Viola ferreyrae P. Gonzáles, 2016

Gonzáles, Paúl & Cano, Asunción, 2016, Two new species of Viola (Violaceae) named in honor of preceding Peruvian botanists, Phytotaxa 283 (1), pp. 83-90 : 84-87

Viola ferreyrae P. Gonzáles , sp. nov. ( Fig. 1 )

Type: — PERU: Dept. Puno: Prov. Carabaya, District of Corani, Jarapampa , 4301 m, 13°57’26.37”S, 70°39’0.95”W, 13 January 2015, P. Gonzáles 3419 (holotype: USM; isotype: MOL) .

Diagnosis: — Viola ferreyrae resembles to Viola granulosa by its white flowers with purple lines and lack of a spur, but differs in having pinnatifid to pinnatipartite leaves, two pairs of stipules located at two different positions, and the upper surface of the leaf blade reticulate-alveolate (non-granulose).

Description: — Perennial herbs, acaulescent, with a very short stem with leaves rosette placed at ends, caudex simple, with solitary crown, up to 1 cm high, 3 cm diam. Rootstock axial, thick, 5–6 × 0.4–0.5 cm. Caudex ca. 1 cm long, covered by sclerified leaf scars. Rosette densely imbricate-foliate, slightly depressed at the centre. Leaves spatulate, stipulate, (12)13–15(20) mm long, including petiole; blade 5.5–6.5 × 4.5–5.5 mm, thick-succulent, upper surface brown, lower surface green, ovate, obtuse at apex; upper surface reticulate-alveolate, glabrous or puberulent, lower surface pilose-tomentose, with short, stout, white-hyaline hairs 0.1–0.2 mm in length; pinnatifid to pinnatipartite, margin with 4–5 lobes per side, ciliate at apical margin, apical lobes ca. 1–1.5 × 0.8–1 mm; basal lobes longer, 1.5–2.5 × 0.8–1 mm; petiole, including stipules, 6–8 × 2–2.2 mm, to ca. 1 mm wide above first pair of stipules, succulent, but less as the blade, pilose-pubescent on both sides with greater density in upper third, ciliate at margin, whitish or rarely purple, hairs whitish. Stipules conspicuous, two pairs located at two different positions; basal stipules adnate to petiole ca. 2 mm of their length, scarious, free part lanceolate, apex acuminate, both surfaces glabrous, margin ciliate, 3–3.5 × 0.4–0.5 mm; upper stipules adnate to petiole ca. 6–12 mm of their length, scarious, free part lanceolate, the apex acuminate, both surfaces glabrous, margin ciliate, 1–2 × 0.2–0.3 mm. Flowers solitary, axial, 4–5 × 3 mm, white with dark purple lines on nerves. Peduncle equaling or slightly shorter than leaves, 8–10 × 0.5–1 mm, dark purple or whitish, pilose-pubescent on both sides but most dense on ½ upper surface of apical curve; bracteoles inserted 2–2.5 mm above base, attached above to peduncle by membrane, free part 4–5 × 0.6–1 mm long, lanceolate, acute, hyaline, entire, glabrous on both surfaces, ciliate at margin, 1-nerved, translucent. Calyx inconspicuous, tinted dark purple at base; sepals inconspicuously auriculate at base, auricles rounded, less than 0.1 mm long; lower and lateral sepals sub-equal in size and shape, outer surface smooth, margins slightly membranous, 1-nerved, obtuse to subacute, inner surface glabrous, ciliate at margins, pubescent on outer surface; upper sepal triangular-lanceolate, 2–2.2 × 0.8–1 mm; lateral sepals lanceolate, 2.2–2.5 × (1.1) 0.7–0.8 mm; lower sepals asymmetrical, lanceolate, 2.2–2.5 × 0.7–0.8 mm. Corolla glabrous; upper and lateral petals 3–3.5 × 0.9–1 mm, narrowly lanceolate, tip obtuse to rounded, outer and inner surfaces white with fine dark purple lines along the veins; lowermost petal 3–4 × 3–4 mm, limb obovate, sinus emarginate, indented ca. 1.5–1.8 mm, shortly apiculate in middle, outer and inner surfaces white with fine dark purple lines along veins, the basal ¼ yellow, apex rounded with margins spreading, outer and inner surfaces glabrous throughout; spur none. Stamens 1–1.2 × 0.5–0.6 mm; anthers sessile, ca. 0.4–0.5 × ca. 0.6–0.7 mm, outer surface glabrous, nectar spur on bottom pair of anthers sub-sessile, very short, ca. 0.1 × ca. 0.1 mm. Dorsal connective scales broadly ovate to orbicular, apex rounded or truncate, 0.8–0.9 × 0.6–0.7 mm, orange-yellow, glabrous, margins subundulate. Ovary glabrous, 1 × 1 mm. Style 0.9–1.1 mm long, geniculate at base, clavate; style crest bi-lobate, with two lateral appendages, appendices lamellate, lobes reflexed, lobes 0.5 × 0.2 mm, stigmatic orifice apico-ventral in a longitudinal furrow, orifice 0.1 mm diam., labelliform. Capsule pubescent, 3-valved; oblong-ovoid, 2.5–3 × 2–2.5 mm, valve 3–3.5 × 1–1.2, 2–3 seeds per valve, seeds ovoid 1.5–1.6 × 1–1.1 mm, yellow-brown, with lateral funiculus inconspicuous, less than 0.1 mm.

