Xenophyllum weddellii (Phil.) V.A.Funk, Novon 7(3): 240. 1997.

Calvo, Joel & Moreira-Munoz, Andres, 2020, Taxonomic revision of the Andean genus Xenophyllum (Compositae, Senecioneae), PhytoKeys 158, pp. 1-106 : 1

11. Xenophyllum weddellii (Phil.) V.A.Funk, Novon 7(3): 240. 1997.

Werneria weddellii Phil., Anales Mus. Nac., Santiago de Chile 8: 40. 1891 [ “Weddelli”]. Type. Chile. Tarapacá: laguna de Huasco, 1 Mar 1885, F. Philippi s.n. (lectotype: SGO-044581!, designated as “holotype” by Funk (1997a: 240); isolectotype: LP-002610 (digital image!)).

Werneria decumbens Hieron., Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 21(3): 364. 1895. Type. Chile/Bolivia. Tacora a Tomarapi, 4200-4400 m, Oct 1876, A. Stübel 100c (B, destroyed; photo F0BN015808!). Neotype, designated here: Bolivia. Oruro: Parque Nacional Samaja, laguna Huainyacota [ Huaña Khota], 18°02'S, 68°55'W, 4350 m, 11 Aug 2007, M. Velayos, C. Aedo & C. Monge 11263 (MA-758188!; isoneotype: LPB s.n.!), syn. nov.

Description.

Suffruticose plant, forming clumps of rather decumbent stems. Rhizomes 7-10 × 0.5-0.8 cm, horizontal to oblique, glabrous. Stems 3-8 cm tall, simple or branched, glabrous, with leaves rather uniformly arranged along it. Leaves imbricate, extending into a glabrous sheath-like base; leaf laminas 3.4-7(-11.8) × 1.3-1.6 mm, linear-subulate, acute at the apex, entire, obtusely triangular in cross section, glabrous, unconspicuously nerved above, 1-nerved beneath (barely visible), fleshy, matte. Capitula radiate, erect, sessile. Involucres 7-9 × 5-7 mm, cupuliform; involucral bracts 8 to 12, 3.2-5.9 × 1.4-2.3 mm, acute to obtuse at the apex, greenish, sometimes purple-edged. Ray florets 9 to 15; corollas 5.9-8 × 1-1.2 mm, 3 to 4-veined, subentire at the apex, conspicuously surpassing the involucre, white, rarely pale purplish beneath. Disc florets 24 to 32; corollas 4.5-5.2 mm long, whitish to creamy, sometimes with the tube purplish; style branches truncate with a crown of sweeping trichomes, purplish. Achenes 3.8-4 × 0.9-1 mm, cylindrical, 8 to 9-ribbed, glabrous; pappus 6.3-7.5 mm long, barbellate, whitish. Chromosome number unknown.

Iconography.

Beltrán (2016: 358, fig. 2F, as photo).

Distribution and habitat.

Southern Peru to northern Chile. Bolivia (Oruro), Chile (Arica-Parinacota, Tarapacá), Peru (Arequipa, Moquegua, Puno, Tacna [n.v.]). It grows along the banks of marshes and salt lagoons of the subhumid and dry puna ecoregions, between elevations of 3800-4700 m (Fig. 17 ).

Phenology.

Flowering nearly all year round.

Etymology.

This species honors H.A. Weddell (1819-1877), a British botanist (French by choice) and physician who devoted part of his life to the study of the South American flora.

Notes.

Xenophyllum weddellii is a species forming clumps of rather decumbent stems with linear, entire, glabrous leaves. It has 8 to 12 involucral bracts and 9 to 15 ray florets with white corollas that conspicuously surpass the involucre. On living plants, the color of the leaves is typically glaucous green.

The leaf apex is acute but we studied a specimen showing two lateral divisions near the apex ( Moreira-Muñoz & Diazgranados 2625, SGO). It is identified as X. weddellii because the remaining characters perfectly fit with this species. Two emerging protrusions near the apex were also observed in a few other collections, which indicates that Moreira-Muñoz’s collection can be considered as an extreme of variability.

This species is morphologically similar to X. ciliolatum (see comments under it) and X. incisum . From this latter species, it mainly differs in the leaf lamina shape (linear-subulate, tapering upwards in X. weddellii vs. linear-oblong, similar width from base to apex in X. incisum ) and leaf apex (acute in X. weddellii vs. 3-notched with the lobes rather truncate at the apex in X. incisum ). It is interesting to mention that both species have similar ecological requirements and they usually thrive near the banks of the salt lagoons and moist valley bottoms. They could be referred to as allopatric species since their distribution areas are well defined and do not overlap.

