Cypella hauthalii subsp. minuticristata Chauveau & L.Eggers, 2014

Chauveau, Olivier, Pastori, Tamara, Souza-Chies, Tatiana T. & Eggers, Lilian, 2014, Overlooked diversity in Brazilian Cypella (Iridaceae, Iridoideae): four new taxa from the Río de la Plata grasslands, Phytotaxa 174 (1), pp. 25-42 : 33-36

Cypella hauthalii subsp. minuticristata Chauveau & L.Eggers , subsp. nov. ( Figs. 6 and 7 )

Cypella hauthalii subsp. minuticristata reminds C. hauthalii subsp. opalina and C. hauthalii subsp. hauthalii in gross morphology, but differs from both subspecies by the much shorter or even obsolete adaxial and abaxial crests and narrower inner tepals.

Type: — BRAZIL. Rio Grande do Sul: Soledade , propriedade particular do Sr. Waldemar Freitag, 534 m, 2 November 2013 (fl, fr), L . Eggers et al. 833 (holotype, ICN!; isotypes, MBM!, P!, SI!)

Perennial herb, up to (10–)11.4–20.6(–22.5) cm high above the soil, underground stem up to (2.9–)4.5–7.3(–9) cm long. Bulb subglobose to ovoid, outer cataphylls dark brown, (17–)19.3–24.1(–28.2) × (10.7–)13.5–20.2(–25) mm, prolonged in a short collar. Basal leaves green at anthesis (0–)1–4(–7), blades linear-attenuate, plicate, (13.9–)15.2–19.7(–22.5) × (0.3–) 0.45–0.65 cm. Flowering stem cylindrical, (4.3–)5.5–12.3(–15) cm long, proximally foliate (one reduced cauline leaf), then bracteose; first internode (obsolete–)0.2–3.5(–4) cm long; cauline leaf (6.1–)8.5–12.5(–15.1) × (0.25–)0.35– 0.6(–0.8) cm. Synflorescence cymosely branched, branches 2–3, each subtending 2–4 pedunculate inflorescences arising from the same point, peduncles 2.2–5.5(–6.5) cm long. Inflorescence two-flowered (rhipidium like); spathes herbaceous, bivalved, lower valve subventricose (2.3–)2.5–3.7(–3.9) cm long, the upper (3.6–)3.8–5.4(–5.6) cm long, both with membranous edges. Pedicel filiform, generally shorter than the upper valve with the ovary usually partly exserted, the top of the ovary 1.7–4.4 mm above the top of the upper valve, but sometimes up to 2 mm below. Flowers predominantly white, subtly tinged with blue, 35–45(–50) mm diameter. Tepals unequal, conspicuously unguiculate, shortly fused proximally for 0.7–1(–1.5) mm. Outer tepals (26.9–)29–35(–38) × 20–28(–33) mm; the claw erectopatent, attenuate towards the proximal end, marked with red-brown spots forming sometimes transversal and irregular stripes at the base, the distal edge sometimes marked in the middle with a yellow area extended longitudinally; the blade flabellate, spreading, slightly apiculate to acuminate. Inner tepals reduced, conspicuously unguiculate, (13.5–)14–16(–17) × 4–5(–6) mm; the claw whitish-blue, porrect, sublorate, extending to three-fourths of the tepal length, the distal one-third slightly widened, the proximal half densely marked with red-brown spots; the blade whitish-blue, ovate, curved upward proximally, then usually reclinate at the distal end, centrally depressed with a dense ovate to cordate yellow area of oil-producing trichomes (elaiophore) in the middle, the lateral sides firmly revolute, each with a yellow area spotted with red-brown, the apex acute. Filaments free, erect, whitish, filiform, 0.2–0.25 mm wide at mid-length, densely striated with purple on the slightly inflated base, sparsely on the whole length, (5–) 6–6.5 mm long. Anthers oblong, (4.6–)5–6 × (0.7–)0.9–1.3(–1.4) mm, adnate to the style arms for two-thirds to 3/4 of the length; connective apically excurrent, slightly retuse, whitish to pale yellow, (0.2–)0.4–0.8(–1) mm wide, usually covered with a viscous and transparent secretion; locules yellow to black; pollen yellow. Ovary subclavate, (5.1–)6–7.5(–8.4) × (2–)2.2–2.8(–3.1) mm. Style whitish, sometimes finely striated with purple on the whole length, (7.6–)8.4–10(–10.2) mm long. Style arms whitish to pale blue towards the distal end, conduplicate, (2.7–)3–3.5(–3.9) mm long; crests at the apex, whitish to pale blue, adaxial crest 2, erect, rounded or sometimes lobed, (obsolete–)0.1–1(–1.5) mm long, abaxial crest often absent, rounded when present, obsolete to 0.1(–0.3) mm long; stigmatic surfaces transverse, 2, on each side at the base of the abaxial crest, usually pale blue, (0.3–)0.4–0.8(–1) mm long. Capsule obovate-truncate, 6.8–7.3 × 2.8–3.1 mm. Seeds obovoid, obovate in adaxial view, slightly angulate, epidermis reticulate, 1.6–2 mm long.

