Bessera elegantissima E. Gándara, Ortiz-Brunel, Art.Castro & Ruiz-Sanchez, 2021

Gándara, Etelvina, Ortiz-Brunel, Juan Pablo, Castro-Castro, Arturo & Sanchez, Eduardo Ruiz-, 2021, Morphological variation in Bessera (Asparagaceae: Brodiaeoideae) allows for the recognition of two new species, Phytotaxa 512 (4), pp. 257-271 : 263

Bessera elegantissima E. Gándara, Ortiz-Brunel, Art.Castro & Ruiz-Sanchez sp. nov., Figs. 3 , 4 A–B

TYPE:— MEXICO. Nayarit: Acaponeta, Km 10 brecha Las Coloradas-Santa Cruz de Acaponeta , 22°31’5.5’’ N, 105°16’40.2’’ W, 80 m, 5 July 2014 (fl) , A. Castro-Castro & E. Ruiz-Sánchez 3690 (holotype: IBUG!, isotype: MEXU!).

Bessera elegantissima is similar to B. elegans but differs in floral size and color. Bessera elegantissima has a wide range of tepal colors; from light red, scarlet, and violet to magenta or fuchsia. The staminal tube is white or violet, 7.5–13.2 mm long (mean = 10 mm long), The filaments are semiterete, violet or purple, 5.3–10.2 mm long (mean = 7.7 mm long).

Perennial herbs, geophytes. Roots fibrous. Corms ovoid, 1.1–2.3 × 1–2.3 cm, with brown parallel fibers or some membranous tunics developing upward into a collar 3–23 mm long. Leaves 2–6(–9), 11.3–54 × 0.1–0.4 cm, linear, plano-convex or terete, glabrous, margin minutely dentate. Inflorescences umbellate; scape 42–84 cm × 1.4–4 mm, glabrous, sometimes pruinose; spathe bracts 2 to 6, 2– 10 mm long; umbel with 4 to 13 flowers. Flowers on pedicels 12–55 mm long, nodding at anthesis becoming erect after; perianth 11–26 mm long; tepals 11–18.8 × 4.4–7.5 mm, lanceolate to ovate, from scarlet or light red to magenta, fuchsia or violet, with a prominent middle nerve, with two white stripes at the internal face, united at the base forming a narrow tube; stamens 6, exserted, joined to the perianth at the base; filaments violet or purple, with a portion joined into a tube by a continuous membrane forming a staminal tube 7.5–13.2 mm long, cylindrical, whitish to violet or purple, the free portion of the filaments semiterete, 5.3–10.2 mm long; anthers ellipsoid, dorsifixed, with longitudinal dehiscence, 1.2–2.4 mm long, dark green to blue or grayish blue at dehiscence; ovary ellipsoid, 1–4 mm long, style elongated, exceeding the stamens, purple-whitish, stigma 3- lobed or tubiform. Fruits a loculicidal capsule with apical dehiscence, oblong, 8.5–14 × 7.5–8.5 mm. Seeds irregular and ridged, flattened, 4–4.4 × 1.8–2 mm.

Distribution, habitat and phenology:—The populations of Bessera elegantissima grow from almost sea level (10 m a.s.l.) up to 1100 m a.s.l., in savanna-like vegetation sensu Rzedowski (1978), subdeciduous tropical forest and tropical dry forest, along the Pacific Lowlands and Balsas Basin provinces, from Sinaloa to Oaxaca. It shares habitat with the trees Bursera spp. , Byrsonima crassifolia (L.) Kunth, Brosimum alicastrum Sw. , Chomelia spp. , Curatella americana L., Erythroxylum mexicanum Kunth , Jacquinia spp. , Quercus aristata Hook. & Arn. , Q. elliptica Née , Q. resinosa Liebm. , Sabal rosei (O.F. Cook) Becc. , Tabebuia spp. , and Trichospermum mexicanum (DC.) Baill. Flowering specimens have been collected from June to September. Fruits have been collected from July to October.

Comparison:— Bessera elegantissima differs from B. elegans in floral size and color. B. elegantissima has a perianth 11.73–26.92 mm long, with tepals 11–18.8 × 4.4–7.5 mm and shows a wide range of tepal colors from light red, scarlet, violet to magenta or fuchsia; the staminal tube is 7.5–13.2 mm long, whitish to violet or purple; the filaments are 5.3–10.2 mm long, semiterete violet or purple. Meanwhile the perianth of B. elegans is 18.24–33.6, the tepals are 7.19–24.02 × 4.76–10.18 mm, carmine to red and the staminal tube is 7.48–16.56 mm long white or whitish, the filaments are 7.8–21.7 mm long, terete, red or violet ( Table 2, Fig. 4 ).

