Austronea

Martínez-Azorín, Mario, Crespo, Manuel B., Alonso-Vargas, María Á., Dold, Anthony P., Crouch, Neil R., Pfosser, Martin, Mucina, Ladislav, Pinter, Michael & Wetschnig, Wolfgang, 2019, New combinations in the tribe Urgineeae (Asparagaceae subfam. Scilloideae) with comments on contrasting taxonomic treatments, Phytotaxa 397 (4), pp. 291-299 : 293

Combination in Austronea

As recently reported by Martínez-Azorín et al. (2018a), the capitate to subcorymbose inflorescences of some Urgineoideae commonly nod at early development stages, one of the key characters of Austronea . Additional features of this genus include: reddish to yellowish-green tepals, rarely white, which are usually connate at the base to form a distinct cup and patent free lobes; filaments linear to lanceolate, smooth or rarely papillate below; ovary green to yellow-orange; and seeds commonly trigonous in outline, tetrahedrally folded and narrowly winged along the angles. This genus concept is supported by our phylogenetic studies (Fig. 3 in Martínez-Azorín et al. 2018b), with the genus forming a strongly supported clade sister to Fusifilum . The latter genus differs from Austronea by an inflorescence that is erect during all developmental stages; stellate flowers with free white tepals; filaments fusiform and widened in the middle, distinctly papillate on the lower portion; ovary white or tinged with violet or purple; and seeds commonly elliptical in outline, flat and widely winged on the margins.

Austronea represents a distinct group also recognised by Manning & Goldblatt (2018) as D. sect. Capitatae Manning & Goldblatt (2018: 76). Only Drimia virens Schlechter (1897: 433) J.C.Manning & Goldblatt in Goldblatt & Manning (2000: 712) was not included in this group by Manning & Goldblatt (2018), since they placed it in D. sect. Physodia Manning & Goldblatt (2018: 92) (= Fusifilum ). Manning & Goldblatt (2007, 2018) considered Drimia virens as conspecific with D. minor ( Duthie 1928: 11) Jessop (1977: 306) . However, the latter is a true member of Fusifilum as presented in the revision of this genus by Müller-Doblies et al. (2001), and shown in the line drawing and original description of flower morphology of this species ( Duthie 1928) (see also Martínez-Azorín et al. 2018a). On the contrary, Urginea virens Schlechter (1897: 433) should be assigned to Austronea based on flower and seed morphology ( Martínez-Azorín et al. 2018a), in agreement with the discussion by Müller-Doblies et al. (2001) of the status of Fusifilum minus ( Duthie 1928: 11) Speta (1998b: 69) . They argued that both Urginea pygmaea Duthie (1928: 10) and U. minor Duthie (1928: 11) are good “ Urginea ” ( Austronea sensu Martínez-Azorín et al. 2018a ) species, and should not be included in Fusifilum .

The newly described Drimia ciliolata J.C.Manning & J.M.J.Deacon in Manning & Goldblatt (2018: 89) belongs to Austronea based on the single hysteranthous, ciliate leaf; the inflorescence corymbose-capitate, nodding in bud; the pale-brown flowers with tepals fused at the base to form a cup; filaments glabrous; and the yellow-green ovary.

Accordingly, here we present the necessary combination:

Austronea ciliolata (J.C.Manning & J.M.J.Deacon) Mart. -Azorín, M.B.Crespo, M. Pinter & Wetschnig comb. nov. ≡ Drimia ciliotata J.C.Manning & J.M.J.Deacon in Manning & Goldblatt (2018: 89), basionym. Type: ― SOUTH AFRICA: Western Cape, Montagu (3320): Anysberg, (–DA), quartz patches S of Anysberg , 20 August 2016 [leafing bulb; orig. coll. 11 Oct. 2015], J. Deacon 4411 (holotype, NBG).