The single original collection that we found comes from the Huasco Lagoon ( Tarapacá, Chile). However, Philippi (1891) indicated additional sites in the protologue, i.e., “Machuca” and "regione inter Copacoya et Inacaliri". These localities are located further south in the region of Antofagasta, where this species appears to be absent. In contrast, X. incisum is not rare in this region and, indeed, the provenance of the type material is "Inter Copacoya et Inacaliri". The lack of original material of X. weddellii from these localities and the fact that we did not study any collection from there suggests that Philippi might had confused both species.

The holotype designation of the name Werneria weddellii Phil. has been corrected to lectotype according to McNeill (2014). In addition, the name Werneria decumbens Hieron. is synonymized with X. weddellii as suggested by Funk (1997a). Since the original material was likely destroyed at B in 1943, a neotype is designated. The provenance of the selected collection perfectly matches the protologue information.

Additional specimens examined.

Bolivia. Oruro: Sajama, al borde del río Sajama, en el pueblo de Sajama, 18°8'S, 68°58'W, 24 Aug 2008, S.G. Beck 32617 (LPB); Sajama, 18°10'S, 68°55'W, 9 Feb 1998, F. Loza de la Cruz 264 (LPB, USM). Chile. Arica-Parinacota: N de Misitune, 18°15'S, 69°22'W, 25 Nov 2001, C. Aedo 6968 (CONC, MA); Parinacota, salar de Surire, 18°51'S, 69°6'W, 29 Mar 1992, G. Arancio 92-454 (CONC); salar de Surire, 18°47'S, 69°6'W, 27 Mar 1996, M. Argomedo 9 (CONC); Parinacota, cerca de laguna de Cotacotani, camino a Guane Guane, 18°10'S, 69°14'W, 9 Mar 1984, M. Arroyo 84-728 (CONC); Parinacota, salar de Surire, aledaños del salar, 18°48'S, 69°10'W, 6 Aug 1986, E. Belmonte 86119 (CONC); Parinacota, lago Chungará, 18°14'S, 69°10'W, 9 May 1996, E. Belmonte 96068 (CONC); Las Cuevas, 18°12'S, 69°28'W, 23 Mar 1997, E. Belmonte 97049 (CONC); Arica, altiplano de Arica, Las Cuevas, 18°12'S, 69°28'W, 15 Nov 1977, H. Escobar 206 (CONC); rt. 11, on the edge of lago Chungará, large island, 18°16'S, 69°9'W, 6 Mar 2014, V.A. Funk, M. Diazgranados & J.M. Bonifacino 13087 (US); rd. from rt. 11 to Parque Nacional Lauca (rt. A201), ca. 15 km W of intersection of rt. A201, A211 & A235, 18°19'S, 69°29'W, 8 Mar 2014, V.A. Funk, M. Diazgranados & J.M. Bonifacino 13127 (US); rd. from rt. 11 to Parque Nacional Lauca (rt. A201), ca. 5 km W of intersection of rt. A201, A211 & A235, 18°19'S, 69°30'W, 8 Mar 2014, V.A. Funk, M. Diazgranados & J.M. Bonifacino 13133 (US); Putre, Ch11-road to Putre at kilometer 150, 18°9'S, 69°29'W, 15 Dec 1999, M.F. Gardner & S.G. Knees 6266 (E); Aguas Calientes, 17°43'S, 69°49'W, Nov 1955, U. Levi 11 (CONC); camino de Putre a Chucuyo, km 10, 18°13'S, 69°16'W, 12 Feb 1964, C. Marticorena, O. Matthei & M. Quezada 198 (CONC); termas de Jurasi, 18°12'S, 69°30'W, 26 May 2011, A. Moreira-Muñoz, M. Muñoz & V. Morales 1658 (SGO); base del cerro Chapiquiña, bofedal Ojo de Agua, 18°19'S, 69°29'W, 9 Jun 2012, A. Moreira-Muñoz 