Polylepis crista-galli Bitter, Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 45: 633. 1911.

Boza Espinoza, Tatiana Erika & Kessler, Michael, 2022, A monograph of the genus Polylepis (Rosaceae), PhytoKeys 203, pp. 1-274 : 1

36. Polylepis crista-galli Bitter, Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 45: 633. 1911.

Figs 95 , 96

Polylepis crista-gallii var. longiracemosa Bitter, Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 45: 634. 1911. Type. Bolivia. Tarija: Pinos, between Tarija and San Luis, 2500-2700 m, 1 Mar 1903, Fries 1296 (holotype: S!).

Type.

Bolivia. Tarija: Tucumilla , 2500 m, Fiebrig 2020 (lectotype, designated by Simpson 1979, pg. 42: G!; lectoisotypes: A!, E!, K!, M!, P) .

Description.

Trees 3-6 m tall. Leaves slightly congested at the branch tips, imparipinnate with (1-)2 pairs of leaflets, obtrullate in outline, 2.1-4.4(-6.2) × 1.8-2.8(5.8) cm; rachises densely tomentose, points of leaflet attachment with a tuft of long hairs; stipular sheaths apically truncate or slightly spurred, densely tomentose on the outer surfaces; leaflets obovate in outline, second pair from the terminal leaflet the largest, one of this pair 1.3-2.7(-3.2) × (0.4-)0.8-1.1(-1.4) cm; margin serrate with 9-13 teeth, apically obtuse or emarginate, basally unequally attenuate; upper leaflet surfaces slightly rugose, glabrous; lower leaflet surfaces with a dense layer of very short, white pannose hairs. Inflorescences pendant, (2.2-)3.4-5.0(-8.0) cm long, bearing 5-7 flowers; floral bracts 3.4-4.0 mm long, narrowly triangular, densely tomentose on the outer surface; rachises tomentose. Flowers 6.0-9.2 mm diam.; sepals 4, ovate, green, sparsely to densely tomentose outside; stamens 13-15, anthers orbicular, with a dense tuft of straight white hairs on the upper half; styles fimbriate, 1.6-2.3 mm long. Fruits turbinate, with 2-4 irregular flattened ridges with a series of spines, sparsely tomentose; 4.9-6.1 × 4.0-6.2 mm including spines. Tetraploid.

Distribution, habitat and ecology.

Polylepis crista-galli is distributed from central Bolivia to Jujuy (Argentina) (Fig. 103 ). It occurs in Boliviano-Tucumanic forests at 2200-4050 m elevation. It mostly grows as homogeneous forest and sometimes mixed with Alnus acuminata ( Kessler 1995b) or Escallonia hypoglauca ( Navarro et al. 2010). In Alto Calilegua (Jujuy), a stand of P. crista-galli has canopy cover of 35% and tree heights of 2-5 m height ( Renison et al. 2013).

Conservation status.

The EOO for Polylepis crista-galli is estimated as 46,634 km2, the AOO is assessed at 60 km2, and it is known from 14 locations. Polylepis crista-galli was categorized as VU (A1acd, B1+2c) in the World List of Threatened Trees ( Oldfield et al. 1998) and as VU (B2ab(ii,iii)) in the Red List of Threatened Flora of Bolivia ( Arrázola and Coronado 2012). Later, it was categorized as EN B2ab(iii) in the Red List of Montane Tree species of the tropical Andes ( Tejedor et al. 2014). No conservation actions have been taken to date. The area of occupation is in constant reduction, with small isolated and disconnect patches, and continuous population declines. We assess P. crista-galli as Vunerable (A1+ A2a, B1a+B2a, C2a).

Notes.

Polylepis crista-galli is similar to P. subtusalbida , but differs by having leaflets 1.3-2.7(3.2) cm long (versus 0.9-1.6 cm in P. subtusalbida ), lower leaflet surface with a dense layer of very short pannose hairs (versus glabrous to sparsely longer tomentose hairs 0.5-1.2 mm), 5-7 flowers per inflorescence (versus 3-4), 13-15 stamens per flower (versus 19-21) and styles 1.6-2.3 mm long (versus 2.8-3.4 mm). Perhaps most importantly, the fruits of P. crista-galli have larger, often red-tinted ridges, to which the species epithet refers.

Polylepis crista-galli has been suggested to have a hybridogenic origin, with a member of section Polylepis Australes as one parent and one of subsection Polylepis Besseria Besseria as the other ( Schmidt-Lebuhn et al. 2006a). This is supported by the fact that P. crista-galli is morphologically intermediate between the putative parents and is, in fact, indistinguishable from hybrids between P. besseri and P. neglecta found in Bolivia. Interestingly, the range of P. crista-galli perfectly fills the gap between the ranges of P. australis (to the south) and P. neglecta (north), suggesting that the formation of P. crista-galli might have obliterated part of a formerly continuous range of the progenitor of P. australis and P. neglecta .

Specimens examined.