Bessera elegantissima differs from B. tuitensis in floral size and color. The perianth of B. tuitensis is 13.31–21.12 mm long, the tepals are 9.92–15.88 × 3.22–6.49 mm, pinkish to lilac, the filaments are connate at the base forming a ring, 1.07–2.12 mm long, white, the filaments are 7.99–14.72 mm long, terete, white ( Table 2, Fig. 4 ).

Bessera elegantissima differs from B. ramirezii in floral sizes and colors. The perianth of B. ramirezii is 19.63– 30.87 mm long, the tepals are 13.43–18.49 × 3.93–7.71 mm, dark purple with an undulated margin, the staminal tube is 7.5–13.2 mm long, dark purple, the filaments are 4.82–8.83 mm long, flattened and cuneate, dark purple ( Table 2, Fig. 4 ).

Etymology:—The specific epithet elegantissima refers to the beautiful flower colors of this species. There are up to six different flower colors in a single locality ( Figs. 4 A–B ).

Conservation status:—According to the EOO (255,621 km 2) and AOO (160 km 2) analysis, Bessera elegantissima fits the Least Concern (LC) category for the EOO analysis, and the criteria of B2a(ii) for AOO, and so should be considered Endangered (EN) ( IUCN 2019).

Additional specimens examined (paratypes):— MEXICO. Guerrero: Acapulco: Parque Nacional El Veladero, Ejido Santa Cruz, 100 m, July 5, 1985, N . Noriega-Acosta et al. 587 ( MEXU!). Chilpancingo: brecha El Ocotillo-Jaleaca , aprox. 5 km, 650 m, 21 July 1991, L . M . González-Villarreal et al. 4349 ( IBUG!). Xochistlahuaca: Xochistlahuaca , 370 m, July 1984, B . López C . 7–2 ( USF). Zihuatanejo : en La Higuera, 50 km al NE de la desviación a Cd. Altamirano, 520 m, 24 July 2006, J . C . Soto-Núñez 9676 ( MEXU!). Jalisco: Casimiro Castillo: 3 miles north of La Resolana , 450 m, 6 July 1949, R . L . 1543 ( MEXU!). Cuautitlán de García Barragán: 6.5–7.5 km al NE de Cuautitlán 2 km al SE de Cuzalapa, 800 m, 26 July 1989, L . Robles et al. 806 ( MEXU!). Cihuatlán: al S de Cihuatlán , ladera N de Rancho El Cihualteco, 13 m, 18 July 1985, S . Govea-Ayvar s.n. ( IBUG!). Puerto Vallarta: Fraccionamiento Sendero de Luna , terreno localizado el E del estero El Salado, justo a un lado de la Universidad del Valle de México y el basurero municipal, 40 m, 2 August 2008, A . Castro-Castro et al. 1325 ( IBUG!). Michoacán: Múgica : camino de Nueva Italia a la presa Francisco J . Múgica, 429 m, 8 August 2011, J . Cortés-Flores 185 ( IBUG!, MEXU!). Tiquicheo de Nicolás Romero : en La Crucita, 18 km al SO de Tiquicheo, 600 m, 11 July 1982, J . C . Soto-Núñez 4070 ( MEXU!). Nayarit: Acaponeta: route 15, ca. 88 km southeast of Escuinapa , 60 m, 12 July 1966, R . Cruden 1048 ( MEXU!); a 3.3 km al SW de la Mesa de Pedro y Pablo , 780 m, 12 September 1989, O . Téllez 12019 ( MEXU!); km 10 brecha Las Coloradas- Santa Cruz de Acaponeta , 80 m, 5 July 2014, A . Castro-Castro & E . Ruiz-Sánchez 3690 ( IBUG!, MEXU!). Bahía de Banderas: Punta Mita , 22 July 1932, J . T . Howell 10377 ( GH!, US!). Rosamorada: km 96 carretera libre Tepic- Acaponeta, cerca del ejido La Providencia , 58 m, 1 August 2009, A . Rodríguez & A . Castro-Castro 5792 ( IBUG!); carretera 15, Tepic-Mazatlán km 56, 14 km después de la desviación a Las Peñas , 18 m, 22 July 2020, E . Ruiz-Sanchez & E . Gándara 655, 656, 657, 658 ( IBUG). Ruíz : San Pedro Ixcatán, 5 km al N de San P . Ixcatán rumbo al Río San Pedro , alrededores del Puerto Los Tepetates y la cañada Los Bueyes, cerca de El Pozolillo, 150 m, 19 July 2007, A . Castro-Castro et al. 945 ( IBUG!); Paso de los Bueyes , 230 m, 2 July 2009, R . Ramírez-Delgadillo et al. 7675 ( IBUG!). San Blas: km 4 de la carr. a