4. Adesmia gilliesii Hook. & Arn., Bot. Misc. 3: 188 (1830).

Type:—ARGNETINA. Mendoza: mountains near Mendoza, s/d, {fl./fr.}, Gillies, J. s.n. (holotype: K barcode K000327970!).

≡ Patagonium gilliesii (Hook. & Arn.) Kuntze, Revis. Gen. Pl. 1: 200 (1891).

≡ Adesmia muricata var. gilliesii (Hook. & Arn.) Burkart, Darwiniana 10(4): 481–483 (1954).

Ascendant subshrubs, adventitious roots from stem branch nodes absent. Stem pilose to pubescent, white tector hairs intermixed with ochraceous glandular setules on all plant parts except for stipules, leaflets, and bracts, which only present white tector hairs. Stipules 1–2× 0.5–2 mm, triangular to narrowlY-triangular, pubescent. Leaves with 4–6(–7) pairs of leaflets; petiole 0.2–1 cm long, rachis 0.5–3 cm long, pubescent; leaflets 2–8× 1–3 mm, oblong to oboVate, apex lobed, base acute, multilobed with one glandular setule at the tip of each lobe, pubescent on both surfaces. Raceme terminal, 5–30 cm long, pilose to pubescent; bracts 1–2 mm long, deltate to lanceolate, pubescent; pedicel straight or reflexed after anthesis, 3–10 mm long, pilose to pubescent. Flowers 7–10 mm long; calyx 4–5 mm long, externally pubescent, internally hirsute with white tector hairs on the lobes, lobes 1–2 mm long, narrowly-triangular to triangular; standard petal reflexed, 8.5–10× 5.5–8 mm, orbicular to flabelliform, apex emarginate to cuspidate; claw 3.5–5× 0.5–1.5 mm, internallY pubescent basallY; wing petals 7.5–8.5× 2–3 mm, oboVate, claw 3–4 mm long; keel petals 7–8× 2.5–3.5 mm, falcate, claw 2.5–4 mm long; stamens 7–9 mm long, anthers elliptical; gYnoecium 9–10 mm long, ovary 4.5–5.5 mm long, pubescent, 9–11-ovulate. Hemicraspedium 10–25.5 mm long, straight or curved, light-brownish, pilose to pubescent, basally black stiff setules at the centre of each article, fruit with (6–)9–11(–12) articles, these 1.5–2.5× 2–3 mm, orbicular. Seeds brownish, speckled, 1–1.8× 1–1.8 mm, orbicular to reniform, without an aril. (Figures 8 B–E and 9).

Distribution and Habitat— Endemic to Argentina, Adesmia gilliesii has populations in the Provinces of Cordoba, Mendoza, and La Pampa (Fig. 10). The species occurs in open grasslands on sandy and rocky soils.

Phenology— Adesmia gilliesii flowers and fruits in November and December.

Conservation status— Least Concern (LC). The species appears in three Argentinian provinces, with an EOO of 148.865, 743 km ². Even though the species has a low AOO of 28 km ², we believe that this is probably due to low sampling.

Etymology— The epithet honors John Gillies, a Scottish botanist who collected specimens of Adesmia in Patagonia during the XIX century.

Notes— Adesmia gilliesii was considered a variety of A. muricata (Jacq.) DC. by Burkart (1954), but is here reinstated at species level and distinguished from both A. muricata and A. pimpinellifolia (previously recognized as A. muricata var. dentata). The species is well delimited by the multilobed and asymmetrical leaflets (Figs. 8 and 9), by a standard petal claw 4–5 mm long, this internally pubescent basally, and by the reflexed pedicels after anthesis (Fig. 8) (vs. leaflets with dentate to lobate margins, standard petal claw 1–2 mm long, this internally pubescent on the median region in A. pimpinellifolia, and leaflets with entire margins, standard claw 1.5–2.5 mm long and internally pubescent throughout its length, and pedicels erect after anthesis in A. muricata).

Hooker and Arnott (1833) designated the specimens collected by J. Gillies at “mountains near Mendoza ” as the type collection of the species. We found one specimen at K (K000327970) that matches the original description. Therefore, following article 9.1 of the Nomenclatural Code (Turland et al. 2018) we consider this specimen as the holotype of Adesmia gilliesii .

Additional Specimens Examined — ARGENTINA. CORDOBA: Tercero Arriba, Pastizal a la entrada W de la ciudad de Río Tercero, por Ruta provincial 6, 02 December 1995, Fortunato, R. H. & Micheli, R. 519 3 (MBM 250855). LA PAMPA: La Asturiana, 29 November 1959, Bacigalupo, N. M. 20537 (K). MENDOZA: Utracán, Ruta provincial 20, km 9, a 10 km W de Chacharramendi, 21 December 1991, Seijo, J. G. 2152 (UEC 170497) .