Distribution and Habitat: — Cypella hauthalii subsp. minuticristata was collected in the central region of the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Southern Brazil ( Fig. 3 ), in grassland vegetation. The elevation records range from 308 to 534 m. The species usually forms large populations. Its geographical distribution overlaps the northern limit of the Pampa biome and the southern part of the Subtropical Highland Grasslands included in the Atlantic Forest biome.

Phenology: —Flowering and fruiting from October to December.

Conservation Status: —According to the IUCN Red List guidelines ( IUCN 2001), the species is considered to be Critically Endangered (CR), with subcriteria B1 (a) and (biii): decline quality or loss of habitat through substitution of natural grasslands by agricultural areas.

Etymology: —Named after the outstanding short crests of the style, when compared to the other subspecies of Cypella hauthalii .

Additional specimens examined (paratype): — BRAZIL. Rio Grande do Sul: Salto do Jacuí, trevo da BR 481 para baragem, 397 m, 20 October 2012, (fl), L. Eggers et al. 727 ( ICN!); Porto Alegre, planta cultivada desde 2010, proveniente de Salto do Jacuí, 18 October 2012 (fl), L. Eggers & O. Chauveau 728 ( ICN!); Salto do Jacuí , 308 m, 19 October 2013 (fl), L. Eggers et al. 827 ( ICN!). The new subspecies was also recorded from the municipality of Júlio de Castilhos (29°19’32.22”S - 53°48’44.82”W) but without specimen collection (Azambuja, B. 2012, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, pers. comm.) .

Taxonomic relationships: —This taxon is regarded as a subspecies of Cypella hauthalii ( Kuntze 1898: 304) Foster (1950: 23) because it is strikingly similar to Cypella hauthalii subsp. opalina Ravenna (1981a: 2) , another subspecies described from Northeast Argentina and western Rio Grande do Sul. The typical subspecies was transferred from Alophia Herbert (1840 : t. 3779) and occurs in Southern Paraguay and Northeast Argentina. It differs from the other subspecies by the larger and pale lilac-blue flowers and by the long and whitish blue adaxial crests. Cypella hauthalii subsp. opalina is characterised by its white flowers, slightly tinged with yellow, and its long white adaxial crests. Both subspecies have much longer adaxial and abaxial crests than C. hauthalii subsp. minuticristata and this characteristic is easily discernible to the naked eye. Furthermore, the localities where occurrences of the new subspecies were identified suggest that its range is distinct from the distribution areas of the other subspecies. The character states retained to compare and separate the different subspecies are presented in Table 3.

species.

Figures

FIGURE 3. Distribution map of Cypella altouruguaya (triangle inside circle), C. hauthalii subsp. minuticristata (star inside circle) and C. rivularis (rhombus inside circle) in Southern Brazil.

FIGURE 6. Habit of Cypella hauthalii subsp. minuticristata Chauveau & L.Eggers. From L. Eggers & O. Chauveau 728 (ICN!), drawing by Anelise Scherer.

FIGURE 7. Cypella hauthalii subsp. minuticristata Chauveau & L.Eggers. A–C. Flower. A. apical view B. lateral view C. basal view D–F. Inner tepal D. adaxial view E. abaxial view F. lateral view G. Ovary H. Stamens and style in lateral view I. Style crests and stigmatic replicatures. From L. Eggers & O. Chauveau 728 (ICN!).