Clinanthus longissimus B. Esquerre & Meerow, 2020
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publication ID |
https://doi.org/ 10.11646/phytotaxa.438.1.7 |
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persistent identifier |
https://treatment.plazi.org/id/3E6387D2-FFBC-B61D-E9D7-8E86FDEDFD09 |
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treatment provided by |
Felipe |
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scientific name |
Clinanthus longissimus B. Esquerre & Meerow |
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sp. nov. |
Clinanthus longissimus B. Esquerre & Meerow View in CoL , sp. nov. ( Figs. 1 View FIGURE 1 , 2 View FIGURE 2 )
This species differs from all Clinanthus species by the length of the flowers, the longest in the genus as so far known. From the related C. coccineus ( Ruiz & Pavon 1802: 54) Meerow in Meerow et al. (2000: 723), C. incarnatus ( Kunth 1816: 280) Meerow in Meerow et al. (2000: 723) and C. variegatus ( Ruiz & Pavón 1802: 55) Meerow in Meerow et al. (2000: 723) it is distinguished by having larger bracts with a conspicuous orange-red spot near their base, longer tepals that are stained green at the base or middle section, and the narrow tube continuous in shape, uninterrupted by any dilation in the central portion. The staminal cup is much larger than that of all three of the other species and has long bifid teeth between each free filament.
Type:― PERU. Cajamarca, Prov. Cutervo, Dist. Cutervo, route to La Capilla, 2700 m elevation, 26 July 2019, B. Esquerre 216 (holotype USM!; isotype MOL!) .
Plant a terrestrial geophytic herb from a bulb. Bulb globose, tunicate, tunics brown, 4–8 cm long, 2–4 cm diam, forming an apical neck 4–7 cm long, 1–2 cm wide. Leaves 2–6, synanthous, distichous, sessile, lorate, canaliculate at base, succulent, erect or slightly reflexed towards the abaxial surface, 10–55 cm long, 1.5–2.5 cm wide, acute at apex. Scape terete to slightly ancipitous, glaucous, 60–90 cm long, ca. 1 cm diam, terminated by two bracts that enclose the flower buds; bracts ovate-lanceolate, 6–10 cm long, 2–2.5 cm wide at the base, abaxially green with orange at the base and green-orange or yellow apically, whitish adaxially; inner bracteoles lanceolate with acute apex, 4–6 cm long, 1–1.5 cm wide, the same color as the bracts. Flowers 3–7, pedicellate, pedicels ca. 1 cm long at anthesis, suberect to declinate; perigone tubular-funnelform, 15–20 cm long, salmon to orange, composed of six tepals in two series connate proximally into a narrow tube that gradually increases in diameter from the ovary to the tepals without interruption by dilation; tube 10–16 cm long, orange or orange-salmon outside, orange to whitish inside; tepals salmon to orange with a large light green central spot or the lower half, green abaxially and salmon-orange with a white stripe along the lower half, green adaxially; outer tepals ovate-lanceolate, 3–4 cm long, 1–1.5 cm at wide, apiculate, apiculum 1–2 mm; inner tepals spatulate, 3–4 cm long, 1 cm at wide, narrower at the base and more rounded at apex, minutely apiculate. Stamens 6, basally connate into a large, cylindrical staminal cup, white with green stripes, with a bifid green tooth between each free filament, 1.2–1.8 cm long (from the base to the apex of teeth), teeth 2–4 mm long, acute, divided more than half their length; free filaments 8–10 mm long, white; anthers oblong, 8–10 mm long, 2 mm wide, yellow, dorsifixed, erect and loosely connivent at anthesis and appearing to form a tube around the style, pollen yellow. Style exceeding the stamens, declinate at anthesis, 16–18 cm long, white, sometimes pink-orange proximally; stigma capitate, ca. 1 mm wide. Ovary inferior, oblong-elipsoidal, ovules numerous per locule, 10–15 mm long, 6–7 mm diam, green. Fruit a tri-loculicidal capsule 20–25 mm long, 25–35 mm wide, green, turbinate, turning brown at dehicense; seeds flattened, shortly winged, testa lustrous black, 9–13 mm long, 5–7 mm wide.
Distribution and ecology: — Clinanthus longissimus is a new Peruvian endemic reported for the Province of Cutervo, Department of Cajamarca in northwest Peru. The distribution is in the area of Cordillera de los Tarros and surroundings, where it is fairly abundant, but goes unnoticed when not in flower. It is found growing on rock, white sand and organic matter, within populations of grass species and terrestrial orchids that dominate the open, treeless areas of what is otherwise a very humid cloud forest ecosystem. Because of the length of its flowers and their coloration, it is very likely pollinated by hummingbirds. Flowering of C. longissimus is reported in July and August with fruiting in September and October. It is unknown if it has more than one flowering cycle per year.
Preliminary conservation status: —According to the IUCN, the species is known from less than five locations in severely fragmented habitat (B1a). These areas are under threat due to anthropic disturbances, such as an increase in road expansion, quarries, transient agriculture, fires and illegal logging [B1b(iii)+B2b(iii)]. The extent of occurrence is estimated to be 300 km 2, and the area of occupancy is 4 km 2. Therefore, we consider this species Critically endangered (CR), according to the B1ab(iii)+B2b(iii) criteria of the IUCN (2012). This species has been observed within the area that includes the Cutervo National Park, a national reserve that houses the Cordillera de los Tarros and its montane cloud forest, where ostensibly this new species would be protected. Due to the similarity of habitat, it may be present in neighboring protected areas such as Pagaibamba Protection Forest.
Etymology: —The specific epithet denotes the longest flower observed in the genus Clinanthus .
Additional material examined: — PERU. Dpto. Cajamarca, Prov. Cutervo, Dist. Cutervo, lower edge of Cutervo National Park, 10–15 km N of San Andres de Cutervo, 78°40’W and 6°10’S, 11 February 1988, A. Gentry, C. Díaz & C. Blaney 61537 (USM).
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