Menonvillea cicatricosa (Phil.) Rollins (1955: 10)

Salariato, Diego L., Zuloaga, Fernando O. & Al-Shehbaz, Ihsan A., 2014, A revision of the genus Menonvillea (Cremolobeae, Brassicaceae), Phytotaxa 162 (5), pp. 241-298 : 261

1. Menonvillea cicatricosa (Phil.) Rollins (1955: 10) . Hexaptera cicatricosa Philippi (1862b: 442) . Type:— CHILE. [Región del Maule]. Prov. del Maule, San José, 1861–1862, G. Volkmann s.n. (holotype SGO 63959!; isotype GH!).

Suffrutescent perennials, chamaephytes, with woody, profusely branched caudex base. Stems 7−35 cm, erect to ascending, stramineous, glabrous or sparsely pilose with simple, terete, antrorse trichomes to 0.7 mm long, covered with persistent petiolar bases. Leaves petiolate, not rosulate; petiole persistent, becoming stramineus; blade entire, spatulate to obovate, fleshy, 10−18 × 4−8(−10) mm, glabrous or sparsely to densely pilose, base cuneate to attenuate, margin entire, apex acute, commonly abruptly sharp pointed. Racemes terminal, ebracteate, corymbose, elongated in fruit, 3−8 cm long; rachis pilose or glabrescent, straight; fruiting pedicels divaricate-ascending, straight, (0.9−)1.3−1.4(−2) cm long, usually pilose. Sepals oblong, 2.5−3.5(−4) × 1−2.5 mm, sparsely pilose, somewhat spreading, not saccate, caducous, margin scarious; petals creamy white, spatulate to broadly so, 4−6 × 1−2.5 mm, with a distinct claw glabrous at base; stamens slightly tetradynamous; filaments free, dilated at base, glabrous, 2−3.3 mm long; anthers narrowly oblong, 1.5−1.6 mm long; nectar glands confluent, surrounding bases of all filaments. Fruits subglobose, glabrous; valves 3-winged, conspicuously veined, frequently with 1 valve reduced; developed valve 12−16 × 10−14 mm; wings 2.5−3.5 mm wide, straight or slightly undulate; gynophore 2− 4 mm long; style 2.5−4(–6) mm long; stigma capitate, entire. Seeds 4−4.5 × 2.5−3 mm, wingless; cotyledons accumbent.

Distribution and habitat:— Menonvillea cicatricosa grows in Chile (VI Libertador O´Higgins and VII Maule) and Argentina, just across the border in Mendoza. The species is found in rock crevices and roadside rocky banks of mountains at 1800−2800 m ( Fig. 12A ).

Phenology:— Flowers mainly from November to March.

Taxonomic notes:— Menonvillea cicatricosa is easily distinguished by its suffruticose habit, persistent petiolar bases, entire and non-rosulate leaves, and glabrous, 3-winged fruit valves. It is morphologically related to M. macrocarpa , from which it is distinguished by the suffruticose (vs. herbaceous) habit, persistent (vs. caduceus) petiolar bases, and pubescent (vs. glabrous) fruits.

Representative Specimens:— ARGENTINA. Mendoza: Depto. Malargüe, Mirador de Valle Hermoso , 28 January 2004, Prina et al. 2395 ( SI) . CHILE. VI Libertador O´Higgins: Prov. Colchagua, Com. San Fernando, Cordillera Tinguiririca , January 1930, Pirión 138 ( CONC). VII Maule: Prov. Curicó, Com. Romeral, a orillas de la Laguna de Teno , 10 March 1967, Marticorena & Matthei 906 ( CONC) .

Figures

FIGURE 12. Distribution of species of Menonvillea sect. Cuneata. A, M. cicatricosa. B, M. comberi. C, M. cuneata. D, M. frigida. E, M. macrocarpa. F. M. nordenskjoeldii. G. M. patagonica. H, M. rigida. I, M. spathulata. J, M. virens.