Lessingianthus pseudoincanus (Hieron.) Dematteis & Angulo

Angulo, Maria Betiana & Dematteis, Massimiliano, 2014, A new species and a new combination in the South American genus Lessingianthus (Vernonieae, Asteraceae), Phytotaxa 186 (4), pp. 207-214 : 210-213

Lessingianthus pseudoincanus (Hieron.) Dematteis & Angulo , comb. nov. ( Fig. 2 ).

Basionym:― Vernonia rubricaulis var. pseudoincana Hieronymus (1897: 689) . Homotypic synonyms:― Cacalia rubricaulis var.

pseudoincana (Hieron.) Kuntze (1898: 139) . Vernonia pseudoincana (Hieron.) Cabrera (1999: 110) . Type:― ARGENTINA.

Córdoba, entre Malagueño y Córdoba, 13 January 1881, G. Hieronymus s. n. (lectotype BAF! designated by Cristóbal & Dematteis

2003; isolectotypes BAF!, CTES!, G!, K!). Vernonia rubricaulis var. latifolia Lessing (1829: 300) . Type:― BRAZIL. Sine loco, F. Sellow s. n. (lectotype P!, designated by Dematteis

2004, isolectotypes BR!, K!). Vernonia salicifolia Gill. ex Hooker & Arnott (1836: 237) , nom. nud. pro syn. [Argentina. Mendoza, Gillies 204 (BM!)]. Vernonia acutifolia var. ambigua Candolle (1836: 47) . Type:― BRAZIL. Sine loco, F. Sellow s. n. (holotype G-DC!). Vernonia rubricaulis var. denudata Baker (1873: 80) . Type:― URUGUAY. Montevideo, F. Sellow s. n. (not found). Vernonia rubricaulis var. australis auct. non Hieron.: Cabrera (1944: 319).

Erect shrub, 0.5–1 m high, with small xylopodia. Stem grayish, striate, 4–5 mm in diameter at the base, incanoustomentose. Leaves sessile, coriaceous, 9–14 × 1.0– 4 cm. Leaf blades narrowly lanceolate, acute at apex, attenuate basally, denticulate at the margin, rarely revolute, scabrous above, incanous beneath. Capitula sessile or subsessile, axillary, grouped in seriate-cymose branches. Bracts of the synflorescence leafy, linear. Involucre campanulate, 9–12 mm high. Phyllaries in 4–5 series, grayish, acute apically, sericeous, with long trichomes on the margins and apex, inner phyllaries lanceolate or oblong-lanceolate, outer ones ovate-lanceolate, recurvate. Florets violet, 30–40 per head. Corollas 12–13 mm long, lobes lanceolate, with glandular and non-glandular trichomes. Anthers sagittate, thecae 4.5–5 mm long, apical appendages lanceolate, 0.6–1 mm long. Styles 15–16 mm long, branches linear, 2.5–3 mm long. Cypselas turbinate, ribbed, sligthly pubescent, 3–3.5 mm long. Pappus biseriate, white, inner bristles 6–6.5 mm long, outer scales lanceolate, fimbriate, 0.8–1 mm long. Pollen grains (type B) spheroidal, ( P /E=1.00), tricolporate, echinolophate, 47.6 (50.2) 53.0 µm in diameter, spines 1.3–2.7 µm long, and lacunae 10.8 (11.7) 12.2 µm. 2n=64 ( Angulo & Dematteis 2012).

Habitat and distribution:― Lessingianthus pseudoincanus is distributed from southern Bolivia and Paraguay to central Argentina, Uruguay, and Rio Grande do Sul, state of Brazil. The new species occurs in high fields with sandy soil.

Phenology:―Flowering and fruiting between October to April.

