New Taxa and Nomenclatural Changes in Allophyllum, Gilia, and Navarretia (Polemoniaceae)

Abstract

Studies of certain species problems in Allophyllum, Gilia, and Navarretia resulted in the following nomenclatural changes: Gilia subg. Kelloggia is reduced to sectional status, two new species and one new subspecies are described (Gilia lottiae, Navarretia myersii, N. hamata subsp. parviloba), two subspecies are elevated to species (Navarretia jaredii, N. rosulata), one variety is elevated to subspecies (N. nigelliformis subsp. radians), and eight new combinations are proposed (Allophyllum gilioides subsp. violaceum, Gilia brecciarum subsp. jacens, G. sinistra subsp. pinnatisecta, Navarretia leucocephala subsp. bakeri, N. leucocephala subsp. minima, N. leucocephala subsp. paucifora, N. leucocephala subsp. plieantha, and N. intertexta subsp. propinqua). These changes are included in treatments of the same genera contributed by the author to the Jepson Manual: Higher Plants of California (Hickman, 1993). This report is presented in order to validate nomenclatural changes found necessary during preparation of treatments of Allophyllum, Gilia, and Navarretia for the Jepson Manual: Higher Plants of California (Hickman, 1993). A more detailed account of studies that led to some of the decisions will be forthcoming elsewhere. ALLOPHYLLUM (NUTTALL) V. GRANT Allophyllum is a small genus occurring in the mountains of the western United States. All species are annual, the stems leafy, corollas short-or longtubed, and blue, purple, pink, or white. Although segregated from Gilia by Grant & Grant (1955), it was maintained as a section of Gilia by Cronquist (1984). Characters distinguishing Allophyllum from Gilia are its nonscapose habit, leafier stems, and distinctive trichome type (fine-stalked, gland-tipped), seeds generally boat-shaped, and leaf-lobes thickened at the tip, not fine-pointed as in Gilia. Allophyllum violaceum (Heller) A. & V. Grant and A. gilioides (Bentham) A. & V. Grant are closely related species, with the former occurring generally at higher elevations. Typical A. violaceum occurs from 2,000 to 2,900 m in the high Sierra Nevada of California and in the mountains of western Nevada. The plants are small (generally 6-12 cm tall), have few-lobed leaves, and 2-3 flowers per cluster. Allophyllum gilioides occurs at lower elevations, mostly below 2,000 m; the plants are larger (14-60 cm tall), with larger, many-lobed leaves, and a glomerate inflorescence, 4-8 flowers per cluster. The two taxa intergrade in some areas at middle elevations (1,200-1,800 m) where their ranges overlap, as in Kern Canyon in the southern Sierra Nevada. Since a clear distinction between them is not possible throughout, I propose the following new combination. Allophyllum gilioides (Bentham) A. & V. Grant subsp. violaceum (Heller) Day, comb. et stat. nov. Basionym: Gilia violacea Heller, Muhl. 1: 56. 1904. Allophyllum violaceum (Heller) A. & V. Grant, Aliso 3: 106. 1955. Gilia gilioides Bentham var. violacea (Heller) Cronq., Intermountain Flora 4: 132. 1984. TYPE: U.S.A. California: Nevada Co., lower end of Donner Lake, Heller 6873 (holotype, DS; isotypes, NY, UC).