1941 (SGO); lado este Portezuelo Chapiquiña, frente Ojo de Agua, 18°19'S, 69°29'W, 19 Oct 2012, A. Moreira-Muñoz et al. 2016 (SGO); quebrada profunda antes de Colpitas, después de cruce del río, 17°58'S, 69°27'W, 20 Oct 2012, A. Moreira-Muñoz et al. 2022 (SGO); quebrada Ancochallane, 18°15'S, 69°24'W, 18 Jun 2015, A. Moreira-Muñoz 2495A (SGO); camino Umirpa a Tignamar, ca. km 28, 18°45'S, 69°21'W, 26 May 2016, A. Moreira-Muñoz & M. Diazgranados 2625 (SGO); Parinacota, entre Cotacotani y Chungará, 18°15'S, 69°13'W, 20 Apr 1980, J. Moreno 2668 (CONC); Parinacota, entre central de Chapiquiña y Portezuelo de Chapiquiña, 18°20'S, 69°29'W, 17 May 1989, H. Niemeyer, C. Fernández & A. Hoffmann 8992 (CONC); Aguas Calientes, Tacora, 17°43'S, 69°49'W, 17 Sep 1955, M. Ricardi 3379 (CONC); Arica, Misitune, lecho del río Lauca, 18°20'S, 69°22'W, 7 Sep 1963, F. Schlegel 4751 (CONC); Tacora-Humapalca-río Azufre, 17°49'S, 69°47'W, 4 Jan 2013, S. Teillier 7740 (CONC); Arica, Chilcaya, 18°47'S, 69°0'W, 20 Apr 1927, C. Troll 3320 (B, CONC); Parinacota, portezuelo de Putre, 18°12'S, 69°20'W, 18 May 1979, C. Villagrán et al. 1175 (CONC); Tarapacá: Iquique, Huara, road from Lirima to Pachica, along the río Chancacolla (after La Rinconada), 19°52'S, 68°58'W, 11 Dec 2008, R. Baines et al. 363 (E); La Cruz, 20°22'S, 68°59'W, 3 Dec 1948, V. Castillo s.n. (CONC); South edge of salar Huasco, NW of intersection of rt. A-687 & A-683, 20°20'S, 68°51'W, 4 Mar 2014, V.A. Funk, M. Diazgranados & J.M. Bonifacino 13082 (US); Iquique, Huara, km 108 on A 483 to Colchane, 19°33'S, 68°57'W, 18 Feb 2003, M.F. Gardner & S.G. Knees 6525 (E); comuna de Pica, salar de Huasco, bofedal de Huasco-Lípez, 20°19'S, 68°50'W, 23 Mar 2003, S. Teillier & G. Mieres 5447 (CONC); Iquique, camino de Chusmiza a quebrada de Aroma, 19°37'S, 69°5'W, 20 Mar 1982, C. Villagrán & M. Arroyo 4093 (CONC); Iquique, trayecto entre Cariquima y Guaitani, 19°30'S, 68°37'W, 6 Sep 1997, C. Villagrán, F. Hinojosa & C. Latorre 9167 (CONC). Peru. Arequipa: [without locality, pr. Vincocaya according to coordinates], 15°51'S, 71°9'W, 21 Dec 2006, F. Cáceres, E. López & L. Castillo 6025 (HUSA); río Sumbay, 15°51'S, 71°9'W, 22 Dec 2006, F. Cáceres, E. López & L. Castillo 6063 (HUSA); río Sumbay, 15°51'S, 71°9'W, 23 Dec 2006, F. Cáceres, E. López & L. Castillo 6149 (HUSA); río Sumbay, 15°51'S, 71°9'W, 23 Dec 2006, F. Cáceres, E. López & L. Castillo 6178 (HUSA); Caylloma, Yanque, entre Imata y Chalhuanca, 15°46'S, 71°17'W, 17 May 2017, V. Quipuscoa et al. 5570 (HSP); Moquegua: Ubinas, Querala, Gasahuasi, 16°7'S, 70°45'W, 6 Apr 2011, D. Montesinos 3090 (HSP, USM); General Sánchez Cerro, Chojata, quebrada Huarata, 16°36'S, 70°36'W, 4 Mar 2018, D. Montesinos & J. Calvo 5984 (HSP); Puno: San Román, hacienda Tincopalca, 15°51'S, 70°45'W, 11 Mar 1953, E. Petersen & J.P. Hjerting 1090 (C, LIL, USM).

Figures

Figure 17. Distribution map of Xenophyllum juniperinum (left hand), X. weddellii (right hand, closed triangle), and X. incisum (right hand, open circle).