Salvia alata Epling (1960: 147)

Fragoso-Martínez, Itzi, Martínez-Gordillo, Martha, Uría, Rolando, Salazar, Gerardo A., Peñafiel, Marcia, Tobar, Francisco & Montesinos, Kabir, 2021, Notes on Salvia subgenus Calosphace section Macrostachyae (Lamiaceae) from Ecuador with a new record, Phytotaxa 521 (2), pp. 71-79 : 74

Salvia alata Epling (1960: 147) . Fig. 1

Type:— PERU. Prov. La Libertad. Santiago de Chuco, Cachicadan , rocky slopes, 2740 m, 12 May 1952, N . Angulo 1684 (Holotype: LA in UC!) .

Suffruticose subshrubs, erect, 2–4 m tall; stems fistulose, surface densely hirsute to glabrescent, with copper-colored glandular-capitate hairs. Leaves membranaceous, with densely hirsute petioles 3–10.8 cm long; leaf blades ovatelanceolate or ovate, (8–)10–25 × 6.5–13.5 cm, apex acute, margin crenate or crenulate, base rounded, cordate or truncate, in large leaves slightly asymmetric, upper surface sparsely hirsute, lower surface densely hirtellous on the veins, with clear sessile-globose glands. Inflorescences densely crowded, terminal, racemose, 20–40 cm long, peduncles ca. 10 cm long; with 8–20 flowers per verticillaster, verticillasters 1.5–2.5(–5) cm apart, rachis densely hirsute with coppercolored or purple glandular trichomes. Bracts commonly caducous at anthesis, green or pinkish, ovate, 1.2–3 × 0.8–2.5 cm, apex acuminate, margin repand or entire, ciliate. Flowers with pedicels 0.7–2 cm long, hirsute. Calyx purple or green with purplish lobes, 1.4–1.75 cm long, base glandular-pilose, lobes hirtellous to glabrous; calyx tube cylindrical, arcuate, 1–1.3 cm long; upper lobe 5-veined, obtuse, 4.5–6.5 mm long, lower lobes acute, 3–6 mm long. Corolla fuchsia or deep purple with white nectar guides, 1.6–2.8 cm long; corolla tube epapillate, cylindrical, arcuate, 1.2–2 cm long; upper lip straight, emarginate, 0.6–1 cm long, lower lip reflexed, 4-lobate, 0.8–1.8 cm long. Stamens exserted; filaments 0.5–1.6 cm long, white, glabrous; connectives 3–5.5 cm long, white, straight, glabrate, lacking teeth; thecae yellow; staminodes 2, filiform. Style white, exserted, 4.5–6.5 cm long, glabrous, bilobate; lobes complanate, upper lobe shorter than the lower lobe; nectar gland deltoid, trilobate, ventral surface with sessile glands, 4–5.5 mm long. Mericarps oblong, complanate, winged, 4.5–5.5 mm long, black, glabrous, apex deltoid.

Distribution, habitat and phenology: — Salvia alata is distributed in Ecuador and Peru, where it inhabits montane forests at elevations of 2560–3224 m. Flowering occurs from August to April.

Additional specimens examined: — ECUADOR. Azuay: cantón Santa Isabel, parroquia Shaglli, 6.2 km al NE de Cebadas , vía Hornillos-Cebadas, 3224 m, 25 April 2018, 3º2’6.81”S 79º26’13.03”W, 3224 m, I . Fragoso-Martínez et al. 770 ( QCNE!). “ Lacha ”, 3200 m, August 1913, L . Sodiro s.n., ( QPLS!) . PERU. Áncash: Prov. Huaraz, Baños de Chaucos , 2560 m, January 1944, C . Sanderman, 4638 ( K!) .

Figures

FIGURE. 1. Salvia alata A Portion of a stem covered with simple trichomes. B Upper leaf surface. C Young inflorescence with bracts. D Inflorescence with flowers approaching anthesis and flower buds; some of the bracts from the lower verticillasters already shed. E Closeup of the flower at anthesis [Photographs by G. Salazar from I. Fragoso-Martínez et al. 770 (QCNE)].