San Blas, del entronque con carr. Tepic-Mazatlán , 95 m, 6 August 1987, O . Téllez et al. 10718 ( MEXU!); alrededores de la planta de asfalto, 160 m, 6 July 1991, A . Benítez-Paredes 3227 ( MEXU!). Santa María del Oro : área de ordenamiento y banco de material El Paraíso, 350 m, 28 June 2000, E . Rosales et al. 4353 ( MEXU!). Santiago Ixcuintla: carretera 15 Tepic-Mazatlán a 1 km después de El Capomal, 73 m, 21 July 2020, E . Ruiz-Sanchez & E . Gándara 654 ( IBUG). Tepic: ca. 1 mi SW of intersection of San Blas road and Tepic-Mazatlán road, 210 m, 25 June 1972, G . L . Webster & S . Lynch 17079 ( MEXU!); km 20 carr. Tepic-Mazatlán , 652 m, 6 July 2004, A . Rodríguez & C . Briseño 3662 ( IBUG!); km 34–35 carretera de cuota Tepic-Mazatlán , 68 m, 1 August 2009, A . Rodríguez & A . Castro-Castro 5785 ( IBUG!). Oaxaca: San Carlos Yautepec: San Miguel Chongo, 500 m al N sobre la vereda a San Pedro Sosoltepec, 410 m, 30 August 2000, N . Velázquez R . 308 (MEXU!); San Miguel Chongo, 1.5 km al W, 450 m, 28 September 2000, N . Velázquez R . 434 ( MEXU!). San Juan Colorado: camino del cerro de La Ardilla, cerro de la lluvia ( Yucu Savi ) 524 m, 15 July 2013, M . I . Mejía-Marín 243 ( MEXU!). San Miguel del Puerto : Santa María Xadani, 2 km al N , 430 m, 24 June 2000, S . H . Salas-M. 3000 ( MEXU!); 2.7 km aprox. al noroeste del Rancho San Agustín sobre el camino a la Finca La Colorada, 770 m, 23 August 2001, A . Saynes et al. 2593 ( MEXU!); 1.5 km de la carretera para el cerro de Santa María Xadani, 800 m, 6 October 2001, J . Pascual 43 ( MEXU!). Santiago Pinotepa Nacional : ca. 24 km E of the Oaxaca-Guerrero state line W of Pinotepa Nacional, 160 m, 22 July 1991, Mayfield et al. 988 ( MEXU!). Villa de Tutepec de Melchor Ocampo: 11 km al N de Río Grande, brecha a San Marcos Zacatepec, 100 m, 6 July 1992, Á . Campos 4658 ( MEXU!). Sinaloa: Concordia: 3.2 km después de La Guasimita rumbo a Pánuco , 27 July 2003, J . Ceja et al. 1449 ( MEXU!); El Pirame, near Cerro El Cinco, ca. 8 km (by air) north of El Magistral, Comunidad La Guasima , 827 m, 19 September 2005, T . R . Van-Devender 1443 ( CIAD!); comunidad La Guásima, 290 m, 4 July 2008, M . Ruíz-Guerrero et al. 15 ( CIAD!); comunidad La Guásima, 782 m, 22 September 2009, M . Ruíz- Guerrero et al. 195 ( CIAD!); comunidad La Guásima, 272 m, 3 August 2010, M . Ruíz-Guerrero et al. 370 ( CIAD!); comunidad La Guásima, 754 m, 28 September 2010, M . Ruíz-Guerrero et al. 446 ( CIAD!). Mazatlán: loam flat, n. of Mazatlan, 20 m, 16 August 1935, F . W . Pennell 19738 ( MEXU!). Rosario : between Rosario and Colonias, 12 July 1897, J . N . Rose 1611 ( MEXU!); a 16.5 km al NE de Chilillos , 145 m, 26 July 1983, E . Martínez et al. 4027 ( MEXU!). San Ignacio: 2 mi west of San Ignacio, on road to San Ignacio from highway 15, 15 July 1962, E . Molseed 4 ( MEXU!) .

Figures

FIGURE 3. Bessera elegantissima.A.Complete plant with corms, leaves, inflorescence and flowers.B. Dissected flower.C.Flower,lateral view. D. Membranous staminal tube with filaments and anthers. E. Fruit. F. Seeds. Watercolor illustration by Fátima Bracamontes.

FIGURE 4. A. Bessera elegantissima, different perianth colors found in a single locality. B. elegantissima showing two different perianth and anther colors. C. Close-up of Bessera ramirezii, showing membranous staminal tube, flat filaments and anthers. D. B. ramirezii inflorescence showing some open flowers. E. Typical scarlet perianth of Bessera elegans. F. Bessera tuitensis inflorescence and flowers. Photos by Juan Pablo Ortiz-Brunel (C–F) and Eduardo Ruiz-Sanchez (A, B).