Balbisia

Weigend, Maximilian, 2011, The genus Balbisia (Vivianiaceae, Geraniales) in Peru, Bolivia and northern Chile, Phytotaxa 22 (1), pp. 47-56 : 49

Key to the species of Balbisia in Peru, Bolivia and northern Chile

1 Leaves and bracts undivided......................................................................................................1. Balbisia integrifolia

1 Leaves and bracts deeply pinnatisect or pinnate, with narrowly ovate to linear segments ......................................... 2

2 Cauline leaves on long shoots (dolichoblasts) much larger than those on axillary short shoots (brachyblasts), the latter very short, densely leafy, appearing like short, hairy cones ................................................................................... 3

2 All leaves more or less the same size, short shoots (brachyblasts) in the axils of the foliage leaves of long shoots (dolichoblasts) not conspicuously developed .............................................................................................................. 4

3 Leaflets (on brachyblasts) 5–8 mm long, narrowly elliptical ................................................................ 5. B. stitchkinii

3 Leaflets (on brachyblasts) 1–3 mm long, elliptical ........................................................................... 3. B. microphylla

4 Leaflets elliptical, ca. 2–3 times as long as wide, margin recurved ( Fig. 2C ); stiffly erect shrubs, sparsely branched; petals 30–40 mm long ( Chile)...........................................................................................................4. B. peduncularis

4 Leaflets obovate to narrowly elliptical to linear, ca. 4–5 times as long as wide, margin flat or recurved ( Fig. 1C, D ), erect shrubs with overhanging older branches, very densely and widely branched later; petals 15–20(–25) mm long ( Peru, Bolivia) .............................................................................................................................................................. 5

5 Leaflets narrowly obovate, margin flat, lamina subglabrous to finely pubescent, glaucous in the living state, fresh green when dried; calyx finely puberulent, abaxially flushed with red ( Fig. 1F ) ................................ 2. B. meyeniana

5 Leaflets narrowly elliptical-acuminate, margin recurved, lamina sericeous, whitish in the living state, grey when dried; calyx densely pubescent to sericeous, usually not flushed with red ( Fig. 1E ) .......................... 6. B. verticillata

Figures

FIGURE 1. Comparison of Balbisia verticillata and B. meyeniana. A, flowering branch of B. verticillata (N Puquina, Moquegua, Weigend & Baldárrago 9367). B, mature plant of B. meyeniana (S Puquina, Moquegua, Weigend & Baldárrago 9366). C, foliage of B. verticillata during the dry season (San Antonio de Yarabamba, Arequipa, Weigend et al. 9204). D, foliage of B. meyeniana (Omate, Moquegua, Weigend & Ackermann 9266). E, leaves and flowers of B. verticillata, moist conditions (north of Puquina, Moquegua, Weigend & Baldárrago 9367). F, flower bud of B. meyeniana, note the red sepals and weakly branched epicalyx (Omate, Moquegua, Weigend & Ackermann 9266).

FIGURE 2. Comparison of Balbisia verticillata and B. meyeniana with B. peduncularis. A, flowering B. peduncularis, note sparse branching and vertical orientation of branches (Coquimbo, Luebert & Dani³owicz 2980, photograph F. Luebert). B–D, details of B. peduncularis (Coquimbo, photographs: M. Belov, not vouchered). B, flower with the long and strong pedicel. C, leaf with obovate leaflets and recurved margins. D, epicalyx with short, wide, unbranched segments. E, Calyx and epicalyx of B. verticillata, epicalyx with the strongly branched, densely villous, linear segments (San Antonio de Yarabamba, Arequipa, Weigend et al. 9204). F, Calyx and epicalyx of B. meyeniana, epicalyx with weakly branched, shortly pubescent, linear segments (Omate, Moquegua, Weigend & Ackermann 9266).