Abstract
Nicotianaknightiana is recorded for the first time for the flora of Chile. A new species of Nicotiana, endemic to the coast of the Coquimbo region is described and illustrated. Molecular analysis placed the new species within the N.sect.Paniculatae, as sister to N.cordifolia, an endemic to Juan Fernandez islands. The new species can be considered critically endangered (CR) according to the IUCN categories due to its restricted and fragmented distribution, small population number, and the threat that urbanization and mining activities represent for the conservation of the biodiversity of the area.
Highlights
Nicotiana L. is one of the largest genera in the Solanaceae with 75 recognised species (Clarkson et al 2017) including the important crop plant Nicotiana tabacum L
Plants from Fuerte Lambert are perennial, rupicolous shrubs, with glandular indumentum, a characteristic congested inflorescence, and small, yellow flowers with an almost glabrous corolla (Fig. 3A-B, Fig. 4). Both species have capsules that produce a large number of seeds but the ones of N. knightiana are more rounded in shape compared to those of the new species (Fig. 5)
The large undulate leaves, the narrow panicles and the long throat of the flowers of N. knightiana resemble N. solanifolia from which it can be distinguished for its smaller flowers (2–2.3 cm vs 3–5 cm respectively), eglandular indumentum and dark green limb (Figs 2E, F, 3C, D)
Summary
Nicotiana L. is one of the largest genera in the Solanaceae with 75 recognised species (Clarkson et al 2017) including the important crop plant Nicotiana tabacum L. According to the last catalogue of the flora of Chile (Rodriguez et al 2018), the country is home to 12 native accepted species of Nicotiana distributed from Arica y Parinacota region to Magallanes region and Juan Fernandez Archipelago, and two introduced species, Nicotiana tabacum, in Juan Fernandez and Easter Island, and Nicotiana glauca Graham in North and Central Chile. In his monograph of the genus, Goodspeed (1954) provided a taxonomic classification in which he recognised three subgenera further divided into 14 sections.
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