Nasa ferox Weigend, Revista Peru. Biol. 13(1): 74 (2006).

Henning, Tilo, Acuna-Castillo, Rafael, Cornejo, Xavier, Gonzales, Paul, Segovia, Edgar, Wong Sato, Akira Armando & Weigend, Maximilian, 2023, When the absence of evidence is not the evidence of absence: Nasa (Loasaceae) rediscoveries from Peru and Ecuador, and the contribution of community science networks, PhytoKeys 229, pp. 1-19 : 1

Nasa ferox Weigend, Revista Peru. Biol. 13(1): 74 (2006).

Fig. 1C, D

Type.

Ecuador. Azuay: Cantón Cuenca, Contrayerba , 3600-3800m, s.d., F.C. Lehmann 7943 (holotype: US 00603973!; isotypes: F No. 578096!, K 000372883!) .

Described only in 2000 ( Weigend et al. 2006) from specimens collected by F. C. Lehmann probably in the 1880s (possibly May 1887, according to Cribb 2010, Lehmann was in Contrayerba at least twice). Specimens of this species were considered as belonging to Loasa ranunculifolia Kunth ( Urban and Gilg 1900) or Loasa peltata Urb. & Gilg ( Weigend 1996b). The species was known with certainty only from the area of Contrayerba, in the province of Azuay close to the NW border of what is now Parque Nacional Cajas and had not been reported for ca. 130 years. Given the location of the park close to the city of Cuenca, and the fact that the important road 582 goes through the park makes it particularly surprising that the species has not been reported in such a long time, even more so if we consider the numerous botanical expeditions that have been carried out in the general region. New photographs uploaded by ES to iNaturalist in 2022 clearly show living plants of this species previously known only from dried specimens. Judging from the pictures now available, the species seems closely allied to Nasa jungiifolia (Weigend) Weigend from just a little bit further south in Azuay, but differs from it in the smaller stature of the plants (20-70 cm, Fig. 1C ) and the shorter, wider and fleshy, deep orange petals (Fig. 1D ) (versus taller plants to> 1 m in height and narrower, long acuminate, membranous, pale orange petals in N. jungiifolia ). The habitat of the living plants of N. ferox is located in a rock outcrop at the foot of a vertical rocky cliff, with nearby pastures, some used for llama ranching. The substrate is covered by a dense layer of mosses along with succulent Peperomia spp. ( Piperaceae ), Stellaria spp. ( Caryophyllaceae ), Oxalis spp. ( Oxalidaceae ) and ferns. Tall shrubs and small trees such as Polylepis reticulata , Gynoxys spp. ( Asteraceae ), and an undetermined Asteraceae were the main woody species of this habitat. The slope in the site is low, about 30 degrees. Nasa ferox is not an abundant species; only a very small population of about ten fertile plants growing in four spots near the borders of the rock zone could be found, with the plants growing always in sheltered places, in rock crevices, near big rocks or at the base of dense, taller, shrub aggregations. Some regeneration was observed at the end of the rain season in July, with a few seedlings growing among the moss carpets that covered the rocks. We also saw some infertile plants growing near the fertile ones in two of the spots. Footprints and dung from llamas and bovines on the trails nearby, show that livestock roam the area.

Additional specimens examined.

Ecuador. Azuay: Province unknown: "Andes of Ecuador", R. Pearce 1862 (K); Provincia Azuay, Canton Cuenca , Reserva de la Biosfera Macizo del Cajas , 3835 m, 12 Jan 2022, E. Segovia 3239-CMP40 (HA); Reserva de la Biosfera Macizo del Cajas , 3823 m, 07 Jul 2022, E. Segovia 4890-CMP40 (HA) .

Photographic records.

Ecuador. Azuay: Cantón Cuenca, Reserva de la Biosfera Macizo del Cajas, 2.78118S, 79.26592W, 3835 m, E. Segovia, Jan 2022, https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/105051734 (https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/3465963568); Reserva de la Biosfera Macizo del Cajas, 2.778691S, 79.266028W, 3825 m, K. Montesinos, 21 May 2022, https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/145275636 (https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/4011672795); Reserva de la Biosfera Macizo del Cajas, 2.782492S, 79.267025W, 3823 m, E. Segovia, Jul 2022, https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/125099917 (https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/3858810457); Reserva de la Biosfera Macizo del Cajas, 2.734655S, 79.259702W, G. Normand, Apr 2022, https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/112870994 (https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/3764320941).

Figures

Figure 1. A, B Nasa colanii C, D Nasa ferox E, F Nasa hastata A flower of N. colanii B flowering branch of N. colanii C habit of N. ferox D flower of N. ferox E flower of N. hastata F node with the characteristic, semiamplexicaulous leaves of N. hastata, Photo credits: A, B A. A. Wong Sato C, D E. Segovia E, F P. Gonzales.