Penstemon reidmoranii Zacarías & A. Wolfe, 2019

Zacarías-Correa, Ana Gabriela, Wolfe, Andrea D., Salas, Esteban Martínez & Samain, Marie- Stéphanie, 2019, Penstemon reidmoranii (Plantaginaceae), a new species from Baja California, Mexico, Phytotaxa 387 (1), pp. 63-70 : 67-68

Penstemon reidmoranii Zacarías & A. Wolfe , sp. nov., Fig. 1 ; Fig.2 A–F .

Subshrub endemic to southern Baja California and adjacent areas of Baja California Sur, which can be distinguished from Penstemon eximius D. D. Keck by the height of the plant, the elliptic-lanceolate, fleshy leaves with serrate margin, the gibbose corolla, 3–3.5 cm long, and the glandular staminode, pubescent from the base up to half its length and white pilose towards the apex.

Type: — MEXICO. Baja California: municipio Ensenada, carretera federal México 1, 60 km al sur de la desviación a Bahía de Los Ángeles, 31 m, 28° 31’ 31.7’’ N, 114° 02’ 15.7’’ W, 10 May 2018, A. G. Zacarías-Correa et al. 177 (holotype IEB, isotypes BCMEX, CIIDIR, MEXU, OS).

Subshrub, erect, glabrous; stem branched from the base, 80–280 (300) cm long. Basal leaves elliptic-lanceolate, 7– 15(18) × 2–3.5 cm, base decurrent appearing petiolate, margin serrate, upper leaves lanceolate, 2–10 × 0.4–2 cm, base clasping, margin serrate, fleshy, glabrous. Inflorescence paniculate, 40–100 (120) cm long, secondary branches 1–1.5 cm long, 2–6 (8) flowers, pedicels 1.5–3 cm long, glandular pubescent. Calyx 5–lobed, lanceolate, 0.8 × 0.3 cm, margin entire, white-scarious, glandular pubescent. Corolla gibbose, 3–3.5 cm long, white-pale pink, upper lobes broadly rounded, slightly retrose, lower lobes deep 3-lobed, rounded, spreading, pubescent, throat light purple in the upper lobes, white in the lower lobes, glandular pubescent, guidelines purple. Ovary superior, bilocular, style filiform, 2 cm long, glabrous, stigma capitate. Staminode included, 1–1.2 cm long, glandular pubescent from the base up to half its length, white pilose towards the apex, trichomes at the apex 0.6 cm long; fertile stamens didynamous, included, filaments of the short pair 1 cm long, filaments of the long pair 1.5 cm long, glabrous, anthers 0.3 × 0.1 cm, dehiscing completely to boat shape or seldom explanate, sacs spreading opposite, glabrous. Capsules 0.7–1.5 cm long, brownish. Seeds numerous, brown.

Distribution and habitat: — Penstemon reidmoranii is endemic to the southern region of Baja California, near the border with Baja California Sur, extending to the El Azufre region of Baja California Sur ( Fig. 3 ). With respect to tectonostratographic terranes, it seems to be restricted to sedimentary-volcanic cover of the Mesozoic and Cenozoic ( Servicio Geológico Mexicano, 2018). The habitat for this species are river beds, in riparian vegetation, and sandy soils.

Phenology: —The new species has been found flowering in May.

Etymology: —It is a privilege for the authors of this paper to honor the memory of Dr. Reid Venable Moran (1916–2010), dedicating this new species to such a legendary and passionate botanist, according to Jane Goodall “a sort of living myth in botanical exploration in Baja California and the Pacific Islands of Mexico ” ( Goodall, 2009). In search of the type localities of the Penstemon species collected and described by him from Baja California, while dehydrated despite constant electrolyte uptake, we were profoundly impressed by the physical endurance and mental strength he must have had to realize successful field work in this extremely arid area.

Conservation: — Penstemon reidmoranii seems to be a rare species, restricted to a specific geological substrate. Further exploration in the area is needed before being able to recommend a conservation status according to IUCN criteria and categories.