Additional specimens examined:― ARGENTINA. Buenos Aires: Chacabuco, 1936, M. P. Urulay s. n. (BA 19177); San Vicente , 25 December 1926, Castellanos s. n. (BA 26/1980); Entre Lincoln y General Pinto, 31 December 1928, E. C. Clos 4139 (LP); Rosas, El Toro, 11 January 1926, J. B. Daguerre 341 (BA); Monte Veloz, January 1929, Pérez Moreau 8407 (BA); Pdo. Magdalena, Punta Indio, 28 December 1945, A. P. Rodrigo 3476 (LP); Pdo. Merlo, alrededores de Libertad, 27 February 1955, Mazzucconi 967 ( CTES) . Córdoba: Bajada de San Roque, 25 February 1939, Castellanos s. n. (BA 31378); prope Córdoba , February 1901, T. Stuckert 10067 ( BAF) ; Altos Sud cerca de Córdoba, 15 December 1896, T. Stuckert 1012 ( BAF, G) . Corrientes: Bella Vista, 10 km S de Bella Vista, Ayo. Toropí , 27 January 2007, M. B. Angulo 9 ( CTES) ; Capital , alrededores de Corrientes, 1 March 1975, C. Quarín 2965 ( CTES) ; Capital , Molina Punta , 25-I-1996, M. Dematteis & V. Solís Neffa 504 ( CTES) ; Empedrado, Empedrado, Arroyo González y ruta 12, 27 February 1974, C. Quarín et al. 2277 ( CTES) ; Esquina, Guayquiraró , 26 February 1974, C. Quarín et al. 2210 ( CTES) ; Lavalle, Estancia La Pastoril , 25 March 1956, T. M. Pedersen 3861 (C, CTES); ruta 12, 20 km S de ruta 123, 16 February 1996, A. Krapovickas & C. L. Cristóbal 46518 ( CTES) ; San Lorenzo, 19 January 1983, T. M. Pedersen 13489 ( CESJ, CTES); Saladas, Rio San Lorenzo , 10 December 1949, G. J. Schwarz 9071 ( LIL) ; San Alberto, Yapeyú, costa del Río Uruguay , 28 December 1944, T. Ibarrola 1865 ( LIL) ; San Cosme , 28 km E de Corrientes, ruta 12, 26 February 1978, O. Ahumada 1649 ( CTES) ; San Miguel , 19 km S de Caá Catí, ruta 5, 14 March 1978, O. Ahumada 1796 ( CTES) ; Chaco: Almirante Brown: Azarevich 74, aproximadamente 15 km N de Pampa del Infierno, 27 March 1978, Bordón 640 ( CTES) ; 1º de Mayo, Colonia Benítez , February 1937, A. G. Schulz 9655 ( CTES) ; Tapenagá , entre Characlay y Haumonia, 8 February 1952, A. Ragonese & Castiglioni 8481 ( CTES) . Entre Ríos: La Paz, Complejo termal, circuito parque de la aventura, 3 January 2007, H. A. Keller 3890 ( CTES) ; Paraná, Parque San Martín, 22 December 1957, A. L. Cabrera 12402 (C); Paraná , February 1917, L. Hauman 4567 (BA); Pedermar , 05 April 1912, Friedman 13 (LP) . Formosa: Formosa, 2 km S de ruta 81, camino a Mariano Boedo , 20 February 1996, A. Krapovickas & C. L. Cristóbal 46533 ( CTES) ; Laishi , entre Tatané y Herradura, January 1979, B. Piccinini & C. Petetin 3529 ( CTES) ; Patiño, rutas 81 y 95, a 1 km de Cmte. Fontana , 15 January 1981, C. A. Petetin & A. M. Molina 1131 ( CTES) ; Pirané, Caco Cué , 7 February 1946, I. Morel 875 ( CTES) . Mendoza: s. l. Gillies 204 (BM) . Salta: Capital, Chachapoyas, playa de maniobras de la Estación km 1129 del Ferrocarril General Belgrano , 4 October 1999, Tolaba 2039 ( CTES) . Santa Fe: Capital : Santa Fe, 12 January 1949, A. Ragonese & Castiglioni 6801 ( CTES) ; General Obligado, Villa Ana , 23 December 1972, C. Quarín 679 ( CTES) ; San Cristóbal , R-92 al N de La Lucila, 10 December 1984, Stofella 345 ( CORD) . Santiago del Estero: Moreno, Arbol Blanco , 15 November 1984, Kunst et al. 101 ( CTES) . BOLIVIA. Tarija: Canto del Monte, prope Fortin Crevaux, Gran Chaco , 22 April 1902, R. E. Fries 1685 (S) . BRAZIL. Rio Grande do Sul: Caí, Capella , in campo, 23 April 1935, B. Rambo 1968 (LP) . PARAGUAY. Central: Trinidad , Asunción, February 1916, T. Rojas 8644 (S) . URUGUAY. Rocha: Aº La Pantanosa, 5 February 1938, P. Rossengurtt 2448 (LP) .

Discussion:―This species was initially described as a variety of V. rubricaulis ( Hieronymus 1897) , and then Cabrera & Dematteis (1999) elevated this taxon to the rank of species based on morphological and ecological observations. However, this entity was not included in Lessingianthus by Robinson (1988 a, 1999). Lessingianthus pseudoincanus belongs to the L. rubricaulis ( Humboldt & Bonpland 1809: 66) Robinson (1988a: 948) complex, which includes other three species with shortly seriate-cymose synflorescences, sessile capitula, 30–40 florets per head and linear to linear-lanceolate leaves, incanous to lanate beneath. However, L. pseudoincanus can be distinguished from the remaining taxa of the group by lanceolate leaves and grayish phyllaries. Besides, it grows in high fields with sandy soils, while L. rubricaulis , for example, grows in low and flooded fields. A comparison among L. pseudoincanus and closely related species is summarized in Table 2.

Figures

FIGURE 2. Lessingianthus pseudoincanus. A. Plant. B. Capitulum. C–D: Outer phyllaries. E. Middle phyllary. F. Inner phyllary. G. Immature cypsela with the rest of the flower. (A–G: from Mazzucconi 967, CTES; illustrated by Mirtha L. Gómez).