1997, M. Muñoz 3808 (SGO); Quebrada Honda, 41 km N La Serena, 1km del mar, 40 m a.s.l., 26 Sep 1948, R. Wagenknecht 323 (CONC); Quebrada Honda, falda occidental del Cerro Juan Soldado, 200-300 m a.s.l., 4 Nov 1949, W. Biese 3021 (SGO); Panamericana Norte, entre La Serena y Caleta Hornos, antes Puente Juan Soldado, 3 Oct 1991, C. von Bohlen 1199 (SGO); C. von Bohlen 1191 (SGO); Km 495 al norte Cuesta Porotitos, 11 Oct 1992, M. Muñoz 3029 (SGO).

Figures

Figure 6. A distribution of Schizanthus porrigens B illustration of S. porrigens published with the description of the species (Hooker 1824) C examples of S. porrigens in Putaendo D Cerro La Huinca (Limache) E Los Molles (Valparaiso Region) F distribution of Schizanthus porrigens subsp. borealis G-I examples of S. porrigens subsp. borealis in Cuesta Buenos Aires (north of La Serena). Photos by A. Cadiz (C), A. Moreira-Munoz (D, E, G-I).