Pauridia gracilipes subsp. speciosa, 2014

Snijman, Deirdre A., 2014, A taxonomic revision of the genus Pauridia (Hypoxidaceae) in southern Africa, Phytotaxa 182 (1), pp. 1-114 : 78-80

b. subsp. speciosa Snijman , subsp. nov. Figs. 3F & 34

New subspecies resembling subsp. gracilipes but differing by the habit of somewhat stiff leaves, flowers deep to pale orange and large, tepals (10.5–) 14–25 mm long, outer tepals 4–7 mm wide, and seeds with testa covered by closely arranged, longitudinal rows of hump-like projections.

Type: — SOUTH AFICA. Northern Cape: Kamiesberg, Farm Karas (Welkom) 30°26’26.6”S, 18°08’18.5”E, 6 September 2006, Snijman 2071 (holotype, NBG!; isotype, PRE!) .

Plants (7.5–) 11–30 cm tall. Leaves 3–6, sheathing proximally up to ca. 25 mm, often clasping in lower ⅓, suberect to arched distally, linear, 65–220 × (2–) 5–9 mm, tapering evenly upwards, canaliculate for ca. ⅔ of length, ca. carinate distally, midrib obtuse abaxially, often dark green, sometimes flushed beetroot-red proximally, firmtextured, margin entire, occasionally reddish. Flower pale to deep orange, backed with reddish brown in outer whorl, restricted to median band in inner whorl; pedicel suberect, remaining so in fruit, subterete, 70–150 × 1–2 mm; tepals oblong-lanceolate, (10.5–) 14–25 mm long, outer 4–7 mm wide, inner 3–5 mm wide. Stamens slightly spreading, subequal, orange; filaments 1.0– 2.5 mm long, much shorter than anthers; anthers (5.5–)7.0–10.5 × 1.0– 1.5 mm; pollen yellow. Ovary broadly obconical, 4–10 × 3–5 mm, style 2–3 mm long, tapering upwards; stigma branches erect to spreading, (2.5–)3.5–4.5 × 0.7–1.5 mm, shorter than stamens, orange, sometimes with basal lobes ca. 1 mm long. Capsule obconical, up to 10 × 8 mm. Seeds depressed ellipsoid, ca. 0.65 × 0.55 mm; testa brownish, of ca. 20, closely arranged, longitudinal rows of hump-like projections. Flowering period: September–early November.

Distribution and habitat:— Pauridia gracilipes subsp. speciosa is endemic to the Kamiesberg, Namaqualand, where it is found at high elevations of 1100 to 1300 meters ( Fig. 33B ). Populations are localized in shallow loamy soil in seepage areas near the base of massive granite domes and in deeper soils along the banks of upland seasonal streams which flow from high peaks in the southwest. Lacking large shrubs, these small wetlands and seepage areas are rich in geophytes, especially in the family Iridaceae , many of which are endemic to the area.

Diagnostic features:— subsp. speciosa has a firm, somewhat fleshy habit in which the leaves partially clasp each other and the scape for about a third of their length. Although the orange colour of the flowers varies in intensity from deep, pure orange to yellowish orange, the flowers are distinguished by concolorous tepals, stamens and style ( Fig. 3F ), a combination which is unique in the genus. In addition, the outer tepals are usually richly flushed dorsally with reddish brown, making this one of the most attractive taxa within Pauridia . Subtle differences between the subspecies are also found in the seeds. These have hump-like projections arranged in close, longitudinal rows on the testa in subsp. speciosa , unlike the widely spaced rows in the seeds of subsp. gracilipes .

Several early collections of this Kamiesberg endemic have erroneously been named Spiloxene linearis (Andrews) Garside (now P. linearis ), a pale orange-flowered species from the Atlantic Coast, in the vicinity of of Paternoster and Langebaan, Western Cape. Although solitary flowered, it has two filifom bracts per inflorescence, the tepals are green dorsally and the ovary is apparently fully trilocular. The ensuing confusion over the identity of the Kamiesberg plant probably accounts for the taxon not having been described until now, despite the first collection dating back to 1830 when it was recorded by Drège.

Additional specimens examined (paratypes):— SOUTH AFRICA. Northern Cape: Khamiesberg, Khamsoap [soub] Ravine (QDS: 3017 BB), 15 September 1911, Pearson 6535 ( BOL!) ; NW slopes of Ezelkop (QDS: 3017 BD), 7 September 1966, Lorenzo s.n. ( NBG!) ; bei Leliefontein moistens den Höhen am Fuss des Ezelskop (QDS: 3018 AC), November 1830, Drège 2657 ( TCD!) ; Welkom , SE of Kamiesberg (QDS: 3018 AC), 14 September 1970, Oliver 3170 ( PRE!) ; Kamiesberg, at base of granite dome, Farm Karas, Kamiesberg (QDS: 3018 AC), 29 August 2002, Paterson-Jones & Hopper 879 ( NBG!) ; Namaqualand, Lilyfontein (QDS: 3018 AC), 1 October 1947, Rodin 1453 ( NBG!) ; Farm Damsland, base of Rooiberg, Kamiesberg Mtns (QDS: 3018 AC), 11 September 2007, Snijman 2131 ( NBG!) ; Farm Damsland , Nof ruined homestead (QDS: 3018 AC), 29 October 2007, Snijman 2187 ( NBG!, PRE!) .

Figures

FIGURE 3. Flower diversity in Pauridia. A, P. trifurcillata; B, P. umbraticola; C, P. pusilla; D, P. longituba; E, P. linearis; F, P. gracilipes subsp. speciosa; G, P. curculigoides; H, P. monophylla; I, P.capensis; J, P. canaliculata; K, P. alticola. Photographs by J.C. Paterson-Jones.

FIGURE 33. Distribution maps for A, Pauridia ovata from Western Cape; B, P. gracilipes subsp. gracilipes (dots) from Northern and Western Cape; P.gracilipes subsp. speciosa (triangles) from Northern Cape, South Africa.

FIGURE 34. Pauridia gracilipes subsp. speciosa. A, whole plant; B, leaf in transverse section; C, two outer stamens in dorsal and ventral views on left and right respectively; D, two inner stamens in dorsal and lateral views on left and right respectively; E, style and stigma branches; F, ovary in transverse section; G, capsule; H, seed. Scale bar A = 20 mm; B, F = 3 mm; C–E = 2 mm; G = 7 mm; H = 0.4 mm. Drawn by Nicci Page-Cairns from Snijman 2071 (NBG!).