Bolivia. Chuquisaca: Azurduy, Trayecto Azurduy-Río Pilcomayo, 20°12'52"S, 064°26'37"W, 3114 m, 14 October 2007, Portal 146 (HSB, MO!). Belisario Boeto, 1 km S Mendoza, 2830 m, 29 April 1987, Murguía 46 (GOET!, LPB). Nor Cinti, ca. 40 km E Culpina on road to Chillajara, 20°37'S, 064°46'W, 3000 m, 21 September 1991, Kessler 3169 (AAU!, GOET!, LPB); 3170 (GOET!, MO!); 3171 (AAU!, GOET!, LPB); 3172 (GOET!, LPB); 3174 (AAU!, GOET!); 19.1 km S of Padcaya on the road to Camargo Solomon 10646 (LPB, MO!). Sud Cinti, Cerro Cobre Khasa, between Culpina and El Palmar, 20°48'S, 064°34'W, 3100 m, 21 September 1991, Fjeldså s.n (GOET!). Tomina, Bajando de Sombreros (Cordillera Mandinga) hacia el Muncipio de Azurduy , 19°56'57"S, 064°31'24"W, 2758 m, 14 October 2007, Cervantes 175 (HSB, MO!). Yamparaez, Sucre, ca. 50 kms. hacia Tarabuco, 3270 m, 07 March 1981, Beck 6203 (MO!) . Potosí: Chayanta, Ravelo 20 kms. hacia Sucre , 3200 m, 30 September 1983, Beck 9343 (GOET!, LPB, MO!). Jose M. Linares, Serranía entre Lajas y Tambillo, 3900 m, 05 April 1993, Torrico 344; 345 (LPB); a 2 km de Lajas hacia Tambillo , Serrania de Mataca , 3930 m, 05 April 1993, Torrico 348 (LPB); Guerraloma, 2800 m, 01 May 1959, Cárdenas 5724 (US!) . Tarija: Arce, de Camacho subiendo hacia Rejera, 2600 m, 01 November 1987, Beck 14309 (GOET!, LL, LPB, MO!, TEX). Mendez, Cerca Trancas, 3000 m, 13 May 1986, Bastian 1313 (GOET!); Strasse Carichi-Mayu-Leon Cancha, Passhohe, 2800 m, 01 February 1982, Gerold 97 (GOET!, LPB); Above Tarija on road to Villazon, 21°29'S, 064°55'W, 2900 m, 17 September 1991, Kessler 3109 (AAU!); 35 km W Tarija on road to Villazón, 21°29'S, 064°55'W, 3000 m, 20 September 1991, Kessler 3165 (GOET!); 40 km W Tarija on road to Villazón, 21°29'S, 064°55'W, 3300 m, 20 September 1991, Kessler 3166 (GOET!). O’Connor, Tarija 53 kms. hacia Entre Ríos, 2360 m, 22 October 1983, Beck 9641 (AAU!, MO!); ca 5 km pass on Tarija-Villa Montes road, 21°27'S, 064°22'W, 2500 m, 18 September 1991, Kessler 3110 (AAU!, GOET!, LPB); ca 6 Km E of pass on Tarija-Entre Ríos road., 21°27'S, 064°26'W, 2300 m, 20 September 1991, Kessler 3152 (GOET!, LPB, MO!); 3154; 3155; 3156 (AAU!, GOET!, LPB); 3431; 3432 (GOET!); ca. 70 km on road from Tarija to Entre Rios, 2200 m, 20 September 1991, Kessler 3661 (MO!). Tucumilla, pr. Tarija , 2600 m, Fiebrig 2020 (A!, B, G, MO!, P!); 21°27'S, 064°26'W, 2800 m, 20 September 1991, Kessler 3153 (GOET!, LPB); Cuenca del Rio Camacho , entrando por el Rio Lanurejoy , subiendo al margen izquierdo del río, frente a la Comunidad de Camacho , 2490 m, 20 December 1987, Liberman 1514 (GOET!); entrando por el Rio Carbonejo , 2520 m, 03 February 1988, Liberman 2019 (GOET!); Rincón de la Victoria, 2000 m, 07 November 1974, Zuerpe 5126 (NY) .

Figures

Figure 95. Polylepis crista-galli Bitter A flowering branch B upper and lower leaflet surfaces C fruit D branching pattern E fruiting branch. Scale bars: 1 cm (A, E); 5 mm (B); 2 mm (C). Photographs A, D, E M. Kessler B, C T. E. Boza E.

Figure 96. Polylepis crista-galli Bitter A flowering branch B fruit C upper leaf surface D lower leaf surface E stipular sheaths (A Kessler 3174 B, C Kessler 3155 D Kessler 3661 E Kessler 3172). Scale bars: 9 cm (A); 4 mm (B); 4 cm (C, D). Photographs by T. E. Boza E.

Figure 103. Geographical distribution of the species of subsection Polylepis Besseria Besseria.