Salvia selleana Urban (1915: 476)

Zona, Scott, Finch, Kristen, Clase, Teodoro & Jestrow, Brett, 2016, A synopsis of Salvia sect. Gardoquiiflorae (Lamiaceae), with a note on the origins of Caribbean Salvia species, Phytotaxa 255 (3), pp. 214-226 : 223

Salvia selleana Urban (1915: 476)

Type (lectotype, designated here):— HAITI. Dept. de l’Ouest : Morne la Selle, in open forest, W. Buch 1145. (NY barcode 00000249!; syntype B [destroyed]) .

Shrub 1.0 m tall, branches densely white tomentose; leaves ovate to elliptical, with a finely serrate margin along distal half, base acute to cuneate, apex acute to acuminate, petiole 0.2–1.0 cm long, blade 3.3–5.9 cm long by 1.0– 3.2 cm wide, abaxial surface obscured by dense white pubescence and golden glandular trichomes, adaxial surface sparsely pubescent, not obscuring the lamina; inflorescence of dense to sparse terminal racemes, flowers and bracts obscuring the inflorescence axis or widely spaced and not obscuring the axis, verticillasters comprising 18–24 flowers, subtending bracts rapidly caducous, lanceolate with a caudate apex, 1.9–7.0 mm long and 0.4–4.0 mm wide, pale green; pedicel 0.7–2.0 (–8.0) mm long; calyx 3.0– 6.8 mm long and 1.6–2.9 mm wide, lobes 0.9–2.1 mm long, pink to violet; corolla 4.5–8.9 mm long, upper lip 1.0– 1.7 mm long, lower lip 2.3–3.0 mm long, bluish purple to violet, with a palate and central groove at the apex of the tube; filament 0.3–1.0 mm long; connective 2.0–4.0 mm long, the posterior arm of the connective concave paddle-shaped (concave side facing the central axis of the flower), lacking lobes or teeth but bearing very fine bristles along the upper margin, 2.2 mm long; anthers 0.7–1.0 mm long by 0.3–0.5 mm wide; style 3.2–4.8 mm long; stigmatic lobes violet, upper lobe straight, 0.3 mm long, lower lobe recurved, 0.6 mm long; mericarps 1.3–1.8 mm long by 0.8–1.1 mm wide.

Distribution and habitat:—This species is found two of the major mountain ranges in southern Hispaniola, the Sierra de Neiba (DR) and the Sierra de Baoruco (DR)/Massif de la Selle ( Haiti) (fig. 1). It occurs at 1400–2100 m of elevation, in the transition zone from montane, wet forest to pine ( Pinus occidentalis ) forest, usually in open or disturbed areas, over limestone.

Etymology:—The epithet is taken from the type locality, Morne la Selle or Pic la Selle, which is the highest peak in Haiti at 2680 m.

Taxonomic remarks:—Density of flowers on the inflorescence seems highly variable and dependent on environmental or cultural conditions. Spikes may be dense or sparse, as illustrated in figs. 3 and 4. Figure 4 shows a plant cultivated in Florida, which was grown from cuttings taken from the wild plant ( Jestrow et al. 2012 -270) illustrated in fig. 3. The floral nectar volume and composition are suggestive of bee pollination (Zona, unpublished), as is the short corolla tube with a palate and central groove that probably guides pollinators’ mouthparts into the tube (fig. 5). In contrast, the other species in the section have longer tubes and are likely to be pollinated by hummingbirds; although they were not assigned to any pollination syndrome by Wester & Classen-Bockhoff (2011).

Additional specimens examined:— DOMINICAN REPUBLIC. Independencia, Sierra Baoruco, ca. 30 km south of Puerto Escondido on road to Aceitillar , 18°14’N 71°30’W, 17 March 1985, T. Zanoni et al. 33649 ( JBSD!, NY!) ; ca. 25 km south of Puerto Escondido on road to Aceitillar , former site of a sawmill, 18°13’N 71°28’W, 24 January 1987, T. Zanoni et al. 37863 (JBSD!) ; old ranch, 1 km south of Cabin No. 2 on road to Cabin No. 1 and Puerto Escondido , 18°13’N 71°31’W, T. Zanoni et al. 37895 ( JBSD!, NY!) ; south of Parque Nacional , 18.20308°N 71.51991°W, 20 July 2012, B. Jestrow et al. 2012 -270 (FTG!) ; Pueblo Viejo, above Puerto Escondido , 19 February 1969, A.H. Liogier 14050 (GH!, NY!, US). Pedernales: Sierra Baoruco, 3.5 km after the crossing to Puerto Escondido, 18°09’N 71°39’W, 13 April 1999, A. Veloz et al. 1625 (JBSD!) ; Sierra Baoruco , El Aceitillar, 18°09’23”N 71°34’09”W, 14 June 2003, P. Acevedo-Rodriguez et al. 12956 ( JBSD!, US) ; El Aceitillar , 30 March 1961, J.J. Jiménex & E. Marcana 4486 (NY!) ; Los Guiritos, west of El Aceitillar , 9 February 1969, A.H. Liogier 13732 ( NY!, US) ; Alto de Toro, 4–5 January 1972, A.H. Liogier 18373 ( GH!, NY!), Sierra Baoruco, toward La Internacional , 18°16’38.221”N 71°43’06.615”W, 3 April 2003, T. Clase et al. 3522 (JDSD!) ; Parque Nacional Sierra de Baoruco, Loma La Manigua , 8 December 1983, S. Peláez et al. 2074 ( JBSD!, NY!) ; Sierra de Baoruco , 8 November 1979, G.L. Smith 10087 ( JBSD!, NY!) ; road to Las Mercedes and Aceitillar, ca. 35 km north of Cabo Rojo , 30 November 1995, B. Torke & B. Santana 73 (JBSD!, NY!, US) ; ca. 35 km north of Cabo Rojo , 18°08’N 71°35.5’W, 17 February 1982, T. Zanoni et al. 19123 ( JBSD!, NY!) ; ca. 40 km north of Cabo Rojo, July 1981, L. Fisher-Meerow 639 (FLAS!). San Juan: Mpio. El Cercado , Section Pinar Grande , from La Navaja to the Parks guardhouse, 18°44.7’N 71°32.4’W, 3 November 2004, T. Clase et al. 3894 (JBSD!). HAITI. Dept. de l’Ouest : Massif de la Selle, on Morne Cabaio road, headwaters of the Chota River , 24 August 1924, E. Ekman H1614 ( K!, US) ; Massif de la Selle, Morne de la Selle , 1 February 1925, E. Ekman H3155 ( K!, NY!) ; Camp Franc , 26 January 1925, E. Ekman H3077 (GH!) ; west of Pic la Selle , 22 May 1984, W.S. Judd & D. Cordier 4899 (FLAS!) ; Parc National Morne la Visite, Galette Sèche, S of Belle Fontaine, near Roche Cabrit , 20 May 1984, W.S. Judd & J.D. Skean 4861 (FLAS, GH, JBSD) ; Morne la Selle , 26 October 1943, L.R. Holdridge 1803 (GH!, NY!, US). CULTIVATED: USA. Florida, Miami, Florida International University, Biology Dept. greenhouse [propagated from cuttings taken from a population vouchered by Jestrow et. al. 2012-270], 28 December 2013, S. Zona 1409 (FTG!) .

Figures

FIGURE 4. Salvia selleana. Close-up of a single raceme, cultivated, Miami, Florida, USA. This plant was propagated clonally from the plant shown in Fig. 3. Photo by S. Zona.