Additional material examined of P. reidmoranii : — MEXICO. Baja California: municipio Ensenada, San Borja, 27 April 1987, P. Tenorio L. & C. Romero de T. 13098 ( MEXU) ; La Junta, 35 km al NE de El Arco, brecha a San Francisquito, 23 April 1987 P. Tenorio L. & C. Romero de T. 13044 ( MEXU) ; 31.5 mi south of Punta Prieta, 23 December 1959, I. L. Wiggins 656 & R. Ernst ( MEXU) ; La Laguna Wash, ca. 5.5 mi south of Mission San Borja road, 12 February 1998, J. L. Anderson 98-35 & R. Johnson ( ASU). Baja California Sur: municipio Mulegé, north ridge of Cerro Azufre, 14 April 1973, R. Moran 20502 ( ASU) .

Additional material examined of P. eximius : — MEXICO. Baja California: municipio Ensenada, 0.6 miles north of Mexico route 3 at Ejido San Matias (Francisco R. Serrano), between Ensenada and San Felipe, 6 May 1994, J. P. Rebman et al. 2676 ( ASU) ; eastern foothills of Sierra San Pedro Martir, west of main dirt road providing access to Cañon de Guadalupe , 14 March 1995, J. Rebman et al. 8699 ( DES) ; 41 miles north of Cataviña on Mexican highway 1, 3 May 1992, J. S. Miller et al. 7360 ( MEXU) ; 2 miles east of El Arenoso , 19 April 1975, R. Moran 21762 ( MEXU) ; route 1, 36 miles east of curve in center of El Rosario, 23 May 1984, D. J. Pinkava et al. 14256 ( ASU) ; 26 km southwest of Mexican highway at San Agustin along road to Punta Canoas, 25 February 1986, D. E. Breedlove 62474 ( MEXU) ; about 3 miles south of El Marmol , 22 April 1952, H. S. Gentry & W. B. Fox 11729 ( MEXU) ; San Ignacito , 14 km suroeste de Cataviña, por la carretera transpeninsular, 28 April 1987, P. Tenorio L. & C. Romero de T. 13127 ( MEXU) ; about 5 miles south of Cataviña , 30 March 1977, G. L. Webster & W. Overton 21721 ( MEXU) ; along road from Las Arrastras to Bahia San Luis Gonzaga , 62 km of intersection with highway Mexico 1 and approx. 21 km southwest of village of Punta Final, 22 March 1985, E. Zurcher et al. ( UTC) ; about 0.5 miles west of La Mona , vicinity of the inner road paralleling the shore, 13 March 1992, P. Fritsch et al. 1280 ( MEXU) ; wash area between San Francisquito and Calmalli, 28.3 miles southwest of San Francisquito , 24 May 1996, J. Rebman et al. 3178 ( DES) .

Figures

FIGURE 1. Penstemon reidmoranii Zacarías & A. Wolfe, sp. nov. A) Habit; B) Basal stem; C) Apical stem; D) Inflorescence; E) Corolla lateral view; F) Corolla dissection; G) Pedicel, calyx and gynoecium; H) Corolla frontal view; I) Fruit; J) Staminode; K) Calyx; L) Trichomes of calyx (A and D based on photographs by E. Martínez; B, C, D–L based on Zacarías-Correa et al. 177; J–L based on Zacarías- Correa et al. 177 and improved with photographs of E. Martínez Salas).

FIGURE 2. Penstemon reidmoranii: A) Habit and length of the plant; B) Basal leaves; C) Corolla lateral view; D) Corolla dissection in lateral view; E) Staminode; F) Corolla frontal view.Penstemon eximius: G) Habit and length of the plant; H) Basal leaves; I) Corolla lateral view; J) Corolla dissection in lateral view; K) Staminode; L) Corolla frontal view. Photos by A.D. Wolfe.

FIGURE 3. Known geographical distribution of Penstemon reidmoranii and P. eximius on the Baja California Peninsula, Mexico. Type locations of both species are represented with black symbols.