Urtica sykesii Grosse-Veldmann & Weigend, 2016

Grosse-Veldmann, Bernadette & Weigend, Maximilian, 2016, Weeding the nettles IV: A redefinition of Urtica incisa and allies in New Zealand and Australia, including the segregation of two new species Urtica sykesii and U. perconfusa, Phytotaxa 245 (4), pp. 251-261 : 255-257

2. Urtica sykesii Grosse-Veldmann & Weigend , spec. nov. Fig. 1

Type:— NEW ZEALAND. Otago (South Island): Waipori Falls, approx. 25 km south of Dunedin, Nothofagus menziesii forest, original collection by Th. Franke, Mar. 2005, cultivated in Berlin May 2006, M. Weigend 8212 (holotype: CHR!, isotypes: B!, BONN!, E 00267313!).

Erect, perennial, rhizomatous herb (0.15–)0.25–0.30(–0.60) m with elongating rhizomes, aerial stems usually unbranched. Stem indumentum of very few stinging hairs with pluricellular base c. 0.2–0.3(–0.5) mm overall and erect setae (1.3–) 1.8–2.2 mm long and very few simple trichomes 0.2–0.3 mm long. Leaf lamina 20–60 × 20–50 mm triangular to triangular-ovate; surface very sparsely pubescent with short simple trichomes 0.2–0.3(–0.5) mm long and very few stinging hairs (abaxially only on the veins), adaxially with punctiform cystoliths; leaf base truncate to subcordate; margins regularly dentate with 9–10(–12) teeth on each side; leaf apex acute to acuminate; lamina light greenish; stipules free (4 per node) 2–4(–10) mm long; petioles 30–45(–70) mm long. Plants monoecious; lowest inflorescences pure male, upper ones pure female. Staminate flowers with tepals c. 1.2–1.8 mm long. Pistillate flowers with short tepals 0.5–0.7 mm long and long tepals 0.9–1.1 mm long, sparsely pubescent, esetulose. Inflorescence 10–20 mm. Mature fruit with longer tepals 1.3–1.5 mm long, achenes subcircular in outline, rounded at base and at the tip, laterally flattened, c. 1.2–1.5 × 0.8–1 mm.

Additional specimens examined:— AUSTRALIA. Victoria: Casterton , 16 Mar. 1908, F. M. Reader s.n. (P 06456150!) ; — NEW ZEALAND. Without locality data, W. Colenso 3 (P 06456153!) ; Southern Alps mountain range ( South Island ), Dec. 1873, Julius von Haast 224 (FI!) ; Auckland (North Island): Hunua, Auckland , 1850–1860, A. Sinclair s.n. ( NSW 810012 ) ; without locality data, 1850–1860, A. Sinclair s.n. ( NSW 810013 ) ; Canterbury (South Island): Canterbury Land Distr., Banks Peninsula , track to Mt. Sinclair near Whatarangi Scenic Reserve , S 43° 43’, E 172° 52.2’, 26 Jan. 1997, C. J. Webb & L. F. Delph 97/3 ( CHR 511586 !) ; same locality, Banks Peninsula, upper Kaituna Valley , 24 Nov. 1991, W. R. Sykes 416/91 ( CHR 474045 !) ; same locality, Organ Range, Organ Stream tributary, Island Hills Station , S 42° 40’, E 172° 33’, 560 m, 13 Mar. 1991, B. H. Macmillan 91/53 ( CHR 472639 !). Greater Wellington ( North Island ): Karori, Wellington, 3 Mar. 1948 T.W. Rawson 62012 ( NSW) ; Wellington , Dec. 1908, c. 130 m, H. H. Travers s.n. (M!, PR!) ; same locality, wet places—sea level, Mar. 1909, H. H. Travers s.n. (P 06456146!) ; Pakuratahi forest , 1875, M. Filhol s.n. (P 06456144!) ; Pakuratahi , without date, T. Kirk s.n. ( NSW 810016 ) ; Marlborough (South Island): Marlborough Land Distr., Lake Rotorua , Kaikura Lakes near Peketa , 30 m, 10–20 km from lake shore, 01 Oct. 1997, C. Jones CJ01:4C ( CHR 525300 !) ; Waikato (North Island): Hamilton Ecological Distr., Hamilton City , Hammond Bush , S 37° 48’, E 175° 19’, 20 Sept. 1992, P. J. De Lange 1631 ( CHR 480432 !) ; Rangitoto Ecological Distr., Rangitoto Station, Rangitoto Range , 20 Nov. 1972, R. O. Gardner 300 ( NSW) ; Waitomo Distr., Waitomo Caves , Nov. 1956, E. J. McBarron 6618 ( NSW) ; West Coast ( South Island ): NE of Karamea Finian Trail, 15 Feb. 1983, M. M. J. van Balgooy 4481 ( NSW) .

Notes:— Urtica sykesii Grosse-Veldmann & Weigend corresponds to Urtica incisa sensu Cheeseman (1906) . That Urtica sykesii came to be confused with U. incisa is very surprising since, by the standards of Urtica , it is very distinct (see above and Tab. 1 for comparison). Urtica sykesii diverges from U. incisa in the much smaller growth with the aerial shoots reaching rarely more than 40 cm, densely and shortly rhizomatous stems forming dense, low stands; or the basal inflorescences are always male and the upper one always female; and the leaves are distinctly triangular to triangular-ovate with a subcordate base. In contrast, U. incisa is a robust plant, typically 60–120 cm tall, individual plants are usually unisexual, and the leaves are larger and usually much narrower. Virtually all illustrations of U. incisa from New Zealand show Urtica sykesii .

Distribution:— Urtica sykesii Grosse-Veldmann & Weigend is known from both the North and South Islands of New Zealand and from Victoria ( Australia) and is probably more widespread in eastern Australia.

Habitat and ecology:— Urtica sykesii Grosse-Veldmann & Weigend is found at forest margins growing in rich, moist soil between rocks e.g. on streamsides, near swamps, on lakeshores and waterfalls at 0– 560 m.

Phenology:— Urtica sykesii Grosse-Veldmann & Weigend flowers throughout the year.

Etymology:— Urtica sykesii Grosse-Veldmann & Weigend is named after the eminent New Zealand botanist William Russell Sykes (* 1927 in Christchurch).

Conservation status:— According to the New Zealand Threat Classification System ( de Lange et al. 2013), Urtica sykesii (referred to as U. incisa ) is considered “Not Threatened”. (factsheet NZPCN_Species_2282.pdf downloaded from www.nzpcn.org.nz on 30 Nov. 2015).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Urtica sykesii (M. Weigend 8212), photographic plate. A, Habit with first flowering node male and higher nodes female; B, Node with stipules; C, Leaf series from basal to apical, abaxial; D, Female inflorescence; E, Male inflorescence; F, Achene; G, Petioles with stipules and stinging hairs; H, Elongating rhizome. Scale bar: A, 0.5 mm, B–H, 10 mm. Photos: H. J. Ensikat, N. M. Nürk, M. Weigend.