Additional specimens examined (paratype):— Perú: Dept. Puno, Prov. Carabaya, District of Corani, Jarapampa, suelo calcáreo arenoso en medio de césped, 4412 m, 13°57’25”S, 70°39’0”W, 28 March 2014, P. Gonzáles 3097 (USM, MOL).

Eponymy:— This species is named in honor of Dr. Ramón Ferreyra (Professor at the Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos), who was responsible for much of the training and supervising of Peruvian botanists in the past few decades.

Distribution and habitat:— Endemic to Peru, known only from the type locality in the Jarapamapa, Carabaya province on the eastern Andean flanks of Puno department, growing in patches of sandy soil above 4300–4400 m elevation on sparsely vegetated, undulating plains ( Fig. 3A–B ), associated with Nototriche pellicea A.W. Hill ( Burtt & Hill 1948: 133) ( Malvaceae ) and Viola enmae P. Gonzáles.

Ecology:— Flowering between January–March; fruiting period February–April.

IUCN Red List Category:— Viola ferreyrae is only known from the type collection and is therefore assessed as Data Deficient (DD) according to the UICN (2001) criteria. However, we recommend it should be considered critically endangered (CR), as it is known from a single locality (Criterion B1a) with a continuing decline of its quality of habitat inferred for the present mining exploration (Criterion B2c).

Taxonomic affinities:— Viola ferreyrae resembles to V. granulosa by its spatulate leaves, white flowers with purple lines and lack of a spur, but it differs in having pinnatifid to pinnatipartite leaves vs. crenate leaves, two pairs of stipules located at two different positions vs. a pair of stipules located near the leaf base, basal stipules adnate to petiole ca. 2 mm of their length vs. stipules adnate to petiole 0.2–0.3 mm of their length, basal stipules longer (3–3.5 mm) vs. shorter (1.2–1.3 mm), upper surface of leaf blade reticulate-alveolate vs. granulose, leaves longer overall (12–17 mm) vs. shorter (9–12 mm), blade larger (5.5–6.5 × 4.5–5.5 mm) vs. smaller (2.5–4 × 2–3 mm), lobes 1–2.5 × 0.8–1 mm vs. ca. 0.5–0.7 × 0.3–0.4 mm, bracteoles with free part long (4–5 mm) vs. short (1–1.5 mm). V. ferreyrae and V. granulosa are geographically separated by over 230 km in southern Peru.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Viola ferreyrae. A. Habit. B. Leaf (adaxial). C. Leaf (abaxial). D. Peduncle in fruit. E. Expansion of bracteoles. F. Expansion of upper stipules. G. Lateral view of flower. H. Frontal view flower, showing part of androecium and gynoecium. I. Gynoecium.J.Anthers, showing connective scales. K. Frontal view of seeds. L. Lateral view of seeds.

FIGURE 3. A. Type locality and habitat of Viola ferreyrae and V.enmae. B. Plant of Viola ferreyrae camouflaged in sandy soil. Photo by P. Gonzáles.